I'm starting this thread to gather information on the Jewish myth of the Amalek, starting with a post that made me chuckle.

Amalek were a nation of people, descended from Eisav's grandson - who was called Amalek.

When Ya'akov ran away from his brother Eisav, Eisav sent his grandson (Amalek) to kill Ya'akov (Eisav had fed all of his descendants with a hate for Ya'akov - but especially Amalek).

Amalek found Ya'akov, but was persuaded to leave him alone - yet he still stole all of Ya'akov's possessions except the clothes on his back - even though it was in the middle of the desert.

But that is not the reason why G-D commanded us to hate Amalek.

When the Jews left Egypt (after all of the miracles performed for us), noone wanted to start with them - the nations of the world trembled at the very mention of our name, as they knew that the Almighty G-D was looking after us. The nations who at that time were dwelling in Eretz Yisrael (then known as Eretz Cana'an - after the main nation who lived there - the Cana'anites), were not even THINKING of putting up a fight when they heard that we were coming to take over their land. Amalek, however (who dwelled in the south of Eretz Yisrael, didn't care. They were so consumed with the hatred of our Holy Nation that their ancestor Amalek, had passed down to them, that they couldn't care less about WHO or WHAT was guarding us - they just wanted to annihilate every single one of us!

They launched an attack from the rear (where they knew all of the stragglers such as the elderly would be. But they lost miserably! (not ONE Jew died in the battle that ensued!!!)

However, Amalek had succeeded in one way. That is, they removed the aura of percieved "invincibility" around the Jewish Nation. The nations of the world - while still terrified - realised that we WERE, after all, human - and therefore - in theory - COULD be defeated! They regained their courage to fight us somewhat, and that caused us many difficulties - and lives.

Our Holy Sages compare what Amalek did, to a man who jumps into a boiling bath of water. He gets burned badly. However, the water cools somewhat, and after a few more people jump in, the water is not so hot any more. In a way, that is what Amalek did to us - and G-D can NEVER forgive them for it! (However, this parable is irrelevant - as long as we obey G-D and His Will!)

Amalek also attacked us at various other periods in our history (most times we won! ) - but that first time is what caused Hashem to command us to destroy them completely!

(As a side point, Haman (from the story of Purim) was a descendant of the nation of Amalek - and look what he tried to do!)

However, at this day and age, we do not know WHO they are. The reason for this is because when the king of Babylon exiled the Ten Lost Tribes, he also exiled many other nations, and mixed them around all over the globe (in order that they should lose morral, assimmilate, and not rebel) one of these nations was Amalek.

However, the nation of Amalek is still around - they just don't know who they are. They still have an ingrained hatred for Jews - one that cannot be explained, even by them. People such as Hitler (may his name be blotted out!) are said to be descended from Amalek - simply because of their unmatched hatred towards the Jewish People.

However - before you make this common mistake, the Arabs are NOT Amalek, even though they hate us greatly. They are descended from Avraham (Abraham)'s son Yishmael - and so are a different nation entirely.

As we do not know WHO they are, we cannot fulfill this Mitzva of annihilating Amalek. However, we must do our best to "annihilate" their legacy of hatred and anti-Semitism. When Moshiach comes (hopefully soon!) it is said that he will annihilate Amalek once and for all!

LINK (http://www.kahane.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Unedited;action=display;num=1073155508)

People such as Hitler (may his name be blotted out!) are said to be descended from Amalek - simply because of their unmatched hatred towards the Jewish People.

They are doing a great job in blotting out his name. Every day he is almost mentioned in one way or the other and mostly by Jews themselves.

Aren't they funny? :D

REMEMBERING AMALEK (http://www.aish.com/purimthemes/purimthemesdefault/Remembering_Amalek.asp)

Remember what Amalek did to you, on the way when you were leaving Egypt... (Deut. 25:17-19)

"Remember what Amalek did to you." How can one do that? The Torah says, "Remember the day of Shabbat." We can't remember both! (Midrash - Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer)

We are an intelligent people. Can we not manage to remember Shabbat, while also remembering Amalek?

