(Deut. 25:18:) HOW HE ENCOUNTERED YOU ON THE WAY. R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and and the masters differ.⁵⁴., Deut. 6:9, cont.; PRK 3:10; cf. PR 12:13. R. Judah says: HOW HE ENCOUNTERED (QR, rt.: QRH) YOU, i.e., defiled you. It is just as you say (in Deut. 23:11 [10]): WHO IS UNCLEAN BECAUSE OF WHAT HE ENCOUNTERS (rt.: QRH) AT NIGHT (i.e., a nocturnal emission). R. Nehemiah said: He read (QR') data concerning you. What did Amalek do? He went down to the Egyptian hall of records⁵⁵; Lat.: archivum. and obtained the records⁵⁶ on the tribes, where their names were inscribed against them for the number of bricks. Then he would stand outside Israel's protective cloud and cry out (rt.: QRH) to them: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, come out, for I am your brother; and we want to transact business⁵⁷ with you. When they came out, he killed them. And the masters say: He cooled (QR) you, i.e., he made Israel appear lukewarm (rt.: QRR) before others. R. {Huna} [Hanina] said: A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a boiling bath⁵⁸: Gk.: embate. into which no creature is able to descend. A certain child of Belial came and leaped down into it. Even though he was scalded, he made it cool to others. So also when Israel came out of Egypt, and when the sea was divided before them, while the Egyptians were drowned in its midst, fear of them fell upon all the peoples, as stated (in Exod. 15:15–16): THEN WERE THE CHIEFS OF EDOM DISMAYED…. TERROR AND FRIGHT FELL UPON THEM. When Amalek came and joined in battle with them, even though he received his scalding at their hands, he made Israel appear lukewarm (in battle) before the peoples of the world.

footnotes: ⁵⁴ Tanh ⁵⁵ Gk.: archeion ⁵⁶ Gk.: tomoi. ⁵⁷ Gk.: pragmateia. ⁵⁸ ‘MBTY