The Torah portion Bamidbar "in the wilderness" is read just prior to Shavuot each year.  The feast of Shavuot is tied directly to the first fruit of the wheat harvest, but less explicitly to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.  Both events are vital to understanding the three "sieves" of Israel's archenemy, Amalek, who mysteriously, is also called a first fruit.  

 

Yeshua hints to the three siftings of Satan, for he also was led to the midbar (wilderness), and Satan attempted to sift Yeshua three times. In summary, he was tested in bread, authority, and death.  Peter also will face three siftings:

 

And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.  You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Shimon, Shimon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!" And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me." (Lk 22:24-34)

 

Wheat is separated from the stalks, then the wheat berries separated from the chaff.  This was accomplished on a high place that had high winds. Grinding was done with millstones. Next, the wheat was sifted to the desired fineness of flour. Agitation causes the fine flour to sift through, and the coarser, heavier particles remain in the basket to be used for less-refined use or re-ground.

 

The days of counting the omer are refinement, sifting us as wheat to produce a light, pure product, free of coarseness. Too much "me" won't survive the sifting. Lightness and smallness, produced only through crushing, is better at this stage. Peter denied Yeshua three times before the "cock crowed" (the Temple trumpeter was the "cock" who blew at appointed times).  Peter's repentance during the days of the omer led to his acceptance as a leader among the apostles at Shavuot, leading them in prayer in the Temple. He had to be crushed by the heavy millstone, then refined by regrinding.

 

Like Peter promised Yeshua that he would not leave him, the Israelites stated three times that they would do and they would hear at Sinai (Exodus 19:3-8; 24:3-7):

 

"All that God has spoken, we will do..."

"All the words which God has said, we will do..."

"...all that God has said, we will do and hear."

 

Shavuot brought an acknowledgment of intention after three days of preparation, yet, the Israelites had not been completely sifted of their previous experience with Amalek at Rephidim.  Ego must be annihilated to receive the Word with power.  Desire to be great and sit on a throne to judge others is improper motivation and preparation for the journey in the wilderness. That motivation is sifted out.

 

It was not until Yom HaKippurim, another jubilee marker (the Yovel year was proclaimed at Yom Kippur), that the people received the second set of tablets.  So three "siftings" are marked by the chagim reglaim, or foot festivals of Israel.  

 

1. Pesach is a "barley" sieve that releases us from the grip of death, a coldness to the Spirit.

2. Shavuot is a "wheat" sieve that releases us from the coarse grip of idolatry and believing all "happening" can be controlled by the self.

3. Sukkot is a sieve that releases all the fine flours and fruits to the stranger, alien, orphan, widow...and nations. 

 

The trouble for the Israelites began after they left Egypt at Rephidim, which means "supports." They began to question who supported them in spite of all the supports the Holy One had already shown.  They questioned whether Adonai was involved in their daily needs; in this case, water:

 

Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.  He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us, or not?" (Ex 17:6-7)

 

The Israelites questioned Adonai's involvement in their everyday needs in spite of His many proofs and "supports" for their faith.  This led to Amalek's attack on those lagging behind the camp, those who were weak and feeble in faith:

 

Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses,  Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses, " Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."  Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner; and he said, "The LORD has sworn; the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation." (Ex 17:8-16)

 

Amalek "happened upon you," or  karkha, Israel.  Rashi offers three types of word significance for  kar:

 

1. Amalek wanted to "cool" Israel's spiritual growth by killing them: [ kar].

 

2. Amalek had no reverence of Adonai. Their worldview was things just "happened" [ mikreh] without Divine intervention, and mankind could control of the world.

 

3. Amalek's character was revealed by keri, which is a nocturnal emission. Non-fruitful, self-serving sexual activity.

 

The war with Amalek is from "generation to generation." This offers three important testings, or sieves of the wheat:

 

It's a battle to maintain vigorous faith.

It's a battle to continually acknowledge Who supports the whole world when He "delays" to return or appears not to intervene in daily problems.

It's a battle to "live" fruitfully with others in proper relationships.

 

Yeshua rejected physical bread in favor of spiritual bread.  In spite of his hunger, his passion for the Word did not cool. Yeshua acknowledged the supremacy of the Creator of the universe, and though his kingship would suffer significant delays, Yeshua believed his Kingdom would come.  Yeshua refused to leap from the top of the Temple Mount, the gathering place for the moedim where Israel was called to rejoice in fellowship.

