<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; "><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: 135%; "><i>...Because they tested G-d, saying: "Is G-d among us, or not?"</i> <i>Then came <span onclick="Page_Glossary.complete_show(this);" onmouseover="show_glossary(this);" onmouseout="Page_Glossary.hide(this);" class="glossary_item" glossary_item="3614" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: pointer; ">Amalek</span>, and waged war with Israel in Rephidim (17:7-8)</i></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: 135%; ">After all that they had seen G-d do on their behalf -- the Ten Plagues brought upon Egypt to free them, the splitting of the sea, the "bread from heaven" that descended each morning to nourish them -- how could the people of Israel possibly question, "Is G-d amongst us or not"?</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: 135%; ">But such is the nature of doubt. There is doubt that is based on a rational query. There is doubt that rises from the doubter's subjective motives and desires. But then there is doubt pure and simple: doubt that neutralizes the most compelling evidence and the most inspiring experience with nothing more than a cynical shrug.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: 135%; "><a id="Beshalach17_7b" name="Beshalach17_7b" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: underline; "></a>Amalek is the essence of doubt, of irrational challenge to truth. (Thus the Hebrew word <i>Amalek</i> has a numerical value of 240 -- the same as the word <i>safek</i>, "doubt"). Because the people of Israel had succumbed to the <i>Amalek</i> within their own souls, they became vulnerable to attack by Amalek the nation.</p><p style="text-align: right; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 100%; line-height: 135%; ">(The Chassidic Masters)</p></span></body></html>