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Malbim on the irrationality/illegitimacy of Amalek

Malbim on Shmuel 1:15:2 writes about the irrationality, or perhaps the illegitimacy of Amalek's war with Bnei Yisrael: "כה אמר ה' צבאות, הנה התורה בארה בטעם מצות מיחוי זכר עמלק כמה טעמים כמ&...
Harel13's user avatar
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2 votes
5 answers
1k views

Why didn't Moses fight Amalek himself?

"וַיָּבֹא עֲמָלֵק וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְפִידִם׃, וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּחַר־לָנוּ אֲנָשִׁים וְצֵא הִלָּחֵם בַּעֲמָלֵק מָחָר אָנֹכִי נִצָּב עַל־רֹאשׁ הַגִּבְעָה וּמַטֵּה ...
Al Berko's user avatar
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-1 votes
1 answer
70 views

Mordechay's decree: "kill women and children, AND/OR plunder their possessions"?

I'm a bit confused here, so maybe the title is not worded well. Achashverosh let Mordechay write the letters to his own wording: "ואתם כתבו על־היהודים כטוב בעיניכם בשם המלך" And you may ...
Al Berko's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
149 views

Does the mitzvah of eradicating Amalek supersede Shabbos?

The Sefer Chinuch 604 tells us we have a mitzvah to wipe out Amalek. למחות זרעו מן העולם - שנצטוינו למחות זרעו של עמלק ולאבד זכרו מן העולם, זכר ונקבה, גדול וקטן, ועל זה נאמר (דברים כה יט) ''תמחה את ...
alicht's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
44 views

David's Amalekites [duplicate]

In I Samuel 15, it records that King Saul wiped out all of Amalek, besides the king who was killed after a short period of time. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and ...
A L's user avatar
  • 2,557
3 votes
3 answers
267 views

When was the war with Amalek?

It seems from its placement in Chumash that the (first) war with Amalek occurred between the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah at Sinai. (Is that the case, or did it occur at another time?)...
msh210's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
72 views

Had B'nai Yisra'el not sent the spies, would they have had to fight against Amalek?

Rashi on Devarim 1:8 says that if it weren't for the sin with the spies, we would have never needed armaments. Bamidbar 14:25 tells us that Amalek lived in the valleys, and Devarim 25:29 states that ...
DanF's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
246 views

The Spies Mentioning Amalek

When the spies come back, all of them (aside from Yehoshua Bin Nun and Calev Ben Yefuneh) return with negative reports of the land. Among these reports is a reference to Amalek: “Amalek dwell in the ...
Shoel U'Meishiv's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
286 views

Treating with Amalek

The nation of Amalek sets itself apart as being eternally at war with Gd, (Ex. 17:16). We are commanded to eradicate the memory of Amalek from the world, (Deut 25:19). Yet Maimonides codifies an ...
Baby Seal's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
513 views

Were Amalek offered a peaceful exit?

Inspired by this: The Rambam in Hilchos Melachim 6:1 writes: אין עושין מלחמה עם אדם בעולם, עד שקוראין לו לשלום--אחד מלחמת הרשות, ואחד מלחמת מצוה War is not waged with anyone in the world until they ...
Y     e     z's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
214 views

Killing all of 'Amalek - Mitzvah or Reshuth?

This may be two questions that are closely related. Would engaging in war with 'Amalek without a specific command (a la Shaul) be a Milhemeth Mitzvah or Milhemeth Reshuth? Is killing all of 'Amalek (...
Seth J's user avatar
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13 votes
3 answers
4k views

Why didn't Shaul kill Agag?

As recorded in I Sh'muel (chapter 15), Shaul, the king, was told by the prophet to destroy the nation of Amalek from man to woman, youngster to suckling, ox to sheep, camel to donkey. So he ...
msh210's user avatar
  • 73.5k
9 votes
3 answers
415 views

Dovid haMelech and Amalek

In Shmuel Alef chapter 15 Shaul HaMelech (King Saul) loses his kingship because in his battle against Amalek he failed to kill King Agag and saved livestock to offer as sacrifices. Later we find ...
Yirmeyahu's user avatar
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