[Avodah] The Nature of Doubt

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, January 16, 2008 2:11 am, R Richard Wolberg wrote (quoted?):
: Amalek is the essence of doubt, of irrational challenge to truth.
: (Thus the Hebrew word Amalek has a numerical value of 240 -- the same
: as the word safek, "doubt"). Because the people of Israel had
: succumbed to the Amalek within their own souls, they became vulnerable
: to attack by Amalek the nation.          (The Chassidic Masters)

Thus a connection to "vehalakhtem imi beqeri" repeated frequently in
the Tokhachah. While the translation of qeri literally fits, Chazal do
associate it with "miqreh" -- the belief that the oneshim are
happenstance causing the escalation of onesh.

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha