b.c. Are Jews Still Commanded to Blot Out the Memory of Amalek? The third reason is my favorite, because God did in fact command the absolute destruction of the AmalekitesHe says He will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven (Exodus 17:14)and sure enough, theyre gone! This cycle repeated at regular intervals. Within this period of the Judges the Amalekites were associated with the Moabites, Ammonites, and Midianites in their marauding activities. What Is The Spiritual Meaning Of Amalekites? This can be compared to a bathtub of boiling water into which no living creature could descend. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Amalekites, JewishEncyclopedia.com - Amalek, Amalekites, Amalekites - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. They didnt merely go to war with the Israelites. But youll remember from ten seconds ago what Saul did not remember: God said destroy, not capture. Like Ben Artzi, many rabbis throughout Jewish history have conjectured as to the identity of Amalek with the title frequently being placed on the worst enemies of the Jews. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Ibn-Arabshh purported that Amalek was a descendant of Ham, son of Noah. According to the, (homiletic teachings), after killing Jewish men, Amalek cut off the, (circumcision) of the male Jewish casualties and threw them up at heaven. Therefore, it is forbidden to perform the commandment. Thus, the continuing oppressive spirit of this pagan nomadic tribe required a different treatment by the Lord from that which was to be normally carried out; namely, that terms of peace be first offered to a potential enemy (Deut 20:10-12). . On the other, the five kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (Zoar). First, God has Gideon invite anyone who is afraid to take off, no questions asked. They have forgotten that the Jew is always the canary in the mine. Gideon was an Abiezrite of the tribe of Manasseh who lived in Ophrah2. This is borne out by Judges 12:15 where the area of Ephraim around the town Pirathon (not far from present-day Nablus) is called the hill country of the Amalekites. See 1 Samuel 27:5-7 and 30:1 for the fact that Amalek raided Philistine towns like Ziklag (a few m. N of Beersheba) which Achish, king of Gath, had given to David. Origen of Alexandria is sometimes cited as having viewed the herem passages allegorically; Hofreiter argues that although Origen viewed a spiritual interpretation as having primary importance to Christians, he did not deny that the herem passages described historical events.[54]. According to the Bible, the Amalekites inhabited the Negev. This is seen in Judges 3:12-14 in the account of how Eglon, the king of Moab, collected the forces of the Amalekites and the Ammonites and defeated Israel and took the city of palms (evidently Jericho, cf. Some of those Amalekites were presumably descendants of Agag, because of what we read in the book of Esther. So CAIR, a terrorist-linked group goes from influencing the War College to influencing Congress. Ironically, many of them come from the same area of the world what we know today as Iran, formerly known as Persia. But theres a slight twist here that changes the course of Israels history. Where are the Amalekites now? - Quora Rabbi Dayan played a. central role in so-called death curse ceremonies, or Pulsa diNura, aimed at Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon as a punishment for their giving up portions of Israel and dealing with murderers of Jews. No archaeological records have ever been found that can be definitively linked to Amalek. Just a few years later, the cycle repeats, except this time Amalek is helping Midian defeat Israel, destroying crops and livestock (Judges 6:14). Jews are confusing genuine justice with social justice. Nur Masalha, Elliot Horowitz, and Josef Stern suggest that Amalekites have come to represent an "eternally irreconcilable enemy" that wants to murder Jews, that Jews in post-biblical times sometimes associate contemporary enemies with Haman or Amalekites, and that some Jews believe that pre-emptive violence is acceptable against such enemies. [21] Some Muslim historians claimed that the Amalekites who fought Joshua were descendants of the inhabitants of North Africa. Their final defeat occurred in the time of Hezekiah. But each person must ask himself if he has the traits of Amalek.. 