Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Teitzei 9

R. Levi opened [his discourse] (with Ps. 9:6), “You have rebuked the nations; you have destroyed the wicked one”: “You have rebuked the nations.” This refers to Amalek, of which it is written (in Numb. 24:20), “First among the nations (to attack Israel) was Amalek.”30PRK 3:5; cf. PR 12:5. (ibid., cont.:) “You have destroyed the wicked one.” This refers to Esau, of whom it is stated (in Mal. 1:4), “and they shall call them (i.e., Edom) a country of wickedness.” If someone says to you, “Jacob also is included [among the wicked one],” say to such a one, "’You have destroyed wicked ones (in the plural)’ is not written here, but ‘You have destroyed the wicked one (in the singular).’” (Ps. 9:6, cont.:) “You have blotted out their name for ever and ever,” as stated (Deut. 25:19), “You shall blot out the remembrance [of Amalek]….” (Ps. 79:12:) “And return sevenfold unto the bosom (heq) of our neighbors [their taunt with which they have taunted you, O Lord].” R. Judan bar Gadya, R. Joshua ben Levi, and the masters [differ].31PRK 3:6; Lam. R. 3:64 (9); PR 12:10; 13:1. R. Judan bar Gadya said, “Remember what [our neighbor Amalek] did to us in the penis, which is attached to the lap (heq) [i.e., to the center] of a man.” And this agrees with what R. Hanina bar Shilqa, R. Joshua ben Levi and R. Jochanan said, “What did the House of Amalek do to Israel?32Below, section 14. They cut off their penes and flung them heavenward, as they said, ‘This is what You have chosen, take for Yourself what You have chosen.’ This is related to the verse (in Ps. 9:6), ‘their taunt with which they have taunted You, O Lord.’” R. Joshua [ben Levi] said, “It should be remembered what they did in the Torah, as it is written about it (in Ps. 12:7), ‘refined sevenfold.’” And the masters said, “It should be remembered what they did to the Temple, which was the bosom (heq) [i.e., the center] of the earth, as stated (with reference to the Temple in Ezek. 43:14), ‘And from the lap (heq) of the earth33A more usual translation would read: AND FROM THE BASE ON THE GROUND. to the lower ledge, two cubits.’” When Samuel came, he repaid them, as stated (in I Sam. 15:33), “then Samuel hewed Agag.” What did he do to him? R. Abba bar Kahana said, “He cut olive-sized pieces from his flesh and fed them to ostriches. This is what is written (in Job 18:13), ‘It shall consume pieces of his flesh; the firstborn of death shall consume his pieces’;34Job 18 may well have seemed related to Agag’s fate in that vs. 17 mentions the perishing of HIS REMEMBRANCE, an expression linked with Agag (here in I Sam. 15:2) and Amalek (in Deut. 25:17–19). See Braude and Kapstein, Pesikta de Rab Kahana, p. 49, n. 42. in that [Samuel] chose a cruel (mar)35Braude and Kapstein, ibid., n. 43. also point out here that mar in Aramaic is an honorific title suitable for a king like Agag. death for him.” But the masters say, “[Samuel] set up four poles36Gk.: kontoi. and stretched him upon them.” It also says (in I Sam. 15:32), “and Agag said, ‘Surely the bitterness (mar) of death is at hand (sr),’” [meaning,] “Do they thus put princes (sr)37This SR is spelled with a sin and is a homonym for the SR in I Sam. 15:32, which is spelled with a samekh. to death with harsh deaths?” R. Samuel bar Avdimi said, “He judged him by the justice of the peoples of the world (instead of by Torah) without witnesses and without a warning.” Rabbi said, “He castrated him (rt.: srs) him, as stated (in I Sam. 15:33), ‘But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women bereaved, so shall your mother be bereaved among women.”’” R. Levi said, “Moses also gave a hint to Israel in the Torah (about Agag's castration), since it is stated (in Deut. 25:11-12), ‘When two men get into a fight with each other, and the wife of one draws near [to save her husband from the hand of the one smiting him, if she puts out with her hand and grabs [the other man] by his genitals.] Then you shall cut off her hand….’ What is written after that (in vs. 17), ‘Remember what Amalek did to you.’” Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, are You telling us to remember?38PRK 3:7; PR 12:10; 13:1. You remember; as forgetfulness is common among us. But with You there is no forgetfulness.” Thus (in Deut. 25:17), “Remember what Amalek did to you.” He did to us, and he did not do to You? (Ps. 137:7:) “Remember against the children of Edom, O Lord, the day of [the destruction of] Jerusalem, [how they said, ‘Aru, 'aru (rt.: 'rh, rt.: 'rh) her to the foundation].’” