Annihilating Amalek/2

Wiping Out Amalek

Exegetical Approaches

Overview

Immoral Warfare

In contrast to other enemies of Israel, Amalek attacked without just cause and in an unscrupulous fashion. They are punished more harshly than others since they represent a militant, terrorist mindset, and lack any sense of morality.

Sources: R. Yosef Bekhor ShorDevarim 25:17-19About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, AbarbanelShemot 17Devarim 25About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel,¹ ShadalShemot 1:15Shemot 17:14Devarim 25:12About R. S.D. Luzzatto, R. S"R HirschShemot 17:8Shemot 17:14Devarim 25:17Devarim 25:18Devarim 25:19About R. S"R Hirsch, R. D"Z HoffmannShemot 17:8Devarim 25:17-19About R. D"Z Hoffmann

"וְלֹא יָרֵא אֱלֹהִים" – All of these commentators maintain that the phrase describes Amalek rather than the Israelites. They differ, though, in their understanding of the phrase "יָרֵא אֱלֹהִים".

• According to both Abarbanel and R. Hirsch, the verse is saying that Amalek had no fear of Hashem.²
• Shadal³ and R. David Zvi Hoffmann, in contrast, claim that the phrase means that Amalek had no fear of any god.⁴ "יראת א-להים" is not limited to one's belief in Hashem, but instead refers to one's moral and ethical conduct as a whole.⁵

Why did Amalek attack? – According to these commentators, Amalek had no good reason for attacking, as it was neither a war of defense or conquest, nor was their any provocation on the part of Israel. R. Hirsch adds that Amalek's only motivation was the glory of victory and their scorn of peace-loving nations.

"וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כׇּל הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים" – According to this approach, it is the attack specifically on the weak stragglers which highlights the immorality of Amalek.

Context – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor and Shadal point out that the context of the command in Devarim is one of unjust business dealings, supporting the idea that Amalek's crime, too, related to his crooked actions and military tactics. R. Hirsch adds that many of the commandments listed in the parashah deal with one's relations with fellow men, guiding Israel to be an ethical nation. The Torah then contrasts the Israelite lifestyle, a paradigm of morality, with Amalek, its antithesis.

A continuous pattern – Later in history, Amalek show a similar disdain for moral principles. In the time of Gidon they plunder the land,⁶ an attack which harms civilians rather than armed forces. Similarly, later they attack David's camp in Ziklag, once again targeting the helpless women and children.

Biblical parallels – The language of "מחייה" and the concept of wiping out a nation for its crimes appears also in the stories of the flood⁷ and the Sin of the Golden Calf.⁸ In the former, like here, the stated reason is the world's violence.

Obligation on Hashem or Israel? – Abarbanel maintains that there is a dual obligation, as the attack was aimed at both Israel and God.

Yehoshua's role – Shadal asserts that Hashem did not mean that Yehoshua was to play any special role in the ultimate conquest of Amalek. Rather, being the leader in this first battle, he was given the honor of recording the event.⁹

When to destroy? – According to Abarbanel, Hashem commanded the nation to destroy Amalek only when they were settled in the land of Israel, since He did not want them to be overwhelmed both by the wars of conquest and this additional command. R. D"Z Hoffmann, in contrast, asserts that Hashem wanted it recognized that this was not just another war of conquest, but rather a holy war against immorality.

Shaul's obligation and failure –

"מִדֹּר דֹּר" – According to R. Hirsch, the ongoing war is against the legacy of Amalek,¹⁰ i.e. against glorifying power and the idea that might makes right. Hashem is telling the Children of Israel never to forget that they represent the antithesis of Amalek.

Relationship to command regarding seven nations –

Disrespect for the Divine

Sources: Ibn EzraShemot Long Commentary 17:14About R. Avraham ibn Ezra,¹¹ RambanShemot 17:16About R. Moshe Nachmanides, TurLong Commentary Shemot 17:14About R. Yaakov b. Asher, Tzeror HaMorShemot 17:8About R. Avraham Saba, AbarbanelShemot 17Devarim 25About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, NetzivShemot 17:14About R. Naftali Z"Y Berlin, Derekh HaKodeshShemot 17:14About R. Avraham Mordechai Piorka

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Existential Threat

Amalek desired to completely exterminate Israel and, unless wiped out, it would continuously present a threat to the nation's survival.

Sources: RalbagShemot 17About R. Levi b. Gershon, U. CassutoShemot 17:8Shemot 17:14About U. Cassuto

Why did Amalek attack?

