relations with his daughter-in-law." And the angels of the other
tribes will be repulsed by Esau's angel, when he points out to them
that they all took part in selling Joseph. The only one whom he
will not be able to repulse will be Joseph's angel, to whom he will
be delivered and by whom he will be destroyed; Joseph will b the
flame and Esau the straw burned in the flame. [142]

AMALEK DEFEATED

Moses now instructed Joshua in regard to his campaign against
Amalek, saying, "Choose us out men and go out, fight with
Amalek." The words "choose us" characterize the modesty of
Moses, who treated his disciple Joshua as an equal; in these words
he has taught us that the honor of our disciples should stand as
high as our own. Joshua did not at first want to expose himself to
danger and leave the protection of the cloud, but Moses said to
him, "Abandon the cloud and set forth against Amalek, if ever thou
dost hope to set the crown upon thy head." He commanded him to
choose his warriors from among the pious and God-fearing, and
promised him that he would set a fast day for the following day,
and implore God, in behalf of the good deeds of the Patriarchs and
the wives of the Patriarchs, to stand by Israel in this war.

Joshua acted in accordance with these commands [143] and set out
against Amalek, to conquer whom required not only skillful
strategy, but also adeptness in the art of magic. For Amalek was a
great magician and knew that propitious and the unpropitious hour
of each individual, and in this way regulated his attacks against
Israel; he attacked that one at night, whose death had been
predicted for a night, and him whose death had been preordained