Rabbi Dov Begon is head of Yeshivat Machon Meir.
“And the Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel and took some of them captive” (Numbers 21:1).
Rashi explains: “He dwelt in the Negev - this is Amalek, as it is said: ‘Amalek dwells in the land of the Negev,’ and he changed his language to speak the language of the Canaanites. The Israelites saw their clothing, which was like the clothing of Amalekites, but their language was the language of Canaan.”
The difference between the Amalekites and the Canaanites is that the Amalekites aim to annihilate Israel entirely, God forbid, simply because they are Israel. That is what they attempted to do immediately when we left Egypt in the first war with Amalek, in which Joshua Ben Nun was victorious. And that is what all the “Amalekites” and those who follow in their path have sought to do throughout the generations, like Haman the wicked in the days of Mordechai and Esther, and like the enemy of the Jews from Germany, may his name and memory be blotted out, just one generation ago in Europe.
Likewise his successors, the various anti-Semitic oppressors who, sadly, are raising their heads again even in our own generation, headed by the leader of Iran who still declares his aspiration to destroy the Jewish State, Heaven forbid.
In contrast to the Amalekites, who seek the destruction of the Jewish people everywhere and at all times, the Canaanites’ goal in their war against Israel is to prevent the conquest of the land of Canaan by Israel - ostensibly a legitimate aim for any nation resisting those who come to conquer its territory.
However, the king of Arad spoke the “language of Canaan,” as though he went to war to defend his land from conquest, but in truth his objective was “Amalekite” — namely, to harm the people of Israel, to humiliate them, and to wipe them out, God forbid.
At present, even in our very own times, reality is remarkably similar to the war with Arad. The Arabs advance the “Canaanite” claim that they are fighting against “occupation,” and to our sorrow and shame, they have succeeded in convincing some of our own leaders to such an extent that they have been misled into thinking that establishing a state for the Arabs would put an end to the “occupation” and bring peace to Israel.
But in truth, as we see, the Arabs’ real goal is “Amalekite.” Namely, the elimination of the State of Israel, may it never come to pass. The holding of hostages aims first and foremost to humiliate us and the God of Israel, just as the king of Arad did then with the captive. The kidnapped hostages are not merely a private matter of their families, but their being held captive is an affront to the entire nation.
We must cast off the enemy’s claim of “occupation,” tear the mask from their faces, and understand that we are facing a cruel enemy who seeks the destruction of the Jewish people as a whole and of the State of Israel in particular, God forbid, just as the anti-Semites tried to do in every generation. We must remember and not forget the true intention of our enemies:
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when you came out of Egypt… you shall blot out the memory of Amalek… you shall not forget.”
With hope for total victory and complete salvation soon.