And why is Amalek so significant? Thousands of nations have oppressed the Jewish people. Why are the Amalekites alone singled out?

The most common answer is that they were the first. It was their audacity, in attacking the Jews immediately after the Exodus, which emboldened later enemies to rise against us.

This is only partially true, however. The first to attack were actually the Egyptians -- who pursued the Jews at the Red Sea, shortly after the Exodus.

The truly unique accomplishment of the Amalekites was that they attacked us when no one else dared. After the splitting of the Sea, "The nations heard... fright gripped them" (Exodus 15:14). Even the most wicked nations were sufficiently impressed by the Ten Plagues and the splitting of the Sea. They may have wanted to attack, but they were scared enough of the God of the Jews to lay off!

Amalek, on the other hand, was unimpressed. What gave them the temerity to attack, at the very hour that the entire world recognized God's protection of the Jewish People? Why weren't they terrified, too?

CONTINUED AT LINK (http://www.aish.com/purimthemes/purimthemesdefault/Remembering_Amalek.asp)

My Dance with Amalek (http://www.tbe.org/site/library/amalek.htm)
by Joshua Hammerman
Originally Appeared in The New York Jewish Week, 9/3/99

Last Tuesday morning, my synagogue’s executive director pulled me from the hall into her office, her face drooping and troubled. "There is something in our parking lot," she said. "a package with swastikas." Together we walked out to the corner of the lot, where our custodians had already cordoned off the area with traffic cones, as if to contain the contamination -- not of the bloody medical waste that was dumped, but of the swastikas. They were crudely drawn in marker, small, almost dainty spiders, like the stick-figure drawings my first grader brings home. I counted two or three -- I couldn't get close enough to know for sure. I didn't want to.

Only later did I feel the anger and sense of violation. My first sensation was one of inevitability and fulfilled expectation. Finally, it had happened.

"At last we meet," I thought. "I've been waiting for you."

All my life I'd read the stories and seen the pictures of anti-Semitism, but never experienced it so close at hand. I'd heard the ravings of the haters and even invited their Web sites into my home. Jewish suffering long ago had become a part of me, even though I had never suffered myself. I walk with the slightly hunched look of an ex-slave. I'd learned the shrug, the Jewish shrug that has helped us to shoulder the pain, and at times even laugh a little in spite of it. I'd spoken to other rabbis who have had the evil insignia spray-painted on their synagogues, or worse. If it wasn't to be my Jewish right-of-passage to experience hate first-hand at some point, at least I figured it to be a rabbinic one. At last, there it was, the Angel of Death in the corner of my shul's parking lot, in the form of a pathetic scribbled swastika.

Others wait for lady luck to come their way. Jews wait for the black spider.

Two days later the whole world knew. Non-Jewish clergy friends called and offered condolences, sincere, heart-rending expressions of real sadness and regret. I accepted them numbly, uncomfortably. I didn't feel as if I had suffered a loss. On the contrary, I felt at last complete, utterly at one with the Jewish experience. The pain I felt was no so much for myself as for those in my congregation who had seen this spider before, at mid-century, during its terrifying initial run as a symbol of doom. I'm sure most of my Christian friends could not imagine a scenario where they would see such a blatant message of hate on their front doors. What they didn't understand is that long ago in Hebrew School I had learned how to imagine the unimaginable -- and to expect it.

And I finally understood the true meaning of "Zachor."

CONTINUED AT LINK (http://www.tbe.org/site/library/amalek.htm)

Moshiach Will Wage Battle Against Amalek (http://www.kingmessiah.com/115/1003.html)

The eradication of Amalek (one of the 613 Commandments), in the physical sense, is not possible today. Some Authorities hold that this mitzvah is binding only upon the Jewish King, and that he must enlist the Jewish people to wipe out Amalek’s kin. Today, however, we do not have a Jewish King.

Thus, Sefer Yereim states:

The mitzvah to eradicate Amalek is relegated only to the King and not to all Jews. This is seen in the verse, "G-d swore by His throne" alluding to the throne of Kingship (i.e. when there will be a Jewish King) - then "G-d will have war with Amalek."

