One of the weapons Amalek uses in its war against us, is a a feeling of giving up hope. The free space HaShem created in order for existence to take shape allows for the possibility of doubt to settle within our hearts and in turn this doubt can fester and form into hopelessness.
Rebbe Nachman teaches that one must never lose hope – never give up or despair; after all HaShem is with us through everything we go through – good or “bad.” The free space, where we experience time and physicality is nothing but an illusion. God is in a sense hiding behind the curtain of creation never far away.
What Amalek – the ancient serpent tries to do is trick us into believing the world we see is as we see it. God may have created, but he is no where to be found chas v’shalom.
“You don’t need to believe,” the evil one screams at us from within. “You are all alone,” we hear the voice of doubt overtake our hearts.
But we don’t have to listen to the thoughts of hopelessness and despair injected into our psyche. Each one of us must say, “I am the heart of the world.” The whole universe is contained within God. He has no space, because everywhere is his space and we are his heart – his gateway of light and truth into this world for we are a piece of the creator hidden within the layers of illusion this world was created with.
We can yearn to be free of Amalek’s weapon. We can start anew, even before the day’s morning sun rises – all we have to do is open our eyes and realize that G0d, the infinite one is always here.
(Based partly on Likutey Halachot Hilchot Tefillin Halacha 5.6 and 5.9)
