Nation and a character described in the Hebrew Bible, "Amalekites" redirects here. They are Arabs who are mostly Muslim and some who are Christian. Yet, as Dean Sherr points out, too many Jewish organizations have a "new set of attitudes towards anti-Semitism: that it is of lesser importance in the west than other forms of racism." He allied with the Amalekites, of course, as well as the Ammonites (Judges 3:1214). We have many reasonable accounts of Amalek in Scripture, from Genesis to Psalms, that we have no reason to disbelieve and every reason to believe. It has prophecy, judges, betrayal, war, trickeration, some David-and-Goliath, a youngest son, family squabbles, a twist ending (wait for it), and even a bit of rags-to-riches. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Without direct divine guidance, it is impossible to say with certainty who is Amalek, Berger told, . "After many years of research, Arthur Koestler, the well . Merely two weeks after the tragedy of Mercaz HaRav yeshiva, it is hard to turn sorrow into merriment. 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). So Saul gathers 210,000 soldiers and crushes Amalek and captures their king, Agag. 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. b.c. How did he defeat Israel? '", Obama went even farther in his transformation of the country and it should surprise no one that the riots, and the acceptance of a Marxist terrorist group such as BLM is now roundly applauded. He states that "there is practically no historical evidence that anyone in the Great Church" viewed them as being purely an allegory. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! New International Version (NIV). According to the Bible, Sarah and Abraham who were then called Sarai and Abram were aging and childless. [10] First-century Roman-Jewish scholar and historian Flavius Josephus refers to Amalek as a 'bastard' () in a derogatory sense.[11]. Now David is both more obedient to God and better at war than Saul ever was, so he starts fighting the Amalekites even while Saul is hunting him down (1 Samuel 27:810). Deut 34:3). Verses 8-16. First and foremost, Amalek is doubt in divine providence. The Amalekites refer to a shifting collection of tribes throughout Biblical history, so they never had enough cultural identity to leave records. This is why they will say that abortion and homosexuality, actions that detract from life, are moral imperatives. The Amalekites seem to have been fairly well controlled under the monarchy, for the OT does not mention them again until the time of Hezekiah (c. 700 b.c.) They want to oust Mort Klein of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) because he dared to point out Black Lives Matter's Jew hatred and hatred of Israel. 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. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. Although he scalded himself, he succeeded to make others think that it was cooler than it really was. Which must have been a weird dream for them, and an even weirder interpretation, but their conversation encourages Gideon. Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, also known as Reuel, was "the priest of Midian " and a Kenite ( Judges 1:16 ). 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. [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. 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. The Amalekites were a people of the Negev and adjoining desert that were a hereditary enemy of Israel from wilderness times to the early monarchy. Bibliography G. A. Smith, The Historical Geography of the Holy Land (1896), 282; D. Baly, The Geography of the Bible (1957), 159. [25], According to a midrash, Amalek's mother Timna was a princess who had tried to convert to Judaism but had been rejected by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Amalek wants to rule himself and everyone else. If youve read this far, Im sure youd like to know how this ancient Biblical story relate to our lives today! In the period of the Judges. Amalek seeks Israel's physical as well as spiritual annihilation. d. In the time of David. Exod 17:8; Num 14:45). According to the Bible, Amalek was the son of Eliphaz (himself the son of Esau, ancestor of the Edomites) and Eliphaz's concubine Timna. The Amalekites as a nomadic desert tribe moved in the area from the Sinaitic region and the steppe land of the Negeb in S Canaan, S of Beersheba, over E to include the Arabah region N of Elath and Ezion-geber and possibly the more interior Arabia. In a dream that night, He instructs Gideon to hitch two oxen to a statue of Baal and pull it down. ", As Mark Alexander writes "[b]ut today, the ability of Americans to discern 'between true and false, right and wrong, virtue and vice,' is being systematically eroded by leftist politicos, in collusion with their 24/7 Left media and Big Tech enablers, relentlessly seeking to empower the state.". - Amalek & Israel - Land & People - The Amalekites & the Kenites - In the Aggadah Amalek and Israel The fact that synagogues got tagged and Jewish businesses were looted with [signs saying] 'Free Palestine' and 'Kill the Jews,' is not a coincidence. In Numbers 24:20 Balaam refers to the Amalekites as "first among the nations," but he most likely meant only that the Amalekites were the first ones to attack the Israelites upon their exodus from Egypt or that the Amalekites were "first" in power at that time. Erdogan is the same way. It is a time of dressing up in costume, eating lots of delicious food, and, depending on how you read the