SMAG also concurs with this:

This mitzvah applies only in the days of Moshiach, after the full conquest of Israel. Hence, today, when we have no Jewish King, this mitzvah is not in effect.

Ramban, too, confirms this Halachic viewpoint3:

When there will be a Jewish King sitting upon G-d’s throne, he will then battle against Amalek ... for every Jewish King is obligated to battle against Amalek’s kin until they are fully decimated. The Rambam also rules:

The King wages a mitzvah battle ... and the battle against Amalek.

Sefer HaChinuch, however, writes that this mitzvah is binding upon the entire Jewish community.

Yet, even according to those who opine that this mitzvah was given to all Jews, it is still not feasible today to eradicate Amalek in the physical sense, because:


1. This act is possible only when Jews are fully in control (and not dependent upon other nations - which is not the case today).

2. This mitzvah is effective only when we know for sure who belongs to, and descends from, Amalek’s kin. Since Sancherib of Babylon came and mixed up the world, causing massive confusion among all ethnic identities, therefore, we assume that no one comes from Amalek.

Only when Moshiach comes, at which time Jews will have full power and autonomy, and it will be clearly defined who descends from Amalek’s kin, Moshiach will then eradicate all aspects of Amalek en toto - "male and female."

FULL ARTICLE AT LINK (http://www.kingmessiah.com/115/1003.html)

ASK THE RABBI (http://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/184/Q3/)

Fabian wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

Who is Amalek?

Dear Fabian,

Amalek was the illegitimate son of Elifaz, and the grandson of Esav. (Amalek’s mother was the illegitimate daughter of Amalek’s father).

The progeny of Amalek are the archetypal enemy of the Jewish People. Their very existence is diametrically opposed to the Torah. The Sages describe the people of Amalek as being the essence of all the evil in the world.

Today, we don’t know who is descended from Amalek. Around the year 600 BCE, the Assyrian conqueror Sancheriv exiled most of the world’s inhabitants from their homelands and scattered them around the world. Since then, the true national identity of any people (except for the Jews) has become obscure.

The concept of "Amalek" goes a long way in helping us understand the baffling phenomenon of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism has no sociological parallel. Even the word is unique: "Anti-Semitism" is the only English word describing hate towards a distinct group of people. There’s no English word for French-hatred, Irish-hatred, or German hatred, even though England fought bitter wars against all these nations.

We are the only people in the world towards whom there exists a unique, distinct hatred. This bears out the Torah’s prediction that until the Mashiach’s days, there will exist a nation, Amalek, with an unexplainable, inborn hatred towards us.

That essay "My Dance with Amalek" has got to be one of the most hilariously melodramatic things I've ever read. Cordoning off the area because of swastikas? LMFAO!!! "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but swastikas will hurt me even worse." What a bunch of whining sissies.



The concept of "Amalek" goes a long way in helping us understand the baffling phenomenon of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism has no sociological parallel. Even the word is unique: "Anti-Semitism" is the only English word describing hate towards a distinct group of people.What about "misogyny"? What about "anti-[insert any group here]"?

Actually, anti-Semitism IS a more prominent term than most other such terms describing hatred -- but that's only because the Jews have made it so by continually dwelling on and wailing about being "persecuted"!



We are the only people in the world towards whom there exists a unique, distinct hatred.BS. There are people who hate Blacks, people who hate Whites, people who hate Arabs...the list is endless. Ethnic conflict is nothing new. But if the Jews really are hated by "everybody," then perhaps there's a reason for that!



This bears out the Torah’s prediction that until the Mashiach’s days, there will exist a nation, Amalek, with an unexplainable, inborn hatred towards us.The hatred is not "inborn." I didn't begin to hate Jews (most of them, anyway) until I was in my mid-20s, since that's around the time I began to pay more attention to the news and world events. And there is nothing "unexplainable" about that hatred. It's a natural consequence of observed Jewish behaviors and attitudes.