Emunah vs. Amalek

The Kabbalists say that there is חכמה שבנפש which is not limited by reason (see Tanya Ch. 19.)  What does this mean, if its חכמה how is it not limited by reason?  In the intro. to my great-uncle’s book, Mystical Concepts in Chassidus, he says that people asked Rav Bloch why he often said deep, kabalistic ideas in his talks of mussar/ hashkapha if nobody understood what he was saying.  He answered that the neshama understands.  What does this mean, if the person doesn’t understand how does the neshama understand?  Why is there a mitzvah to remember Amalek more than the 7 nations of Eretz Yisroel?   

Many of the Chassidic masters discouraged the learning of chakirah, even that which is found in the Rishonim such as Bechai and the Rambam.  In Sur Marah V’Aseh Tov the Zlotchover explains that their holy words were only written for the needs of the generation who were misled by the philosophers.  However, those whose faith is pure have no need to be busied with philosophical inquiries.  He cites the Rashi (Beshalach 17:8) that Klal Yisroel was like a child riding on the shoulders of his father, protecting him from danger and the child questions the father’s presence.  The father said, you question my presence?  When a dog came, the father threw the son off and he was bit, so he learnt the hard way who was his protector.  Amalek is the dog that came to attack.  The Zlotchover says we are the son, Hashem is leading us through life, there is no room for question.  It is not that the Chassidic masters were afraid of questions, it was irrelevant to their religious experience.  A person that lives with Hashem, who recognizes Hashem’s constant presence, sees Hashem in all the world doesn’t have any room for questions.  That is the kind of religious experience the Chassidic masters had and were trying to pass on to their followers.  This emunah p’shutah isn’t for fear of questions, it is a completely different wavelength.  Why is it Amalek that is the dog that comes to bite?

It is well known that עמלק shares the numerical value of ספק.  One who’s faith is based upon human intelligence always has room for doubt.  There is always an irrational argument to deflect any proof.  However, when one sees something else there is no room for doubt, there could be a million questions, but since it was seen it is known to be true.  The only room there is for Amalek to attack is if one’s faith isn’t limited by the mind.  It if is felt in the heart, there is no room for an Amalek attack.  The fact that Klal Yisroel could question the presence of Hashem stemmed from an internal עמלק attack.  After seeing all the makkos, krieas yam suf and all the miracles it made no sense not to feel the presence of Hashem.  It was only an internal עמלק, therefore it was the nation of עמלק that came to attack.

The neshama knows God, it saw God before descending into the world.  The חכמה שבנפש is this knowledge of God embedded within a person that is above question.  It saw God and has no ספק of His existence and doesn’t wasn’t to be separate from Him.  That is what it means the neshama understands.  It is a true Godly teaching that can’t be fathomed by the limitation of the body, but it is seen by the soul. 

That is why Chazal teach that one should drink until they lose their brains on Purim.  Is the intellect that Amalek uses to muddle our recognition of Hashem, therefore, we remove our intellect to reveal the pure faith of our neshama.

The seven nations represent the seven middos.  The Tanya teaches בטבע מוח שליט על הלב.  We can change out middos for the better by controlling them with our brains.  It is the battle against Amalek that can’t be won with pure brainpower because Amalek confuses it.  For that a זכירה is necessary.  Something that is constantly remembered isn’t part of the brains, it becomes part of the essence of the person and that’s why its not subject to forgetting.  It is when the Emunah of a person is part of the person that Amalek doesn’t have any effect (see Tzemech Tzedek in Derech Mitzvosecha.)