Why Amalek Never Gives Up: A Lesson From Parashat Chukat

A kangaroo was spotted one morning wandering freely through a zoo, sending the staff scrambling after it. After a brief chase, the workers returned it to its enclosure.

Later that day, they raised the fence around the enclosure to a height of six feet.

The next morning, the kangaroo was once again strolling through the zoo grounds. The workers brought it back and immediately doubled the fence height.

On the third morning, the scene repeated itself. The kangaroo was roaming the zoo as if nothing had happened. This time, special workers were brought in to construct an enormous fence.

As construction continued, a camel from the neighboring enclosure leaned over and asked the kangaroo, "How high do you think they're going to build this fence before you stop escaping?"

The kangaroo laughed.

"Probably 300 feet," he replied. "Unless one of them remembers to lock the gate."

Amalek Tries Again

At the end of Parashat Chukat, we encounter a surprising battle.

"The Canaanite king of Arad" comes to wage war against the Jewish people. Rashi, quoting Chazal, explains that this was actually Amalek, disguised as Canaanites.

The question is obvious.

Why would Amalek try again?

They had already fought the Jewish people once before and suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Yehoshua bin Nun. What made them think the outcome would be any different this time?

Rabbi Avraham Palagi, in his sefer Avraham Anochi, explains that Amalek saw a change in the situation. They heard that Aharon HaKohen had passed away and that the Clouds of Glory had departed. Seeing this, they believed the Jewish people were now vulnerable.

Yet even this requires explanation. The Jewish people remained under Hashem's protection. Why would Amalek imagine they suddenly had a realistic chance of success?

The Lesson Rabbi Moshe Leib Learned

A fascinating story is told about Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov.

At one point, after repeatedly traveling to help redeem Jewish captives, he became discouraged. Time after time he invested enormous effort, only to see little success.

Perhaps, he thought, all these journeys were a waste of precious time. Maybe he would be better off remaining in the beit midrash and dedicating himself solely to Torah study.

Not long afterward, an urgent request reached him regarding a Jewish man who had been imprisoned after being caught stealing.

Rabbi Moshe Leib traveled to help. When he arrived, he found the man bruised, battered, and humiliated. The rabbi paid the fine, provided him with clean clothing, and secured his release.

As they left, Rabbi Moshe Leib gently asked, "Now that you've experienced the consequences of stealing, perhaps you'll decide to stop?"

The man's response shocked him.

"Stop stealing?" he replied. "Why would I stop? This time I got caught, but next time I'll be smarter. I'll learn from my mistakes and succeed."

At that moment, Rabbi Moshe Leib understood the message.

The yetzer hara had been trying to convince him to give up because previous efforts had not produced the desired results. But failure is not always a sign that a goal should be abandoned. Sometimes it simply means a different approach is needed.

The next attempt may succeed where the previous one failed.

Amalek's Calculation

Rabbi Avraham Palagi explains that Amalek made a similar calculation.

The first time they fought the Jewish people, extraordinary merits stood on Israel's side. Moshe Rabbeinu sat with his hands raised toward Heaven while Aharon and Chur supported him. Chazal describe how Yehoshua devastated Amalek's forces.

Years later, Amalek reassessed the situation.

Chur was no longer alive. Aharon had passed away. The Clouds of Glory had disappeared.

Perhaps, they thought, circumstances had changed.

Perhaps this time they would succeed.

Their calculation was wrong, but there is still something to learn from it.

Keep Trying

Many people make sincere resolutions and fail to maintain them.

They decide to learn more Torah, improve a character trait, pray with greater concentration, or strengthen an area of mitzvah observance. After several unsuccessful attempts, discouragement begins to set in.

"Maybe this just isn't for me."

"Maybe I'll never change."

"Maybe I've already tried enough."

Parashat Chukat teaches the opposite lesson.

Before giving up, ask yourself why you failed. Do those obstacles still exist? Has anything changed? Is there another way to approach the challenge?

Perhaps this time will be different.

Look for the Gate

Chazal teach that Amalek represents the ongoing struggle against the yetzer hara. Just as Amalek repeatedly looked for new opportunities, we too must continue trying, even after setbacks.

The difference is that we are not trying to overcome holiness. We are trying to grow closer to it.

Sometimes we assume the obstacle standing before us is a towering fence that cannot be crossed.

But often, like the kangaroo in the zoo, the real issue is much simpler.

Instead of exhausting ourselves trying to climb higher and higher walls, it may be worth checking whether the gate was ever locked in the first place.

The solution we have been searching for may be much closer than we think.