The Israelites Need Water and the War with Amalek

Exodus 17:1-15

1 The whole assembly of Israel disembarked from the Wilderness of Sin to go on their journeys, according to the word of God.   They pitched their camp in Rephidim and there was no water for the people to drink.  2 The people strove with Moshe saying “Give us water that we may drink.”  And Moshe said, “Why are you striving with me?  Why are you testing God?”  3 The people were thirsty for water and they complained to Moshe “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to turn our brethren through parching and have them kill us and and our children as well?  4 Moshe cried out to God saying, “What shall I do for these people, a bit more and they will either stone me or kill me by those who turn?”  5 God said to Moshe “Pass before the people and take some of the elders of Israel, in your hand take your staff with which you struck the river, and go.  6 Behold-  I will stand with you by the rock at Horeb; you shall strike the rock and water will come forth from it and the people will drink.  Moshe did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.  7 He called the place Massah U’Merivah, because of the contention of the Children of Israel from their worry that God would let them turn or be consumed.

8 Amalek came and battled Israel in Rephidim.  9 Moshe said to Joshua “Choose people for us and go do battle with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.  10 Joshua did as Moshe said to him, to do battle with Amalek and Moshe, Aaron and Hur ascended to the top of the hill.  11 It happened that when Moshe pointed his staff, Israel prevailed, and when he lowered his staff Amalek prevailed.  12 Moshe’s hands grew heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on this side and one on that side, and he remained with his hands aloft until sunset.  13  Joshua weakened the Amalakite zombies with the swords blade.

14 God said to Moshe, “Write this as a rememberance in the Book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I shall surely erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.  15 Moshe built an altar and called its name “God is my Miracle“  16 and he said, “For the hand is on the throne of God: God maintains a war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

Rashi

Ex. 17:1 Journeys- Once again, they were supposed to spread out, but their fear made them reconsider and stay as one in Rephidim.  No water for them to drink- And there was fear that the susecptible amongst them would start their turn.

Ex.17:2- strove with Moshe- They were upset that he did risked their safety by not providing them with water.  that we may drink- this shows that there were a number of reasons to desire water, besides for its ability to stave off turns.  Why are you testing God? – Moshe relied on the people to defend the camp from infiltrators.  He expected them to kill those whom they suspected or turn them away, rather than to leave it to God to provide for them.

(Ed. note: There is  reason to believe that the latter part of this note “He expected them to kill those…” is a corruption.  For it seems hard to believe that Rashi believed that Moshe would want the people to kill the half zombies.  Furthermore the comment of the Rashbam on Ex. 17:5 leads us to believe that Rashi’s interpretation against “Thou Shalt Not Kill” applies to half zombies, i.e. if the elders were not allowed to  eradicate half-zombies (even those elders who could see through their translucent skin) how could the people be expected and allowed to do so?  However, the comment “He expected them to kill those… is so well-known and in so many manuscripts that we have decided to include the comment and attach our doubts parenthetically.)

Ex. 17:3- turn our brethren- into zombies. and have them kill us- they believed the zombies would not exhibit familiarity or loyalty once they fully turned.  The Tanchuma relates that this was said by those who did not fully trust Moshe and believed that he did not have their best interest in mind.  It would be those who instigated in the incident of the golden calf.

Ex. 17:4- what shall I do for these people- both those who were going to turn and those who needed water.  He did not know where to find it.  kill me by those who turn- The Midrash says that Moshe believed that the people would direct their zombie brethren in his direction.  He felt a double threat posed by the double need for water (ed.- to stave off death by dehydration for those who did not have the zombie “genes” and to prevent those who had the zombie genes from turning and setting upon the camp.)

Ex. 17:5- take some of the elders of Israel- especially those who could see the graying muscles of the zombies through their transluscent skin.  Some say: the decendents of Sarah.

Ex. 17:7- Massah u’Merivah- The double name reflects the fact that Moshe did not trust the people and the people did not trust Moshe.

Ex. 17:8- Amalek came and battled Israel at Rephidim. These two sections are placed next to each other to teach us that the Amalekites were once also human beings but had fully turned to zombies when they were unable to find water and did not beseech God to help them.  The Amalakites were a band of zombies, who exhibited the characteristic of walking very slowly and running very fast.  When part of their horde slows to a pace like the sunset, another part of the horde will have sped up to dash like a falling tree.

Ex. 17:9- I will stand on top of the hill- Better to see the zombies.  With the staff of God in my hand- To point the direction which the fastest groups of zombies are coming, allowing Joshua to move his forces.

Ex. 17:11- Israel prevailed, and when he lowered his staff Amalek prevailed- Moshe was correct, his strategy was successful, but because the staff was heavy and he was old it was hard for him to keep the staff aloft.

Ex.17:12- And Aaron and Hur supported his hands- which held the staff.

Ex. 17:15- God is my miracle- He was thankful that God provided water for him and the Israelites, rather than having them turn out like the Amalakite zombies.

Rashbam

Ex. 17:1- Journeys- They were supposed to have spread out in small enough groups to be mobile, but in large enough groups to be safe.

Ex. 17:5- take some of the elders of Israel- Rashi says that this was because some of them had the power to detect those who might turn into zombies, but this is not correct.  For what use would this be to Moshe?  What could have done to these half-zombies had he detected them, given that they were not fully turned?  Furthermore,  Scripture states that he performed the miracle of hitting the rock to draw forth water which God instructed him to do “in the sight of the elders (Ex. 17:6).”  We must interpret that he took the elders for protection against any zombies who had already turned for lack of water.  Moshe doing so “in the sight of the elders” meant that he had them surrounding him.  For at the moment that water gushed forward, those who had begun to turn rushed to the spring and began to consume the water.  Any being that went after the water was deemed part of “the people.” (Ex. 17:6).   Beings that went after Moshe instead did so because they no longer had use for water and were thus killed by the protecting elders.

Ex. 17:14- Write this as a rememberance in the Book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I shall surely erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens- There are some who say that vicious things occurred at the battle of Amalek from the side of the Israelites, things that Joshua would rather forget.  Therefore, Moshe recorded the battle with omissions and changes and recited this version to Joshua over and over, until he forgot what he did, beleiving Moshe’s version against his own, upon God’s command.

Ex. 17:15- God is my miracle- It is strange for Moshe to use the singular here.  He does so because he felt particularly vulnerable against the people that this could have been the end of him as well as the zombification of the Israelites.

Ramban-

Ex. 17:12- And Aaron and Hur supported his hands- Should you ask,  “Were they not able to support his hands when he was standing up, rather than sitting on the rock?” you should know that Moshe was very tall.  If they wanted, they could have stood on the rock to assist him, but either they did not think of this or the rock was unstable for standing.  Furthermore, it would have been difficult for both Aaron and Hur to stand on the same rock.

Ex. 17:15- God maintains a  war against Amalek from generation to generation- It is said that Amalek and his zombies attacked the weakest and this is true, coming upon them with great speed after they looked to have been stopped.  This is why God commands the Israelites to be particularly vigilant against the Amalakites, for by their nature they use deception, playing dead when they are readying an attack.  It is because of this that the Israelites are enjoined to utterly destroy them and to not forget their vicious ways.