 

The acceptance of the Torah, Shavuot, is paired with first fruits of the wheat.  It stands against the first fruits of the nations, Amalek, who tried to destroy Israel.  Later, the descendant of Amalek, Haman (may his name be blotted out), attacked the Jews of Babylon in exile, the second place the Jews of Israel accepted the covenant of Torah upon themselves. (Es 9:27)

 

Rashi says that the "sun" reference in the battle with Amalek is a proto-prophecy to Joshua's appeal for the sun to stand still.  It is related to Shabbat, and it explains why Shabbat is preceded by a "battle" each week. It explains why the account had to be written and taught to Joshua specifically. Amalek would "happen" again in the person of the Amorites.  An Amalekite does not belong to a race or ethnic group; Amalekites are all around us. We need only look for their inability to pass through the three sieves.  The tests of the wilderness are to sift out Amalekite tendencies in ourselves as well, as Peter had to be sifted before Shavuot to show him he wasn't the spiritual giant destined for a throne as he believed. 

 

As they [Amorites] fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, " O sun, stand still at Gibeon, and O moon in the valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. (Jo 10:11-14)

 

Jewish tradition is that Amalek approached on Thursday, planning a next-day attack before Israel's second Shabbat. Having heard of the Shabbat, the Amalekites thought the Israelites would quit fighting and be easily killed, or perhaps they would keep fighting and desecrate the Shabbat.

 

By holding up Moshe's hands, the sun lingered until the Amalekites were defeated before it set. The event was recorded for Yehoshua, who also had a "sun" encounter.  Unlike Moshe, who simply held up his staff, Yehoshua offers a specific prayer for sun and moon to hold in place.  Perhaps this explains why the sages believe Yehoshua's fast-march concern was sundown because of Shabbat: "So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal." (Jo 10:9)

 

There is a difference in the two battles: "So Moses said to Joshua, 'Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.'" (Ex 17:9) "...So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." (17:13)

 

What Moshe used for prayer was his staff, the instrument of miracles.  However, the Amalekites were defeated through human hands. His hands had to be supported. Yehoshua's "staff" was prayer.  Through this, the defeat of the Amorites was even more miraculous...the hailstones thrown by Adonai killed more than were killed by the sword!

 

Amalek attacks the Creator's firstborn, a type of first fruit. He tries to cool off Israel before the nation reaches Mount Sinai to accept the Torah and the commandment of the first fruit of the wheat, Shavuot:

 

 

Amalek is a type of first fruit as well.  He was the first of the nations to attack Israel after she emerged from Egypt:

 

"And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said, 'Amalek was the first [ reishit] of the nations, but his end shall be destruction [ oved].'" (Nu 24:20)

 

Amalek attacked Israel when they were very vulnerable, still "youthful" in their journey.  Amalek cut down the feeblest in their faith-walk. Reishit is also the first word of the Torah.

By cutting down Israel, Amalek made a pre-emptive strike on the Torah and the nation who would carry it for better or for worse through the generations.  Amalek is still striking both the Word and the People of the Book that defy the idolatry of self-worship and its bitterness against those who follow the Book and the One who gave it so that the original commandment, "Be fruitful and multiply" would be cut off.  Amalek destroys like the serpent destroyed because he does not reverence Adonai, but his own power and will. 

 

What others attribute to Divine power, Amalek attributes to human power, natural processes, or chance. It just "happened."  The people all around Egypt had heard of Adonai's great power, but Amalek alone does not attribute the miracles to the Creator of the universe.  Maybe this was Satan's motivation on the pinnacle of the Temple.  He didn't believe a miracle could occur.

 

"The peoples have heard, they tremble; anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; the leaders of Moab, trembling grips them; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. Terror and dread fall upon them..." (Ex 15:14-16)

 

 

At the times of first fruits offerings, Israel must "remember Amalek," the first fruit of the evil nations and their ultimate defeat.  By telling the story, the Israelites are reminded not to be sifted out from the wheat of Shavuot, coarse and unrefined:

 

Don't cool off just because Egypt is behind you. Maintain spiritual "youthful" exuberance of first love.

 

Reject any doctrine that promotes self-will over the Holy One's will; don't despair if He delays.

 

Maintain holy relationships. Don't be cut off as one who grows weary and lags behind, creating vulnerability to 1 & 2.   

 

These three sieves are not independent of one another.  They work together, sifting out coarseness until our huge, coarse, egos relinquish themselves to the Ruach HaKodesh.  It is only then that Shavuot comes with all its power, in many tongues, fire, and thunder.  

 

If not...then back to the millstone to be ground and sifted again.  Repent, strengthen your brothers, and roll on.