Questions tagged [amalek]
Ancient adversary of Israel and enemy of God from the offspring of Edom. They are prophesied to meet eternal ruin and Israel is commanded to erase their memory from beneath the heavens.
75
questions
3
votes
1
answer
235
views
Are Amalekites considered Edomites Halachically?
According to the opinion that we may accept converts from Amalek, must they wait until the third generation to marry a Jew, as would an Edomite, being that Amalek also comes from Esav?
- 855
0
votes
0
answers
72
views
Can someone please explain this puzzling Midrash that seems to imply that Hashem forgave Amalek?
From the Midrash (Pesikta DeRav Kahana 3:1) it seems that Hashem forgave Amalek, based on the Torah saying that "you shall not abhor the Edomite" (Devarim 23:8).
The question is: how can ...
- 855
1
vote
0
answers
55
views
Do you have any source about the connection between אגג and גוג or גוג ומגוג?
I was listening to a shiur that made a very interesting connection between Agag, Homon and the whole Purim story. The rov didn't go as deep as I hoped he would in relation to Agag, and I was wondering ...
0
votes
0
answers
85
views
Is/Was Amalek Justified in Causing Suffering?
The Talmud in Sanhedrin (99b) states:
בעיא לאיגיורי באתה אצל אברהם יצחק ויעקב ולא קבלוה הלכה והיתה פילגש
לאליפז בן עשו אמרה מוטב תהא שפחה לאומה זו ולא תהא גבירה לאומה אחרת נפק
מינה עמלק דצערינהו ...
- 782
0
votes
1
answer
113
views
Is the original nation of Amalek extinct?
Is it inaccurate to say that the nation of amalek is extinct?
- 1,639
0
votes
1
answer
67
views
King Agag held captive for one night - Source?
Where specifically does it say that King Shaul held King Agag alive as captive for a single night before Shmuel killed him?
(Looking for something that specifies it was only one night)
- 1,639
0
votes
1
answer
91
views
Esav and Yosef the lahava
The gemara says in Bava Basra 123b that Yosef is the lahava and "sitno shel Esav" and the one who befells Esav as the posuk says "bais Yosef lahava".
The same person says in ...
- 430
3
votes
0
answers
307
views
Should Hamas be treated like Amalek?
Do we say that Hamas's behaviour recently is as bad as Amalek, and therefore we have a mitzvah to completely eradicate them? If so, does that stretch to the whole of Gaza's population or even further?
...
- 3,094
4
votes
1
answer
77
views
Why did Yoav quote the pasuk of Amalek by Edom?
The Gemara (Bava Basra 21b) says that Yoav misread the passuk Deuteronomy 25:19 "Eradicate the memory of Amalek" as "Eradicate the males of Amalek" and thus only killed the males ...
- 247
4
votes
1
answer
150
views
Question about klala in parshas Ki Tavo
I have a question about one of the klalot in parshah Ki Tavo, which makes this chilling prediction:
The Lord will bring upon you a nation from afar, from the end of the
earth, as the eagle swoops ...
- 455
0
votes
3
answers
38
views
The victory over Amalek after the Yam Suf, was this "above nature"?
Surely it goes without saying that the miracles of the plagues and the splitting of the sea were "above nature" (Being manifest through יהוה).
Question: was the victory which the Jews had ...
- 1,639
1
vote
3
answers
69
views
The three wars against Amalek
i recall reading that there was\will be three wars with Amalek.
The first was with Shaul, the Second with Mordechai and the third will be by moshiach.
Has anyone heard this? Or know where it is ...
- 1,639
2
votes
3
answers
433
views
Who is Amalek in 2023
What is the Avodah of remembering Amalek today?
furthermore, what represents Amalek in present day, is it the internal battle between good vs bad?
Please cite any sources quoted (links are preferred)
- 1,639
0
votes
0
answers
291
views
In every generation they rise against us - WHO?
We read in the Hagaddah:
וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ. שֶׁלֹּא אֶחָד בִּלְבָד עָמַד עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלוֹתֵנוּ, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ ...
- 1,639
4
votes
2
answers
199
views
Why are the enemies of the Jewish people called "Amalek"?