4 [Dec., 1969], 104-111). Along came an irresponsible man and jumped headlong into it! This is why they will say that abortion and homosexuality, actions that detract from life, are moral imperatives. Whoever goes in the ways of Amalek will most certainly be wiped out., Amalek: Preventing the Jews From Settling Israel. There had previously been an agreement between the king of Elam and these five other kings, and the other kings were sick of it, so they rebelled. In the annals of Jewish history, "[t]he Amalekites, descendants ofAmalek, were an ancient biblical nation living near the land ofCanaan. 25:19 Wipe out the descendants of Amalek [23], Although Egyptian and Assyrian monumental inscriptions and records of the period survive which list various tribes and peoples of the area, no reference has ever been found to Amalek or the Amalekites. And obviously, the residents of Ashkelon, Sderot, and other Israeli cities in shooting range of Gaza, are expecting an increase in rocket attacks. Astonishingly, even those allegedly versed in Judaism are in denial about BLM. Consider the never ending virtue signaling that businesses, schools, and Hollywood proudly demonstrate while displaying no understanding of the irony [emphasis mine] of it all. AMALEK, AMALEKITES - JewishEncyclopedia.com For an Rabbanic explanation of Timna lineage see. Those who stick their heads straight in the water go home; those who cup their hands and lap at it stay. ", Rabbi Buchman cites the book Why the Jews authored by Prager and Telushkin which has a chapter on "Non-Jewish" Jews, from Marx to Chomsky. [7] This role appears in several stories: In Genesis 14:7, the "field of the Amalekites" is mentioned, though the person Amalek had not yet been born. Hes still not getting the whole God of Angel Armies thing. Purim guide for the perplexed 2023 - JNS.org They spread out around the camp, and on Gideons signal, they all smash their jars and blow their trumpets and light their torches and yell! Gideon still needs more signs. He organized Europe in order to give Iran nuclear weapons, even though Iran was calling for Death to Israel and Death to America. He used the United Nations against Israel. The Amalekites, like many other people groups, ceased to exist or completely mingled with other nations sufficiently long ago that they left no distinct records. Amalek's Attack - Chabad.org Hamas is clearly this way. (This is the same God who defeats enemies before Israels army even gets there.). Do not forget! It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Moses, ever the leader (and well past eighty) delegates the fighting to Joshua, who needs the experience given whats coming in the next few decades. This demonstrates again Israels strong antipathy to Amalek. This means that we cannot point at any one nation and say that they are Amalek. The Amalekites harassed the Hebrews during their Exodus from Egypt and attacked them at Rephidim near Mount Sinai, where they were defeated by Joshua. It should be mandatory reading at the Shabbat table. We are heading into a very dark time if there are Jews who are ready to give up the Torah laws in favor of revenge. But God does not forget! Every man, woman, and child of Amalek needs to be wiped out. Amalek resides in our society. The RSV in Judges 5:14 wrongly changes the words in Amalek to into the valley, although that v. indicates in a footnote that the Heb. How can that be? And just as God raised up Ehud to defeat Eglon with his left-handedness, God raised up Gideon to defeat Midian very nearly by himself. C. David drove the Amalekites out of Negev into transjordan Edomite territory at Mt. {amount} donation plus {fee_amount} to help cover fees. . Local leaders urged Orthodox Jews, who were the victims of the racist violence, to atone for their imaginary crimes of racism and to take up the hateful slogan of Black Lives Matter. Its the second-most-drawn-out miracle in the Old Testament4. They were among the nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon and were condemned to annihilation by Samuel. For example, there is the American Jewish Committee who in 2016 chose the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) to launch a Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council - this even though ISNA has ties to Islamic terrorists. Since the time of King Saul, the Jews have faced many "Amaleks", set out for our destruction. 5. He said that he has a tradition from the Gaon of Vilna that the Germans are the descendants of Amalek (Horowitz, p. 428). Verses 8-16. Amalek wants to rule himself and everyone else. I want it becomes more important than anything. , he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear. In Vayishlach, the Torah writes about the descendants of Esav. And if you think that is enough, the Torah goes on to say that every animal belonging to Amalek needs to be put to death. