1. "And Moses gathered all the Congregation of the children of Yisrael..." (Shemot 35:1). Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion with, "and Saul said the Kenite: Go, depart..." (I Shmuel 15:6). Come and see, what is written about Amalek, "I remember that which Amalek did to Yisrael..." (Ibid. 2), but the Holy One, blessed be He, remembered all the wars that the other nations waged against Yisrael. Why mention this particular war? Because there was not a more difficult war before Him as the one waged by Amalek. HE EXPLAINS, but of course, this war, that Amalek waged, was on all sides; up above and down below, because at that time the evil serpent strengthened up above and strengthened down below IN THIS WORLD!
1. וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'. רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח, וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל אֶל הַקֵּנִי לְכוּ סוּרוּ רְדוּ וְגוֹ'. תָּא חֲזֵי, מָה כְּתִיב בַּעֲמָלֵק, פָּקַדְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה עֲמָלֵק לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּכֻלְּהוּ קְרָבִין דְּעָבְדוּ שְׁאָר עַמְמִין לְגַבַּיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, מ"ט לָא אַקְשֵׁי קַמֵּיהּ, כְּהַאי קְרָבָא דְּעָבֵד עֲמָלֵק לְגַבַּיְיהוּ. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי, קְרָבָא דְּעֲמָלֵק הֲוָה בְּכָל סִטְרִין, לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, דְּהָא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְתָּקַּף חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא לְעֵילָּא, וְאִתְתָּקַּף לְתַתָּא.