The timing of the synagogue reading of Parashat Zachor, the command to remember what Amalek did to us, could not have felt more immediate or more relevant. As I read the words recalling an ancient enemy who attacked the Jewish people without cause, the State of Israel had just declared a state of emergency. Within hours, news broke that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom many view as embodying the spirit of Amalek in our generation, was dead, assassinated in his bunker.

South African-Israeli writer and researcher Samuel J. Hyde observed:

“Khamenei cast himself as the custodian of a revolution waged in God’s name against his enemies, yet he fell to the Jewish State on the eve of a Jewish festival commemorating the defeat of a Persian tyrant who once sought the Jews’ annihilation. The rhythm of history need not be lost.”

The term “Amalek” is often misunderstood, and frequently weaponized. A clip of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quoting the biblical injunction to “remember what Amalek has done to you” has been cited as proof of genocidal intent. The South African delegation even referenced it in proceedings before the ICC. Such claims reveal not insight into Judaism, but a fundamental misunderstanding of Jewish theology and law.

Maimonides (Rambam), the towering medieval Jewish legal authority whose rulings remain central to Halacha, makes clear that the literal nation of Amalek cannot be identified today. Its lineage was lost in antiquity. The commandment, therefore, is not about physically locating and eliminating a biological people. It is rather about remembering, and combating, the moral archetype Amalek represents.

The Torah distinguishes sharply between the nations of Egypt and Amalek. Concerning the Egyptians, despite centuries of slavery, we are instructed not to abhor the Egyptian, “for you were strangers in his land.” (Deuteronomy 23:7).  Egypt’s oppression, though cruel, was politically motivated. Pharaoh feared a growing minority within his borders. Ultimately, Egypt relented and let the Israelites leave, before changing his mind, leading to his army’s destruction at the Sea of Reeds.

Amalek was different. After the Israelites had miraculously crossed the Sea of Reeds, Amalek attacked them from behind, targeting the weak and........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)