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said, “'Aru, 'aru [means], paggeru, paggeru (destroy, destroy), even as [the word is] used (in Jer. 51:58), ‘Babylon's broad wall shall be utterly demolished ('ar'er tit'ar'ar, rts.: 'rr, 'rh).’” R. Levi said, “['Aru, 'aru means,] empty, empty, even as [the word is] used (in Gen. 24:20), ‘She hastened to empty (te'ar, rt: 'rh) her jar into the trough.’” In the opinion of the one who said, “paggeru, paggeru (destroy, destroy),” ['aru, 'aru means] to its foundations is intended (meaning, down to them but not to the foundation per se). [But] in the opinion of the one who said, “pannun, pannun (empty them, empty them)” [the words mean,] empty its foundations. What is the meaning of Amalek ('mlq)? People ('m) of the locust (ylq).39PRK 3:8. The translation is following Buber’s suggestion here in n. 71, who would read YLQ (“locust”) instead of LQ (“lapping” or “greedy”). Buber also notes that he suggests the same emendation in his edition of PRK 3:8, n. 98. The emendation is also made by Zundel in ‘Ets Yosef, citing such a textual variant in Yalkut Shimoni. They spread out like the zahla locust. [Alternatively] Amalek ('mlq) is a people ('am) who came to lap up (l’leq) the blood of Israel like a dog.40Cf. PR 12:12. R. Levi said in the name of R. Simeon ben Halafta, “To what may Amalek be likened? To a fly who is inflamed [with passion] after an [open] wound. So was Amalek inflamed like a dog [with passion] after Israel.”41Cf. PR 12:12. As the Israelites went out of Egypt, [Amalek] heard that they were redeemed, and came against them upon the [Reed] Sea. But [Israel] mentioned the explicit name [of God], and [Amalek] was bewildered, as stated (Exod. 15:15), “Then the captains of Edom were bewildered.” (Deut. 25:17:) “On the way as you came out of Egypt.” It is taught (in a baraita) in the name of R. Nathan: Amalek came four hundred parasangs (i.e., a little over 900 miles) to fight with Israel in Rephidim, as stated (in Numb. 13:29),42See Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exod. 17:8; Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, ‘Amaleq, 1. “Amalek dwells in the land of the Negeb […].” And he [dwells] in the interior beyond all of them (i.e., beyond all the tribes listed in this passage).43The description hardly fits the geography. For an explanation of what the text seems to mean, see Enoch Zundel in his commentary ‘Ets Yosef on Tanh., Deut. 6:9, who says that when the Israelites came out of Egypt, they were west of the land of Israel with Amalek dwelling in the southern horn to the east and with all the other peoples on the west side. There are four hundred parasangs from the land of Amalek to the place where Israel entered the Negeb. Moreover, the land of Israel midrashically is four hundred parasangs square. (Deut. 25:17:) “On the way as you came out of Egypt.”44PRK 3:9. R. Levi said, “He came upon them from the wayside like a bandit.”45Gk.: lestai, reading lestes for lestim in accord with Buber’s n. 77. The confusion between the two forms is common. See Jastrow, s.v. LYSTYS. It is comparable to a king who had a vineyard which he had enclosed with a fence and in which he had put a biting dog. The king said, “Whenever anyone comes to break through the fence, the dog will bite him.” One day the king's son came and broke through the fence. The dog bit him. Whenever he wanted to bring to mind the transgression of his son who broke through to the vineyard, he would say to him, “You remember how the dog bit you.” Similarly, whenever the Holy One, blessed be He, wants to bring to mind the sin of Israel - what they did in Rephidim, when they said (in Exod. 17:7) “Is the Lord present among us or not” - He says to them (in Deut. 25:17), “Remember what Amalek did to you.” (Deut. 25:18:) “How he encountered you [on the way].” R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and the masters [differ].46PRK 3:10; cf. PR 12:13. R. Judah says, “’How he encountered (qr, rt.: qrh) you, [i.e.,] defiled you. [It is] just as you say (in Deut. 23:11), “who is unclean because of what he encounters (rt.: qrh) at night (i.e., a nocturnal emission).’” R. Nehemiah said, “He actually called (qr') you. What did Amalek do? He went down to the Egyptian hall of records47Gk.: archeion; Lat.: archivum. and obtained the records48Gk.: tomoi. on the tribes, where their names were inscribed against them for the number of bricks. Then he would stand outside [Israel's protective] cloud and call out (rt.: qrh) to them, ‘Reuben, Simeon, Levi, come out, for I am your brother; and I want to transact business49Gk.: pragmateia. with you.’ When they came out, he killed them.” And the masters say, “He cooled (qr) you, i.e., he made Israel [appear] lukewarm (rt.: qrr) before others.” R. Huniya said, “A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a boiling bath50‘MBTY: Gk.: embate. into which no creature is able to descend. A certain ruffian came and leaped down into it. Even though he was scalded, he made it cool to others. So also when Israel came out of Egypt, and the Holy One, blessed be He, divided the sea before them, while the Egyptians were drowned in its midst, fear of them fell upon all the peoples, as stated (in Exod. 15:15-16), ‘Then were the chiefs of Edom bewildered…. [Terror and fright fell upon them].’ When Amalek came and joined in battle with them - even though he received his [scalding] at their hands - he made [Israel appear] lukewarm (in battle) before the peoples of the world.”

Original Sources