Annihilating Amalek/1/en
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Wiping Out Amalek
Introduction
A Disproportionate Response?
Shortly after the Children of Israel begin their trek through the wilderness, Amalek comes to do battle with them. After Yehoshua vanquishes Amalek's army, Shemot 17:14 records Hashem's promise to obliterate any trace of Amalek from the face of the earth:
EN/HEע/E
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר וְשִׂים בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כִּי מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם.
What about Amalek's actions engendered such a harsh Divine response? Were Amalek's actions worse than those of the Egyptians who, despite their enslavement of the Israelites for centuries1 and tossing of their infants into the Nile, were nonetheless shielded by the Torah's command "You shall not abhor an Egyptian"?2