text, getting rather drunk. For an Rabbanic explanation of Timna lineage see. Breaking Israel News asked several rabbis their opinion: Rabbi Pinchas Winston, a prolific author and end-of-days expert, has written several books on the subject of Amalek. But then he makes a decision even weirder than the thing with the fleece: he takes some of the spoils of war and melts down the jewelry and makes a golden ephod (a ceremonial coat or vest worn by priests), and it inexplicably becomes an idol that Israel worships. The district over which they ranged was south of Judah and probably extended into northern Arabia. The narrative of wiping out the remembrance of Amalek is so important that women, who are normally not obligated in the weekly Torah reading, are obligated to come . [20], By the 19th century, there was strong support by Western theologians for the idea that the nation of Amalek could have flourished before the time of Abraham. 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. His economy is crashing but he doesnt care. They are leading a meaningless existence. Today we look at the Amalekites, descendants of Amalek. ADr PremGuides and MagazinesWebsite That is because Amalek in gematria (Hebrew numerology) is 240, equal to the word, (doubt); they want you to doubt what you know is clearly the word of God., Amalek puts emotions over the intellect. In some rabbinical interpretations, Amalek is etymologised as am lak, 'a people who lick (blood)',[2] but most specialists regard the origin to be unknown.[3]. Zogby saw the power of framing Israelis as 'white oppressors' of innocent, indigenous, darker-skinned Palestinians. When a person gets to this point, Amalek has won., People who acknowledge a covenant with God, his existence and presence in this world, they appreciate life as a gift. Gideon is confused, because his understanding of warfare is that having more soldiers is good, and having fewer soldiers is bad. On the other, the five kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (Zoar). Therefore, when Hashem your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you, in the land that Hashem your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. The second reason is the one adopted by most ancient and modern Jewish scholars. He marches the army out to meet the enemy, at which point God decides to give a sign of His own. An expression denoting heat and cold (). They need to tempt death to confirm that they are living. 599 Deut. Travel restrictions are scheduled for the West Bank. Their final defeat occurred in the time of Hezekiah. But, although many hoped that a "silver lining" around the Shoa might be the final dissipation . Home Rabbis Weigh In: Who Is Amalek Today? Etymology [ edit] In some rabbinical interpretations, Amalek is etymologised as am lak, 'a people who lick (blood)', [2] but most specialists regard the origin to be unknown. Deuteronomy 25:19. On with our story. 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; 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. Of course, Israel is perverse and rebellious, just like we are today. Streicher assumed that the origin of the Aryan race was in Persia, with a connection to the descendants of the Amalekites, who were the worst enemies of the Jewish people. The Kenites were an ancient people living near the land of Canaan around the time of Abraham ( Genesis 15:18-21 ). The name "Amalek" can refer to the nation's founder, a grandson of Esau; his descendants, the Amalekites; or the territories of Amalek, which they inhabited. Deuteronomy 25:18. See how the latest updates in Jerusalem and the world are connected to the prophecies we read in the Bible. Caroline Glick exposes the hypocrisy of far-Left Jewish organizations who deliberately choose to ignore the hatred and anti-Semitism of Black Lives Matter. God tells Samuel that Sauls disobedience spells the end of his reign, and Samuel raises a lament to Saul. 1 Samuel 14 and 15 present Sauls encounter with the Amalekites. b. Amalek (/mlk/;[1] Hebrew: , 'mlq, Arabic: 'Amlq) was a nation described in the Hebrew Bible as a staunch enemy of the Israelites. . The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill . It tells us about Esav's son Eliphaz and his many immoral relationships: "And Timna was a concubine to Eliphaz and Eliphaz gave birth to Amalek.. 1 " The Talmud in Sanhedrin informs us of the background to this fateful occurrence. This is an amazing story since it took place decades before the Holocaust. Not great for an army thats now down to three hundred men. In Vayishlach, the Torah writes about the descendants of Esav. Agag was the king of Amalek (1 Sam. 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. Finally they flee, and Gideon, with his tiny little force, pursues. 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 . Gideon, not convinced by an angel, this second miracle, and a dream from God, wants more. 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. 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. 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. 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. Now this story is long, but Im telling the whole tale here because its a great story. Further, in their song (Judg 5:14) Deborah (who was from Ephraim, 4:5) and Barak speak of how Ephraim had shown strength in rooting out those of the Amalekites who were in its midst (cf. Even though these same synagogues had to rush out their Torah scrolls to protect them from a racist mob, they did not voice any pain or outrage, or offer solidarity to their fellow vandalized synagogues. God promised that Amalek will be wiped out. The Amalekites, descended from Amalek, a grandson of Esau, fall naturally into the anti-Israel alliance. "And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam and Lotan's sister was Timna." 