• Ralbag associates Amalek's attack with the blessing given to Esav, his ancestor. Yitzchak had promised that Yaakov would rule over Esav, but that when Yaakov was down, Esav would be able to throw off his yoke. As such, seeing that Israel was unlearned in war, weak, and thirsty, Amalek took the opportunity to kill off Yaakov=Israel and be rid of his servitude once and for all.
• Cassuto, instead, suggests that this was a preemptive strike. Amalek dwelled in the Negev and recognized that the Israelites were soon to invade their territory. They, therefore, decided to conquer the nation before they themselves were attacked.

"וְלֹא יָרֵא אֱלֹהִים" – According to Ralbag, the phrase refers back to the Israelites, who, at the time of the initial attack, were not yet infused with a fear of God.¹² This is one of the reasons Amalek chose to fight when it did, believing that if the nation was not God-fearing, they might not merit God's providence and protection from attack.

"וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כׇּל הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים" – For Ralbag, the Israel's weakness is one of Amalek's main motivations for attack.¹³ Cassuto sees this as simply a tactic of war.¹⁴

Context –

Obligation on Hashem or Israel? –

Yehoshua's role – Yehoshua, being the general of Israel during this initial battle, and eventually the one to lead the conquest, is the logical choice to heed the command to obliterate Amalek, even if it in the end it is only during the monarchy that the nations actually fight.

When to destroy? – According to Cassuto's understanding of the command, one would have thought that the killing off of Amalek would be most relevant prior to the conquest, not after the nation had already settled the land.

Shaul's obligation and failure –

"מִדֹּר דֹּר" – This approach would understand that the obligation extends to every generation, so long as the Amalekites are not yet obliterated. Since the Amalekites are not being killed as a punishment for past actions, but because they themselves are a threat, there is no issue of children being punished for parents' sins.

Relationship to command regarding seven nations – For Cassuto, the command to obliterate Amalek might not be all that different from the similar directive regarding the seven nations of Canaan. The geographic location of both make them a threat to Israel's survival leading to the commands to destroy them.

"לֹא תְתַעֵב אֲדֹמִי" – According to Ralbag, one might have thought that all descendants of Esav should be considered a threat and thus there should be a command to wipe all of them out which makes the explicit command not to despise Edom puzzling. Ralbag might answer that it was only one branch of the family that actually desired to kill off Israel and so only they are targeted by Hashem's command.

No Different Than Others

Amalek's actions were not significantly different than other nations who similarly attacked Israel, and their punishment, too, is not exceptional. God often punishes those who try to kill the Children of Israel with annihilation.

Sources: Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelBeshalach Amalek 2About Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael

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JosephusAntiquities 3:2:5About Josephus, R. Yosef ibn KaspiShemot 17:16About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi, MalbimShemot 17:14About R. Meir Leibush Weiser,

¹ See below that Abarbanel combines this approach with the idea that Amalek was attempting to dishonor Hashem.

² While Abarbanel learns from this that part of the crime of Amalek was their attack on God (see below), R. Hirsch asserts instead that the Amalekites chose to ignore the fact that Hashem sides with the weak and just rather than with the mighty and militant.

³ See his comments on Shemot 1:15.

⁴ Even within idolatrous nations, there is generally some fear of the divinity which inculcates a certain sense of right and wrong but Amalek was lacking this.

⁵ For other places in Tanakh where this connotation might be implied see Bereshit 20:11, Shemot 1:17, Vayikra 19:14,32, 25:17, Iyyov 1:1, and 2:3. See N. Leibowitz, Iyyunim Chadashim BeSefer Shemot (Jerusalem, 1970): 32-33 and N. Sarna, Exploring Exodus (New York, 1986): 25-26, 120-121 who elaborate on this point, and see יראת א-להים.

⁶ See Shofetim 6:3-4.

⁷ See Bereshit 6:5-7

⁸ See Devarim 9:14

⁹ According to Shadal, it is unlikely, at this early stage, that Hashem was hinting to Moshe that Yehoshua was ultimately to lead the nation into Israel and head the wars of conquest rather than Moshe. Such a thought would be very demoralizing to Moshe at the beginning of his tenure as leader.

¹⁰ He notes that the verses reads, "תִּמְחֶה אֶת זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק". It is the memory of Amalek, rather than the person of Amalek, that must be continuously obliterated.

¹¹ The roots of this position are already found in the TanchumaKi Tetze 9About the Tanchuma and in RashiShemot 17:14About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki

¹² This is evident from the previous story where the nation tests Hashem and complains about lack of water.

¹³ It should be noted that this approach stands in contrast to the above which suggests that Israel was feared by all the surrounding nations and viewed as invincible.

¹⁴ Unlike the first approach above, though, he does not stress the immorality of the action.