Amalek – Halacha

Introduction

This article discusses the Torah view of Amalek and answers the following questions:

Does the Torah actually command the annihilation of Amalek?
Can Amalek be rehabilitated?
Who is Amalek at present?
What is the context for this command?
What is Hashem’s involvement?

Answers

Answer 1 – Torah Commandments

The following table lists the commandments of the Torah concerning Amalek, including the number of the mitzvah according to the Sefer HaChinuch, description of the commandment, related verse in the book of Deuteronomy Chapter 25, and reference to Maimonides (Laws of Kings Chapter 5).

Number	Description	Verse	Maimonides
603	Remember Ambush of Amalek	17	5
604	Annihilate Amalek	19	5
605	Do not Forget Ambush of Amalek	19	5

The verses follow:

Verse 17 – “Remember what Amalek did to you … when you left Egypt.”

Verse 19 – “When Hashem grants you rest from all of your enemies (in Israel) … you shall annihilate (literally wipe out the remembrance of) Amalek from beneath the heavens. You shall not forget!”

Remember Ambush

Maimonides writes (Laws of Kings 5:5), “It is a positive commandment to constantly remember the evil deeds of Amalek and their ambush of Israel to arouse our hatred of them.” Maimonides (Book of Mitzvoth – Positive Commandment #189) adds that this remembrance should lead to revulsion of Amalek and mentally prepare the Israeli soldiers for the annihilation of Amalek in the future.

The Talmud (Megillah 18a) explains that this remembrance must be verbalized, preferably by reciting verses about Amalek. In fact the current practice, as cited from the Talmud (Megillah 29a), is to read Deuteronomy 25:17-19 from a Torah scroll in the synagogue on the Sabbath immediately preceding Purim. In addition to the ritual requirement this commandment informs the Israelites to be ever vigilant about the threat of Amalek.

The hostility of Amalek to the Israelites is mostly dormant but resurfaces from time to time. Hence the Torah warns the Israelites against complacency (Deuteronomy 25:17), “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way, when you left Egypt”.

Annihilate Amalek

The commandment to obliterate the memory of Amalek includes the annihilation of the nation of Amalek. Maimonides (Laws of Kings 5:5) writes, “It is a positive commandment to destroy Amalek based upon Deuteronomy 25:19”. In addition Maimonides writes (ibid. 6:4), “Do not leave a soul alive (which includes women and children).” In contrast to the 7 nations of Canaan, Maimonides does not say that the memory of Amalek has been obliterated, implying that they still exist today.

Although some opine that Amalek is a metaphor for evil, a reading of the above verses and the interpretation of Maimonides suggest that Amalek is a physical nation and must be defeated. A companion article on this web site “Amalek – History” discusses in detail the different battles against Amalek described in scripture.

Do not Forget Ambush

Maimonides writes (ibid.) “it is forbidden to forget our hatred and enmity for Amalek.” The Talmud (Megillah 18a) explains that one must not forget the cruelty of Amalek (literally in his heart). The Talmud (Brachot 58b) states that after a year the pain of the passing of a close relative eases or literally, “The deceased is forgotten from the heart.” Hence the verbalization of this remembrance must be repeated every year.

Answer 2 -Rehabilitation of Amalek

The rehabilitation of Amalek is a matter of dispute in Halacha. On one hand, the Mechilta (on Exodus 17:16) implies that there is no alternative for Amalek other than war. A literal reading of the verses (Exodus 17:16 and Deuteronomy 25:19) supports this approach because the Torah does not mention a possibility of negotiation with Amalek. However Maimonides writes (Laws of Kings 6:4) that Amalek may be spared if they accept an offer of peace, which means accepting the seven Noahide laws and sovereignty of Israel (ibid. 6:1). If they refuse this offer they must be destroyed (ibid. 6:4) because of their wickedness (ibid. 5:5).

The dispute lies in the interpretation of the following verses in Deuteronomy Chapter 20:

Verse 10 – “When you approach a city to wage war you shall propose peace.”

Verse 11 – “If it responds with peace … then the entire people shall … serve you.”

Rashi, following the Sifrei 139, understands that this offer only applies to a discretionary war not against Amalek. By contrast Maimonides applies this offer to all nations before the war begins.

In the opinion of the author it may be possible to reconcile these 2 views depending upon the nature of Amalek at the time of war. If the people of Amalek are sincere about abandoning their hatred of Israelites then peace may be possible; otherwise war is inevitable.

Conversion to Judaism

In a similar vein the reader may ask, Can an Amalekite convert to Judaism?” This matter is also a dispute in Halacha based upon the following sources:

Killing of convert from Amalek (2 Samuel 1:8 and 13-16).
Conversion to Judaism of Haman’s grandsons (Sanhedrin 96b).