1. Liberalism is what happens when you take God and meaning out of life. (This is the same God who defeats enemies before Israels army even gets there.). Goering committed suicide so that only 10 descendants of Amalek were hung, Later in the time of the Judges the Amalekites showed continued harassing activity against Israel. But it scares me to know that there are Jews prepared to act in Amaleks name as well. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. [20][21] It is, however, possible that the name Amalek may have been given to two different nations. Rabbi Dayan paraphrased Rabbi Moshe Charlap, a leader in the religious Zionist movement of the first half of the 20th century. Consequently, "[p]rotesters from the Black Lives Matter movement vandalized and toppled a statue . 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. Israel365 News is the only media outlet reporting on it. Thus the people of Amalek lived on, to continue to torment the Jews for generations. Amalek in later history. The first reason is not a good one. The Golden calf is the liberal movement in action. Some commentators explain this as a reference to the territory which was later on inhabited by the Amalekites. [22] However, the modern biblical scholar David Freedman uses textual analysis to glean that the use of Amalekite in Genesis 14:7 is actually an anachronism,[13] and in the early 19th century, Richard Watson enumerated several speculative reasons for having a "more ancient Amalek" than Abraham. They didnt merely go to war with the Israelites. It is to wipe him out from the world because as long as there is a memory of Amalek in the world, the Moshiach (Messiah) cannot come., Obama was not satisfied in setting his countrys policy against Israel. Today we look at the Amalekites, descendants of Amalek. Unlike the statements by Young Israel and the Agudah, the Orthodox Union failed to even address the attacks on synagogues. On the other hand, Gen. xiv. Observing this connection, there is no need, as some have attempted, to emend the text of Judges 1:16 from the people (Heb. 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. They want the IDF to attack, as long as it means bad for Israel. In modern terminology, Amalek has come to represent those who want to exterminate the Jews. The nation of Amalek is long gone, but they live on as the internal [and external] enemies that the Jewish people battle on a daily basis." I want it becomes more important than anything. Hakirah: The Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought, Volume 28, Spring 2020, pp. So God sends Gideon and his servant Purah down into the camp of the Midianites and Amalekites to scout it out. We are approaching a day of reckoning when Jews need to wake up and stop ignoring the existential danger to America and to themselves. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites . Contrary to Gods command, Saul kept alive the Amalekite king and the best of their livestock (vv. All are driven by jealousy. But theres a slight twist here that changes the course of Israels history. And they do seem to show up alongside all of Israels other enemieswith Moab in Balaams oracle, with Ammon in Psalm 83, with Midian in the story of Gideon, and with all of them at the same time in Davids wars. , a prominent Israeli mystic, gave a sermon that was published on Sunday. 1 Amalek grew up in Esau's household, imbibing Esau's pathological hatred of Jacob's descendants along the way. Rashi explains the third commandment: From man unto woman, from infant unto suckling, from ox unto sheep, so that the name of Amalek not be mentioned even with reference to an animal by saying "This animal belonged to Amalek". During the reign of Hezekiah, 500 Simeonites annihilated the remnant of the Amalekites, so God is not still at war with the Amalek. When a person says that they are not going to speak to members of their own family because they disagree with their ideology, that is a form of spiritual suicide, saying that the ideology trumps all. 4 [Dec., 1969], 104-111). There is an earlier reference to the word Amalek in Genesis 14:7 where Chedorlaomer (c. 1900 b.c.) The Amalekites harassed the Hebrews during their Exodus from Egypt and attacked them at Rephidim near Mount Sinai, where they were defeated by Joshua. Eventually, Mosess brother Aaron and a man named Hur hold Mosess hands up for him, and Israel wins the day. Those who stick their heads straight in the water go home; those who cup their hands and lap at it stay. Gideon was an Abiezrite of the tribe of Manasseh who lived in Ophrah2. These are the traits of Amalek., Trump has done precisely the opposite. As enumerated by Maimonides, the three mitzvot state: 598 Deut. Instead, this is the part of the story where Israel gets angry with God for taking them out of Egypt, and God declares that nobody who left Egypt will make it to the Promised Land. So its anachronistic, but convenient. The Nephilim Tribes of Canaan, Amalekites, Edomites, Idumeans, Khazarians (Jews) "Thus, while it is a fact that all true Jews are Israelites (because they are descended from the House of Judah), it can be proven by research that Not All Who Say They Are Jews Are True Israelites.". This perfectly describes the other component of Amalek -- that some elements of Amalek exist within ourselves. Judaism, which is based on the chesed (loving kindness) of Abraham, is intellect over emotions., Amalek: Leading the Nations to Hate Israel. She replied she would rather be a handmaiden to the dregs of this nation than be the mistress of another Nation; to punish the Patriarchs for the affront they had made her, she was made the mother of Amalek, whose descendants would cause Israel much distress. The Nazis clearly did this. And it was an Amalekite who killed Saul, the first king of Israel. 