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. In a tradition that encourages questioning and disagreement over text, there is only one way to read this story. Sorry, none of that last paragraph is true. in Madison, Wisconsin, ofCol. Hans Christian Heg, an immigrant from Norway who died fighting for the Union against slavery. Too many men! says God to Gideon. This has been accelerated by the hypocrisy and intolerance of the vindictive Left, aided and abetted by foolish bleeding-heart pseudo-liberals who have become accomplices in the undermining of democracy." [36][37][38][39] It has also been described as genocidal, according to genocide scholars like Norman Naimark.[40][41][42][43]. Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, also known as Reuel, was "the priest of Midian " and a Kenite ( Judges 1:16 ). After that brief mention of geography and Esaus genealogy, Amalek disappears until the Exodus, centuries later. "Timna was a Princess, but she wanted to convert. For Amalekites in the Book of Mormon, see, Commandment to exterminate the Amalekites, Religious and modern scholarly discussion. The Bible tells us that when the Israelites left Egypt, they were attacked from behind by Amalek and his people. It is to wipe him out from the world because as long as there is a memory of Amalek in the world, the, Rabbi Yosef Dayan, a member of the nascent Sanhedrin, is unafraid to make difficult judgments with dire consequences. However, the timeline gets confused immediately, because the name Amalekite shows up long before Esau does. Zogby's initiatives promoted Jews as privileged 'whites.' Elams king has an amazing name: Chedorlaomer., Youre not expected to know what an Abiezrite is or where Ophrah is. "After many years of research, Arthur Koestler, the well . And there is a valid argument to be made that Israel isnt doing a good enough job of defense. If Amalek has always been identified with the enemies of Israel, then perhaps they were never a distinct nation that would leave behind distinctive artifacts. Omissions? Prophecy from the Bible is revealing itself as we speak. Erdogan is the same way. 15-33. Zogby saw the power of framing Israelis as 'white oppressors' of innocent, indigenous, darker-skinned Palestinians. Sure enough, Saul is defeated by the Philistines, but when Saul is injured, the man who ultimately kills him and takes his crown is an Amalekite (2 Samuel 1:810). The Amalekites attacked those who were lagging slowly behind the rest of the people: the elderly, the sick, and the weak. and only as a remnant whom some of the Simeonites defeated at Mount Seir (i.e., Edom; Gen 32:3; 1 Chron 4:41-43). Everywhere and Nowhere: The Story of the Amalekites In it, he referred to Hamas as the seed of Amalek.. Evidently the Amalekites had some cities, as this one, in which they sometimes settled, and possibly fulfilled religious obligations as has been shown was the case of nomadic tribes in the Trans-Jordan in connection with a 15th cent. Exod 17:8; Num 14:45). Marilyn Wind, President, MERCAZ USA; Sheila Katz, CEO, National Council of Jewish Women; Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal, Chief Executive, Rabbinical Assembly; Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President, Union of Reform Judaism; Leslie Lichter, Interim CEO, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; Rabbi Marla Feldman, Executive Director, Women of Reform Judaism; Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive, Central Conference of American Rabbis; and, Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, Executive Director, Women's League for Conservative Judaism, Moreover, in 2017 progressive Jews released an open letter in defense of anti-Semite Linda Sarsour this, despite Sarsour's praise for Nation of Islam leader and rabid anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, and the claim that "sharia law is reasonable.". The Bible doesnt specify that God is steering them clear of the Amalekites. Home Rabbis Weigh In: Who Is Amalek Today? During the Purim festival, the Book of Esther is read in the commemoration of the saving of the Jewish people from Haman who plotted to kill all Jews in Persian Empire. But far too many Jewish organizations have given over their souls to the Red/Green alliance. