We have been taught that the evil nation of Amalek came to attack the Children of Israel because they were weak in Torah [1]. But Amalek came before the Torah was given?
Furthermore, we have been warned that Amalek will come to attack us if we are not careful with weights and measures [2]. How can we resolve this seeming discrepancy? Perhaps one might suggest that if a person is weak in the Torah, then his performance of the commandments and his character traits such as honesty will also suffer. But if so, why single out weights and measures?
A family member of the legendary R’ Elyashiv, of blessed memory, commented that he had thought he knew R’ Elyashiv until he heard the following story… and after he heard the story, he couldn’t sleep at night!
Reichman, the renowned philanthropist from Canada, once visited Israel for an extended period. He approached R’ Yosef Yisroelson, a grandson of R’ Elyashiv, expressing his desire to learn with R’ Elyashiv once a month for half an hour to an hour. Reichman was told that there was no point even asking because R Elyashiv had an extremely tight schedule and was very busy with his learning and the various classes that he was teaching. But Reichman persisted, and they went together to R’ Elyashiv.
“I know the Rabbi is very busy and has almost no spare time,” began Reichman, “but I also know that the Rabbi has many grandchildren and great grandchildren who are still not married and that there are many expenses involved. I am willing to give you a cheque now for a few million dollars if you just agree to learn with me for half an hour a month.”
“Thanks for the suggestion” R’ Elyashiv replied without batting an eyelid, or even pausing for a moment to contemplate “but like you said I don’t really have any extra time!”*
Complete recognition of the importance of Torah primarily comes through learning it, but nonetheless even without learning it, we must recognise the importance of the Torah, and not become “weak” or “tired” in our “fear of G-d” [3]. Indeed this is what we say in the Pesach Seder: if we were taken to Sinai (the place we were given the Torah) but not given the Torah it would have sufficed [4] – because our enthusiasm alone would have ‘sufficed’ for us (to have been spared from Amalek).
Perhaps this is the resolution as to why Amalek will also attack as a result of not being careful with “weights and measures”. We must honour the Torah by weighing up and measuring its importance against all else that we do, and ultimately recognise where our true priorities should be.
(At the end of the weak,) have a weighty Shabbos,
Dan.
Additional sources:
Story heard from R’ Eliezer Turk (married to a niece of R’ Elyashiv). The story appears in the introduction to R’ Elyashiv’s hand written notes on Pirkei Avos published by R’ Yisroelson.
[1] Medrash Tanchuna, Beshalach 25
[2] Rashi, Devarim 25:17
[3] See Devarim 25:18
[4] ‘Dayeinu’, Pesach Haggadah
* Obviously R’ Elyashiv learning with Reichman would also be learning Torah, but R’ Elyashiv seemingly ‘weighed up’ and ‘measured’ that his other commitments were relatively more important (one way or another). In fact, we have been taught, that in some circumstances even if a person studies Torah, (but not what or when he ‘should’ be,) it could be considered to be ‘bitul Torah’ (annulling Torah), i.e. wasting one’s time! [Gra] – relatively speaking of course.