Throughout history many enemies have stood up to attack and destroy the Jewish people, (most recently the Crusades, Holocaust etc) and they are colloquially referred to as "Amalek".
...
- 1,639
2
votes
0
answers
112
views
Wipe out Amalek Round 2
Shaul was commanded to wipe out Amalek and Dovid would've built the beis hamikdosh after conquering the surrounding nations but Hashem wanted Shlomo to do it.
Destroying Amalek is a preparation for ...
- 21
1
vote
3
answers
167
views
The nature of the specific Pharoah when we left Egypt, and his relation to Amalek?
Who was the specific Pharoah of Egypt when the Jews left Egypt? And also, given "Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt, how he met you along the way and ...
5
votes
0
answers
91
views
A non-jew killing Amalek
If a non-Jew kills an amaleiki is he chayev Misa or do we say that the amaleikeim are supposed to be wiped out ,and he would be patur ?
- 42.3k
0
votes
0
answers
62
views
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&...
- 26k
1
vote
1
answer
83
views
Saul vs Amalek: why so few troops from Judah?
I Samuel 15:4:
Saul mustered the troops and enrolled them at Telaim: 200,000 men on foot, and 10,000 men of Judah
There are 12 tribes, so on average they supplied 18k troops. Judah supplied just ...
- 1,331
2
votes
1
answer
103
views
Bracha on Mechiat Amalek
Is there a bracha to be made over killing Amalekites? If so, what is the nusach of this bracha?
- 161
2
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Why didn't Moses fight Amalek himself?
"וַיָּבֹא עֲמָלֵק וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם־יִ��ְׂרָאֵל בִּרְפִידִם׃, וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּחַר־לָנוּ אֲנָשִׁים וְצֵא הִלָּחֵם בַּעֲמָלֵק מָחָר אָנֹכִי נִצָּב עַל־רֹאשׁ הַגִּבְעָה וּמַטֵּה ...
- 26.1k
1
vote
0
answers
171
views
Jewish Amalekites?
Can an Amalekite convert to Judaism? The Mechilta says no:
Rabbi Eliezer says: The Lord swore by His throne of glory: If a gentile comes to convert to Judaism, he will be accepted. But Amalek and ...
- 22.3k
-1
votes
1
answer
192
views
Blot out the memory of Amalek or kill his descendants?
Can a prophet issue commands that go beyond the Torah?
The Torah says only to blot out Amalek's memory:
The Lord said to Moses, "... I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."...
- 22.3k
2
votes
3
answers
403
views
Why are "Remember and don't forget Amalek" two separate commandments?
Why did the Rambam list these as two distinct commandments:
P189- Remember what Amalek did to the Israelites. [Deut. 25:17]
N59- Don't forget what Amalek did to the Israelites. [Deut. 25:19]
Aren't ...
- 22.3k
2
votes
1
answer
169
views
Agag's mother being bereaved
Inspired by this answer.
If the only one of Amalek left alive was Agag, then how was his mother to be bereaved among women (I Shmuel 33)? The Malbim seems to say that she will be so from that point ...
- 38.3k
0
votes
1
answer
107
views
Why did Amalekites fear the Jews at Purim fights?
In the last question, I asked "who-did-the-jews-fight-on-purim-if-nobody-could-oppose-them".
On the second thought, the Amalekites are known with their natural hatred for the Jews, as they ...
- 26.1k
1
vote
0
answers
110
views
Do the 3 Mitzvos of entering Israel apply to the Second Temple?
וכן היה רבי יהודה אומר ג' מצות נצטוו ישראל בכניסתן לארץ:
להעמיד להם מלך ולהכרית זרעו של עמלק ולבנות להם בית הבחירה (Sanhedrin 20b)
Rabbi Yehuda says: Three mitzvot were commanded to the Jewish ...
- 26.1k
-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 ...
- 26.1k
5
votes
1
answer
493
views
Can descendants of Amalek become Jewish?
We are commanded to "blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven". Deut 25:19 Haman was a descendant of Amalek [Esther 9:24]. Descendants of Haman studied Torah in Bnei Brak. [Sanhedrin 96b, ...
- 22.3k