Killing of Convert

When the Philistines defeated the Israelites in battle, King Saul (1 Samuel 31:4) and his 3 sons were killed (ibid. 31:2). Scripture (2 Samuel 1:8) records that after the battle an Amalekite came to David and reported that Saul had died in battle (ibid. 1:4). Later he related that in fact he had killed Saul (ibid. 1:10) because the latter had asked him to shorten his life after sustaining serious wounds. King David recoiled at his actions and questioned his lineage (ibid. 1:13) to which he replied that he was the son of a convert from Amalek (ibid). David, suspecting the motives and linage of this person exclaimed, “Why did you not fear … to destroy the anointed of Hashem (i.e. King Saul)?” Then King David issued the command to kill this person (ibid. 1:15) because by his own admission he had killed King Saul (ibid. 1:16).

According to the Mechilta (on Exodus 17:16) and Midrash (Tanchuma Ki Teitzei 11) Israelites cannot accept converts from Amalek and therefore King David was justified in having him killed. According to the view that converts from Amalek may be accepted King David commanded that this person be killed because David suspected his motives. Perhaps this person killed Saul without the consent of the latter.

Haman’s Grandsons

The Talmud (ibid.) records that the grandsons of Haman converted to Judaism and studied Torah in Israel which supports the view that converts are accepted from Amalek. According to the contrary view these grandsons descended from Haman’s daughters who were from fathers of a nationality different from Amalek. For gentiles nationality is patrilineal and not matrilineal.

Answer 3 –Amalek at Present

The reader may ask, “At present, how can one identify the nation of Amalek?” At present we cannot definitively identify the nation of Amalek. The Talmud states (Berachot 28a) that at the time of the first temple Sennacherib, king of Assyria, through his policy of population transfer, has mixed the nations. Consequently Amalek who originally dwelt in the south of Israel are now scattered amongst the nations of the world.

However one can identify characteristics of Amalek in certain individuals or terrorist groups which are bent upon the destruction of Israel. In that case preemptive action is required based upon the Talmudic dictum (Berachot 58a), “If someone plans to kill you; then kill him first”. Therefore those with an Amalek mentality may be attacked before they implement their evil plans against the Israelites but not civilians who are not involved with terrorism. By contrast if a person is definitively identified as Amalek the Torah commands the complete destruction of his family including women and children.

Some rabbinic figures have opined that any nation or individual who seeks to destroy the Jewish people may be considered as Amalek. For example Haman the Amalekite (e.g. Book of Esther) attempted to commit genocide against the Israelites. However this comparison to Amalek is not accepted by most authorities in Halacha and certainly one cannot act on this comparison and kill an individual or his family as Amalek without provocation.

Answer 4 – Context of Command

The decisors of Halacha debate the obligation to annihilate Amalek at present as follows:

National (Sanhedrin 20b and Sefer Yereim on the 613 commandments Chapter435).
Personal (Maimonides Laws of Kings 5:5 and Sefer HaChinuch #604).

National

The war against Amalek is neither a genocidal campaign nor an act of revenge. Rather it is a biblical commandment to rid the world of evil and lead to establishment of Hashem’s kingdom on earth represented by the temple in Jerusalem as the prophet says (Zachariah 14:9), “Hashem shall become King over the entire world. On that day shall Hashem shall be one and His name one.”

The Talmud (Sanhedrin 20b) notes that the Israelites had to fulfill the following commandments when entering the land of Israel and in this order:

Appoint a king (Exodus 17:14).
Destroy Amalek (Deuteronomy 25:19).
Build the temple (Deuteronomy 12:10-11).

The Talmud (ibid.) understands that a fitting king of Israel represents Hashem on earth who brings peace and prosperity to his subjects and is therefore justified to destroy Amalek in preparation of the building of the temple in Jerusalem. According to the national view this command would not apply at present because the messiah has not arrived and there is no immediate plan to build the temple. However when the messiah arrives he must fight the enemies of Israel (including Amalek) and build the temple (Maimonides Laws of Kings 11:4). In a similar vein Midrash Tanchuma (Ki Teizei 11) notes that the name of Hashem (i.e. recognition of Torah) and His throne (i.e. sovereignty of Israel) are not complete until Amalek is defeated.

Personal

The Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah #604) writes that in addition to the national obligation there is a personal obligation to kill an Amalekite. Maimonides (Laws of Kings 5:5) support this approach because he combines the mitzvah of annihilating Amalek with the mitzvoth of remembering (Mitzvah #603) and not forgetting the ambush of Amalek (Mitzvah #605) in the same section, thereby linking the national and personal obligations.

Hence at present the state of Israel cannot fulfill the national obligation to annihilate Amalek but they can fulfill the personal obligation through its army if an Amalekite can be clearly identified.

Answer 5 – Hashem’s Involvement

The Zohar (2:65b) explains that any battle against Amalek must be fought on both spiritual and physical levels. Hence the degree of Hashem’s involvement in this war is dependent upon the merit of the Israelites. The Torah alludes to this duality of war as follows:

Exodus 17:14 – “Hashem said to Moses: … I will surely obliterate (אמחה מחה) the remembrance of Amalek from beneath the heavens.”

Deuteronomy 25:19 – “When Hashem, your G-d, grants you respite from all your surrounding enemies … you (Israelites) shall obliterate (תמחה) the memory of Amalek from beneath the heavens.

