Q:
Does the mitzvah of mechiyas Amalek mean people that there are some people who are born inherently evil? And if so, how do we understand the gemara that says Haman’s descendants learned Torah in Bnei Brak?
A:
Does the mitzvah of destroying Amalek imply that there are people who are born inherently evil? First that question. The destruction of Amalek has nothing to do with their evil. Let’s say there’s a righteous Amaleki; he’s righteous but he didn’t become a ger – once he becomes a ger, it’s too late; we missed the opportunity – but let’s say this righteous Amaleki didn’t convert yet and now somebody says, “You know, I discovered an authentic Amaleki; he has a pedigree all the way back to Haman – all the way back to Esav.” It’s hard to find one like that today but let’s say it happened.
And now all frum Jews will want to do the mitzvah; they’ll sell tickets and everyone will put on their bigdei Shabbos and now we are going to fulfill the mitzvah of mechiyas Amalek all together. Let each one take a wack at him.
So you’ll say, “What?! But he’s a nice fellow! And he looks like everybody else; he doesn’t even look like an Amaleki.” It doesn’t make any difference because it has nothing to do with his character. Hakodosh Boruch Hu has made a demonstration in the world, a demonstration of virtue. Amalek must be destroyed as a demonstration of the election of the Am Yisroel.
They were the first ones to attack us when we left Mitzrayim. Hakodosh Boruch Hu demonstrated openly His choice of us by means of the open wonders that He performed for us at Yetzias Mitzrayim and שמעו עמים ירגזון – the nations heard and they trembled. Nobody had the boldness to attack us! Nobody was bold enough to make a stand against the nation that Hashem had chosen. Only one chotzuf, an impudent az ponim named Amalek came forward. ויבוא עמלק and he had the chutzpah to attack us; he impugned the authority of Hashem who demonstrated His choice of Yisroel and therefore Amalek deserves to be destroyed.
It’s not because of his own personal sin. It’s a collective punishment of a nation. This nice Amaleki deserves to be destroyed because it’s the will of Hashem to demonstrate כי יד על כס קה –there is a hand raised against the throne of Hashem and that Hashem won’t allow it.
Now, the בני בניו של המן, the descendants of Haman, they were be lucky enough to slip through the back door. They didn’t say they were Amalekim and they became geirim; they were accepted and now it’s too late. We’re not going to kill our fellow Jews! And therefore they became yeshiva men and talmidei chachomim and they mixed with us – we have Amalekim today, maybe in the yeshivos too. It could be a rosh yeshiva is an Amaleki too. If you look in the kesovim of Reb Elchonon Wasserman, he brings that; he says there could be a rosh yeshiva who’s an Amaleki too. He brings maamarim to back that up. So the descendants of Haman, once they became brothers of ours, they are אחיך במצות, they are our brothers and it’s too late.
TAPE # 591