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! Therefore, the archaeologist and historian Hugo Winckler suggested in 1895 that there were never any such people and the Biblical stories concerning them are entirely mythological and ahistorical. He reminds Israel during Balaams prophecies that were supposed to be curses: Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said, Amalek was the first among the nations, but its end is utter destruction. Saul fought a war with King Agog, a descendant of Amalek, and was commanded to kill him, but didn't, out of pity. Searching the Bible to find the author of Psalm 89. However, this will most certainly be the beginning of the end, if Jews stoop to the level of Amalek and attack those weaker than us, without the pretext and rules of war. Consequently, America is presently in a battle, not only for its physical well-being but also for its spiritual values. With 50+ web magazines and 5 million monthly readership, we invite you for Promotion, Review, Ranking and Marketing of your Content, Products and Services. Valerie Sobel emphatically points out what the Democratic Party has become in her "Dear Jewish American Leftists: It's Time for a Talk." Amalekite, member of an ancient nomadic tribe, or collection of tribes, described in the Old Testament as relentless enemies of Israel, even though they were closely related to Ephraim, one of the 12 tribes of Israel. And therefore, God commanded the Israelites to wipe out the memory of Amalek. They separated themselves off from the other Edomites at an early date, and became the predominant tribe in the more northern parts of the Sinaitic peninsula, claiming and exercising a sovereignty over the whole of the desert country between the . Introduction to positive commandments, Beer Mayim Hayim, letter Alef, Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, "Timna, concubine of Eliphaz: Midrash and Aggadah", "Shabbat Zachor: "Remember what Amalek did to you!" To obey is better than sacrifice, he says, and, Because you [Saul] have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you form being king (1 Samuel 15:2223). That Amaleks unrelenting and destructive spirit and action against God and the cause of His people Israel was heinous to the Lord is seen later in the reminder to Saul concerning these wilderness incidents and in Gods command that the king is to destroy these God-defying Amalekites (1 Sam 15:2, 3; cf. But each person must ask himself if he has the traits of Amalek., Amalek is a symbol, it is a character trait. But why did he do it? So as soon as Moses tells them to go around the enemy armies, they immediately want to go through the land and fight. Caroline Glick exposes the hypocrisy of far-Left Jewish organizations who deliberately choose to ignore the hatred and anti-Semitism of Black Lives Matter. According to the Bible, Amalek was the son of Eliphaz (himself the son of Esau, ancestor of the Edomites) and Eliphaz's concubine Timna. Rather in Numbers 24:20 Amalek as first is to be understood as its being the first among the nations to attack Israel in her Exodus experiences (cf. An ancient marauding people in the S of Canaan and the Negeb who were fierce enemies of Israel particularly in the earlier part of her history. Theyve encamped at a place called Rephidim. God promised that Amalek will be wiped out. Saul then made a statement of repentance and obtained some public reconciliation with the prophet Samuel, following which the prophet then killed Agag, the Amalekite king (15:24-33). The story of Amalek and the kings of Israel is very much like the stories of Moab and Ammon. On with our story. Certainly Jews in the US have traditionally been supportive of those who suffered from discrimination. The prophet Samuel tells Saul that God wants him to destroy the Amalekites for the way they treated Israel on its way out of Egypt. How did he defeat Israel? It goes like this. When some men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who exercised some control over the Negeb and the area of Hebron, presumably they also came in contact with the Amalekites who roamed the same general area. Nation and a character described in the Hebrew Bible, "Amalekites" redirects here. That they were of obscure origin is . And that is unthinkable. When Gideon and Purah get back, the Israelites return to the camp of Midian and Amalek armed with the ancient near east equivalent of flash-bangs: jars of clay, trumpets, and torches. When Moses holds his hands up, Joshua wins; when Moses gets tired and lets his hands down, Joshua loses. Oh yeah? According to the midrash (homiletic teachings), after killing Jewish men, Amalek cut off the brit milah (circumcision) of the male Jewish casualties and threw them up at heaven. The Amalekites refer to a shifting collection of tribes throughout Biblical history, so they never had enough cultural identity to leave records. The Nazis clearly did this. ; LXX ) to Amalekite (), to try to make agreement with 1 Samuel 15:6, since the connection of the Kenites in these two passages is clear and evidence for changing