1 Samuel 30:1, 2 points to the Amalekite heavy raiding activity in the area of the Negeb, and Judges 6:3, 33 in speaking of the Amalekite association with the kings of the E in their raiding parties suggests that they may have lived sometime together in the Arabian territory toward the E. The Amalekites also extended their influence farther N into the Philistine country and the region of Ephraim. But first, the wars do not continue. He lays out some wool fleece and asks God to contain the dew to the fleece that night and keep the ground dry, if He really intends to save Israel. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! R' Samson Raphael Hirsch said that the command was to destroy "the remembrance of Amalek" rather than actual Amalekites;[49] the Sfat Emet said that the command was to fully hate Amalek rather than performing any action;[50] and the Chofetz Chaim said that God would perform the elimination of Amalek, and Jews are commanded only to remember what Amalek did to them. It is not a coincidence that liberals are atheists. 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. Way back in the War of the Nine Kings, the one where Lot gets kidnapped and Abraham has to rescue him and they meet Melchizedek on the way back and accidentally invent a priestly order both older and higher than the sons of Aaron that the author of Hebrews later uses to point to Jesus as the Messiah, there were, um, nine kings. They came to stop the Jews from entering Israel. They have forgotten that the Jew is always the canary in the mine. Even the world of sports is being corrupted. Its the second-most-drawn-out miracle in the Old Testament4. And obviously, the residents of Ashkelon, Sderot, and other Israeli cities in shooting range of Gaza, are expecting an increase in rocket attacks. 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 psalmist (Ps 83:7) lists Amalek with the avowed enemies of Israel. But God does not forget! Early history. Amalek's spirit has continued through the millenniaits viciousness culminating in the Shoa. Ibn-Arabshh purported that Amalek was a descendant of Ham, son of Noah. 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. Well, according to biblical scholar Matthew Henry, "The Amalekites were probably descendants of Esau (Genesis 36:12), and so enemies of Isaac's family." In other words, they were enemies of God's chosen people from the very beginning. Not just defeat them, but destroy every man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey (1 Samuel 15:13). The shepherd boy who doesnt see an angel also doesnt compose a song about it. First and foremost, Amalek is doubt in divine providence. But Israel has more enemies, of course. Seir: At the time of the Exodus, the Amalekites had expanded west to in the Negev: Numbers 13:29; It is making God in the image of man, making man the ultimate authority, freeing him to do what he wants. We are hardwired to want eternity and to seek meaning., Liberalism claims to be the avenger of justice and truth. This curse begins the forty years of wandering, making sure an entire generation dies before they reach the land God gave Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. AMALEK m lk, AMALEKITES m l k ts (, ; Gr , ). This is certainly countries and leaders like Iran. After Saul dies, David kills the Amalekite who killed him (2 Samuel 1:1516) and conquers the Amalekites along with many other nations (1 Samuel 30; 2 Samuel 8:1112; 1 Chronicles 18:11). Astonishingly, even those allegedly versed in Judaism are in denial about BLM. , the rabbi of King Davids Tomb on Mount Zion, believes that Amalek exists in the world today, in individuals and also in nations. In fact, for millennia Amalek has stood for the archetypal enemies of the Jews, so that whatever nation was oppressing the Jews at any time was associated with Amalek. Later, Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah, and Hagar and Ishmael were driven away because of Ishmael's attitude toward Isaac ( Genesis 21:9-10, 14 ). Moses prophesies their failure, and sure enough, the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them (Numbers 14:45). For once, Saul has an opportunity to finish the job himself. 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. And there is a valid argument to be made that Israel isnt doing a good enough job of defense. The Marxist Left has vowed to destroy America. As Jews contemplate a vote for Joe Biden, do they realize that he supports J Street which is "one of the most virulent, anti-Israel organizations in the history of Zionism and Judaism?". The Left admires the godless quality of communism and yearns for the conquest of America. 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. In it, he referred to Hamas as "the seed of Amalek." Amalek was the grandson of Esau whose descendants became a nation infamous for attacking the Hebrews after they came out of Egypt. Accordingly, a "Catholic teacher is fired for criticizing the Black Lives Matter Movement.".