In Deuteronomy, we are commanded to “wipe out” (timcheh) Amalek (Deuteronomy 25:19). In Exodus, God declares, “I will wipe out (emcheh) Amalek” (Exodus 17:14). Which is it? Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik ...

Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its ...

Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its ...

In last week's Torah portion we were told, "Va-yavo Amalek": Amalek came upon the Israelites [Exodus 17:8]. Think of it. Mere weeks after their miraculous liberation from Egypt and release from ...

Parashat Ki Teitzei is particularly rich in mitzvot: of the 613 in the Torah, 74 – more than 12%! – are in this parashah. The final three of these govern our relationship with Amalek: “Remember what ...

In Jewish tradition, no enemy looms larger — or carries more theological weight — than Amalek. Described in the Bible as the first nation to attack the Israelites after the Exodus, the Amalekites came ...

“You shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven; do not forget!” [Deuteronomy 25:19]. Each year on Shabbat Zachor, the Shabbat preceding Purim, we read from a selection in Deuteronomy ...

Wiping out the memory of Amalek is among the Torah laws we must obey for our own good, that are most hard to understand. We read in this week’s haftorah: “Samuel said to Saul, I am the one the Lord ...