the text is lacking. Some commentators explain this as a reference to the territory which was later on inhabited by the Amalekites. Saul fought a war with King Agog, a descendant of Amalek, and was commanded to kill him, but didnt, out of pity. Hadar Susskind, President and CEO, Americans for Peace Now; Rabbi Bennett Miller, National Chair, ARZA; Stuart Applebaum, President, Jewish Labor Committee; Meredith Jacobs, CEO, Jewish Women International; Janet Gurvitch, President, Na'amat USA; Contact Us Now. Apparently most of them just dunked their heads to drink, because Gideon sends 9,700 men home, leaving him with less than one percent of his original force. We are approaching a day of reckoning when Jews need to wake up and stop ignoring the existential danger to America and to themselves. Israel is on its way through the wilderness toward Mount Sinai. Different people can embody that concept. a. Some have made the connection that Sadaam Hussein and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran (modern Persia), are also descendants of Agog and Amalek and given what they want(ed) to do to the Jews and where they come from, it would come as no surprise if there was ever biological evidence to support this. Ishmaelites were recorded as the descendants of Ishmael in the Bible. Deuteronomy 25:19 ESV. Dear Reader take a moment and substitute the word America for the word Israel, and you will begin to see the trajectory of this article. The Amalekites presumably return to their homeland, embarrassed, to lick their wounds. Anyone who does the same, who tries to stop the Jews from doing Gods will, from settling Israel, is Amalek. You will not be surprised that the wars continue. It also means that Amalek has gotten mixed into the other nations and a little bit of Amalek is in everyone., Amalek is more than a physical people. The king attacked and conquered this foe with their city called Amalek (1 Sam 15:4-7) the exact location of which is not known. He was born to Eliphaz by his concubine Timna (Gen 36:12) was one of the tribal chiefs (, H477) of Edom (Gen 36:16, 17). What the Bible says about Esau's Descendants - Bible Tools Amalekite, member of an ancient nomadic tribe, or collection of tribes, described in the Old Testament as relentless enemies of Israel, even though they were closely related to Ephraim, one of the 12 tribes of Israel. Agag was the king of Amalek (1 Sam. An ancient marauding people in the S of Canaan and the Negeb who were fierce enemies of Israel particularly in the earlier part of her history. Amalek seeks Israel's physical as well as spiritual annihilation. Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com. Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. - Bible Hub Rabbi Asher Benzio Buchman[1] in the journal Hakirah (Volume 28, Spring 2020) explains: [T]he base of the Democratic Party in the United States is made up of the envious lower classes, the Muslims, and the G-dless 'intellectuals' who dominate and indoctrinate on our college campuses and in the media. 4. M. Weippert, Semitische Nomaden des zweiten Jahrtausends. The Amalekite people are the epitome of evil. So God sets about decimating Gideons army to make sure nobody can claim they did it on their own without Gods help. Thus, abruptly, ends the story of Amalek in Scripture; we never see them again. New International Version (NIV). By accepting progressivism, Jews are implicitly "downgrading the seriousness of anti-Semitism." [53], According to Christian Hofreiter, historically almost all Christian authorities and theologians have interpreted the herem passages as referring to real, historical events when God commanded the Israelites to exterminate all the members of particular nations. Concerning further harassment Moses recounts how, in Israels journey from Egypt, Amalek, with no fear of God, attacked their rear guard and cut off those who became physically weak (Deut 25:17, 18). Dont worry, theyll be back. A tribe dwelling originally in the region south of Judah, the wilderness of et-Tih where the Israelites came into conflict with them. The first reason is not a good one. And seriously, the Lord of all creation is with you.. This continued until the plague of the death of the firstborn and finished him completely.. The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Eventually, Mosess brother Aaron and a man named Hur hold Mosess hands up for him, and Israel wins the day. [24] While considerable knowledge about nomadic Arabs has been recovered through archeological research, no specific artifacts or sites have been linked to Amalek with any certainty.

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