Torat Hayim: Living Torah

from the Union for Reform Judaism

Week of August 27–September 2, 2006

Shabbat, September 2, 2006 / 9 Elul 5766

Ki Teitzei , Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19

The Torah: A Modern Commentary , pp. 1,483–1,508; Revised Edition, pp. 1,320–1,344

Haftarah : Fifth Haftarah of Consolation, Isaiah 54:1–10

The Torah: A Modern Commentary , pp. 1,612–1,613; Revised Edition, pp. 1,345–1,346

Looking in the Mirror: Standing Before God in Yirah

Donald Goor

FOCAL POINT

Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt—how, undeterred by fear of God , he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear. Therefore, when the Eternal your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Eternal your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget! (Deuteronomy 25:17–19)

D'VAR TORAH

Jews know the name of Haman and Hitler. Also in the ranks of those who have done evil to the Jews is a character we meet in this week's portion. Amalek is among the greatest evildoers of all time. In Jewish history he is as infamous as Haman and Hitler. What is his sin? He and his army surprise the people of Israel as they march toward the Promised Land. He doesn't fight a fair battle. No, instead he takes advantage of the weakness of those in the rear—the famished and the weary—and cuts down those who cannot defend themselves.

It is not easy to know why human beings act as they do. However, Torah does provide us insight into a serious defect in Amalek's character. The terrible evil that Amalek inflicts on the People of Israel is possible because Amalek turned his back on God—he is arrogant and acts, as our portion tells us, “ undeterred by fear of God ” (Deuteronomy 25:18).

We are taught to remember Amalek as a negative model. We who strive to live holy lives are challenged to ask ourselves: What is Amalek's defect, and how can we ensure that we avoid its detrimental effects?

There are many characters in the Bible who stand before God in fear. Their actions are motivated precisely because they fear God's consequences. While yirah can be translated as “awe,” in The Torah: A Modern Commentary , it is translated as “fear.” The idea of standing before God in fear implies a relationship with a capricious God whom we should fear because, like children, we will be punished if we don't behave correctly. The idea also promotes a morality that stems from trepidation rather than from an inherent sense of goodness.

There are many cases of “standing before God in fear” in the Bible. In Genesis 3:10 Adam says, “‘I heard the sound of You in the Garden; I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.'” Adam is afraid because he has broken God's command by eating fruit from the tree. He is like a young child who raided the cookie jar when his parents weren't looking.

Adam experiences fear and shame when he realizes that his nakedness leaves him vulnerable and unprotected. The Rabbis in the midrash understand Adam's nakedness on an even deeper level. They see it as a metaphoric statement that Adam is incomplete, naked without commandments. Adam is afraid because he feels that he has severed his relationship with God.

In Genesis 20:8–20, Abraham expresses concern for a possible lack of fear of God in the kingdom of Abimelech . He tells the king that Sarah is his sister rather than his wife. Why doesn't Abraham tell the truth? He tells Abimelech , “‘I thought, “There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me for my wife”'” (Genesis 20:11). Abraham is afraid that in this kingdom there is no fear of God —no morality. Ironically he discovers that there is fear of God in Abimelech's foreign kingdom when the king chastises Abraham for his deception. It is not unusual in the Bible for issues of morality to be worked out in non-Jewish settings.

One more example of the importance that fear of God plays in the Bible occurs in Job 1:1–5. Job brings sacrifices to God in order to avert God's anger over the behavior of Job's children. He thinks, “‘Perhaps my children have sinned and blasphemed God in their thoughts'” (Job 1:5). Job hopes that his sacrifices will eradicate God's anger; he is afraid of the consequences of that anger and attempts to placate God with his offerings.

Amalek's evil stems from the fact that he is not afraid of God. On the most basic level it could be that Adam, Abraham, and Job are success stories because they relate to God out of fear. They each experience a sense of humility knowing that they stand before God and God's power. On the High Holy Days we read in Un'taneh Tokef about “who will live and who will die.” This basic fear of death and catastrophe can lead to moral action. Amalek lacks this basic fear.

However, many of us are uncomfortable basing our relationship with God and our morality on fear of punishment. We know that standing before God can be so much more. Our role models are Adam, Abraham, and Job and not the arrogant Amalek . Each of them, unlike the Amalek in this week's portion, lived with the fear of God , lived in relationship with God. They started with a sense of humility and fear that led each of them to live moral lives.

We need not feel limited to translate the Hebrew yirah as “fear.” When we translate it as “awe,” we deepen our relationship with God. Amalek was undeterred by a sense of fear or awe of God. Our challenge is to move beyond fear so that we can stand before God in awe. We need to allow ourselves a sense of humility to look beyond the creations of our own hands and stand in awe in the presence of the holiness of Creation. This humility can lead to a healthy sense of morality.

Amalek's defect was his arrogance—he acted “ undeterred by fear of God .” Adam, Abraham, and Job were humble. Each of them felt fear and awe, knowing that they stood in the presence of God.

Haman, Hilter , and Amalek were undeterred by fear of God . As we approach the High Holy Days, and with the goal of making each day in our lives a holy day, we should avoid arrogance and attempt to stand in the presence of God. We should hearken to the words of our parashah : “Do not forget [ Amalek ]” (Deuteronomy 25:19). May we learn from his mistakes and live moral lives, standing before God in humility and awe.

BY THE WAY

• And now, O Israel, what does the Eternal your God demand of you? Only this: to fear the Eternal your God. . . . (Deuteronomy 10:12)

• Rabbi Chanina said: Everything is in the hands of heaven except for the fear of heaven. (Babylonian Talmud, B'rachot 33b)

• The superior man is distressed by his want of ability. ( The Confucian Analects 15.18)

• To know that you do not know is the best. To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease. ( The Way of Lao-tzu , 71)

YOUR GUIDE

1. What does “fear of God” mean in your life?

2. When are we arrogant in our lives? Does this cause us to act like Amalek , “undeterred by fear of God”?

3. Before Rosh HaShanah arrives, search your soul to find the humility and awe that will enable you to live with “fear of God.”

Rabbi Donald Goor has served as rabbi of Temple Judea in Tarzana and West Hills, California, since 1987.

Gary Pokras is rabbi at Temple Judea of Bucks County in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

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