The Zohar (2:66a) comments on the different verb forms used by the Torah for the annihilation of Amalek. The Zohar interprets the double expression in the former verse as Hashem waging war against Amalek on two fronts (in heaven against the guardian angel of Amalek and on earth against the army of Amalek). The latter verse refers to the physical war against Amalek. The Zohar states that if the Israelites fight on earth with righteousness then Hashem will assist them from heaven. The Midrash (Tanchuma Beshalach 28) explains that the double expression refers to the past and future wars against Amalek respectively.

Moral Authority

In addition to the military war against Amalek, the Midrash (Tanchuma Ki Teizei 10) emphasizes the moral authority of the Israelites as reflected in their leadership as follows:

Torah scholarship.
Reverence of Hashem.
Honest leadership.
Concern for his people.

In particular the Midrash draws examples from the life of Joseph as shown in the following table which lists these qualities, a verse from Genesis, and a citation from Midrash where applicable. The Midrash emphasizes that the Edomites including Amalek will fall to the descendants of Rachel (i.e. tribes of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Benjamin) together with a king from Judah.

Quality	Verse	Citation
Torah Scholar	37:3	Genesis Rabbah 84:8
Revere Hashem	42:18	Midrash Tanchuma (Ki Teitzei 10)
Honest Ruler	47:14	Mechilta Beshalach 1
Concern for his People	50:21	Midrash Tanchuma (Ki Teitzei 10)

Torah Scholar

The Torah (Genesis 37:3) writes that Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was a son of his old age (זקנים בן). Nachmanides on this verse notes that all of Jacob’s sons were born in his old age and Benjamin was the youngest. Hence the Midrash interprets the expression “old age” as referring to Torah wisdom acquired by Joseph as taught from his father.

The Talmud (Kiddushin 32b) similarly interprets the word זקן (elder) in a homiletic sense as a Torah scholar even if young because the word זקן (elder) may be interpreted as an acronym as קנה זה (he has acquired). The word “wisdom” is implied by the Talmudic dictum (Nedarim 41a), “If one has acquired (wisdom) what does one lack? If one lacks (wisdom) what does one have?” In addition the Baal Haturim notes that gematria of זקנים (old age or wisdom) – 207 is the same as רז (secret) meaning that Jacob taught Joseph even the secrets of the Torah. The author would like to point out that the gematria of light (אור) is also 207 meaning that Jacob enlightened Joseph in the wisdom of Torah which made the latter a successful and moral leader in Egypt and a role model for the future.

Revere Hashem

The Torah (Genesis 42:18) records that Joseph revered Hashem after accusing the 10 sons of Jacob of espionage. Therefore he only arrested Simon and permitted the other brothers to return home with grain to feed their families during the famine. His reverence for Hashem did not allow him to abuse his privilege of leadership. By contrast the Torah (Deuteronomy 25:18) states that Amalek did not revere Hashem. Hence to conquer an enemy that does not revere Hashem the Israelites must revere Hashem and follow His commandments.

Honest Ruler

The Torah (Genesis 47:14) records that during the famine Joseph accumulated the wealth of Egypt and deposited it in the treasury of Pharaoh. The verse reads, “Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in the land of Egypt and Canaan through the grain that they were buying. Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace.” Joseph could have justifiably shared in Pharaoh’s bounty because he had advised the king to store grain in the 7 years of plenty to disburse during the famine. Nevertheless as an honest ruler Joseph did not take any of the money for himself (Nachmanides (ibid.)).

The Mechilta, on Exodus 13:19, comments that the bones of Joseph were carried near the Ark of the Covenant. When a passerby asked, “What are these two arks? They were told, “This is the ark of a dead man (Joseph) and the other is the ark of “the Life of the Worlds (10 Commandments).” When they asked, “Why are these arks next to each other?” They were told,” He who lies in this ark fulfilled what is written in the other.” Based upon this incident the Mechilta shows how Joseph kept each of the 10 Commandments. In particular the Mechilta quotes Genesis 47:14 to show that Joseph did not steal from Egypt.

Hence a leader of Israel who fights against Amalek should be more concerned with the Torah commandment to annihilate Amalek than securing riches from his people or the spoils of war.

Concern for his People

In addition to his national responsibilities Joseph took care of his brothers and their families as the verse (Genesis 50:21) states, “I will sustain you and your young ones.” By contrast the Midrash points out that Esau wanted to kill Jacob his brother (Genesis 27:41). Hence when waging war against Amalek a leader of Israel must be concerned about the welfare of his people and seek the advice of his generals to minimize casualties when waging war.

Conclusion

This article analyzed the Torah commandment to annihilate the nation of Amalek and considered the possibility of peace with this nation after surrender. Although at present we do not know the identity of Amalek the messiah will defeat the enemies of Israel (including Amalek) and build the temple. However the Israelites must maintain moral authority for this victory with Hashem’s help and protection based upon the following verses:

Exodus 17:16 – “Hashem maintains a war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

Zachariah 14:9 – “Hashem shall be King over the world. On that day Hashem shall be one and His name one.”