Should you ever be tempted to be like Amalek — blot out that very thought. Remember your humanity. Do not forget that to be a Jew is to be a light unto nations, not a threat.
In this week’s Torah portion, parashat Balak, we read the story of the mighty Moabite king Balak, who wants to hire the prophet Bil’am to curse the children of Israel. Balak places increasing pressure upon Bil’am, first through Moabite and Midianite elders, and then through elite princes. Both times Balak sends esteemed men, but God...