Page 4 - HaMizrachi #7BackgroundwithJIF-Purim

Theirs is not a regular military latest incarnation of Amalek’s global great advantage of open, pluralistic and
confrontation but rather a purposeful mission. democratic “live and let live” society
and systematic attack on those lagging must not become our greatest weakness.
behind: the elderly, the young, the weak The Leaders’ Crucial Role The forces of good cannot prevail if we
and the infirm. They attacked the most Therefore it is incumbent on statesmen are not armed with robust moral clarity.
vulnerable and defenseless in society. and leaders to comprehend the challenge
of dealing with Amalek. 4 Parashat Zachor is the perennial
Amalek Today reminder of this need. Purim is the
Amalek-type evil has taken on a It was Mordechai who had this clarity of primer of how to contend with this
new name. Terrorism. The aim of moral vision and courageous temerity evil and how each player has their
international terrorism is to do exactly to stand up to Haman. It was his part to play. The Hamans of the world
what its name implies: to terrorize and Esther’s heroic leadership, with will always attempt to win over the
anywhere and everywhere. The assistance from Above, that prevented Achashveroshes – to isolate, sanction,
acceptable international norm in military the total annihilation of the Jewish punish and persecute the Jews.
interaction is that an army confronts people. The Mordechais and Esthers must
another, and only combatants in uniform What would have happened to Europe, display clarity and courageousness
fight against their counterparts. Civilians and beyond, if not for the heroic in confronting this evil in the face of
are beyond the pale of ideological and leadership of Winston Churchill in fierce opposition and impossible odds.
military conflict. An Amalek mindset the 1940s? Charles Krauthammer, And the ultimate role is played by the
operates differently. It is specifically the America’s sorely missed preeminent Almighty, behind the scenes, masking
civilians, the non-combatants, who are columnist, argued that Churchill’s the indispensable face of Providence in
the aim of their terror. the drama of human and Jewish destiny.
role in confronting Nazism was so
Hamas and Hezbollah terrorize Israeli indispensable that it made him the most
5
civilians just getting on with their lives. important person of the 20th century. 1 The Netziv (HaEmek Davar, Exodus 17,14),
Al-Qaida, ISIS and the like do the same What enabled Churchill to be the right distinguishes between the nation of Amalek
in cities around the world. Iran today is statesman at the right time was his which no longer exists and the ideology of
the greatest supporter of international absolute clarity of vision of what Nazism Amalek which persists to this day.
terror and has its own diabolical stood for and aspired to achieve and 2 Regarding Israel: “Israel is holy to G-d, the
aspirations for nuclear hegemony. 9/11 what the right response was to that evil. first of His grain…” (Jeremiah 2:3).
showed us just what warped minds of Regarding Amalek, in Bilaam's prophecy:
terror could conjure up. There seems to From countless articles in the 30s, it is “When he saw Amalek, he took up his parable
be no limit to the immoral perversion evident that he, more than anyone else, and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations,
and distortion of heart and mind. understood and articulated the looming and his fate shall be everlasting destruction”
threat. In 1935, many branded him as (Numbers 24,20).
Terrorism, as fitting for an Amalek- an extremist sowing panic and viewing 3 The Malbim on the above verse says that none
type ideology, exists outside the moral the world in simplistic, black-and-white of these five reasons at the core of all normative
consensus and international convention terms. By 1940, none of his critics military conflict were present here.
of normative political, military and could doubt him. In our nuclear age, 4 Rambam (Laws of Kings and Their Wars
societal living. Churchill’s brand of leadership, courage 1,1). Based on the Talmud (Sanhedrin 20b),
and clarity of vision is more critical than the mitzvah of remembering and confronting
Yet if one thing is clear, understandable ever. Amalek is a mitzvah on ל ֵ א ָ ר ְ ׂשִי ל ַ ל ְּ כ – the
and proven about Amalekite anti- Jewish people as a collective – and is to be
implemented by the king. Indeed, Rabbi
Semitism it is this – it begins with the Yes, life is very nuanced and complex Meshulam Roth in his Halachic responsa (Kol
Jews but never ends with them. One and must be viewed with great Mevasser 2, 42) notes that majority of opinions
can be sure it will spill over to all fair- sophistication. And yes, this Amalek- rule that this mitzvah is incumbent upon the
minded, good people around the world. type hatred is rooted in a small minority king.
Buildings and planes in New York, trains with the majority being good, peace- 5 Things That Matter, p.22.
in Madrid, buses in London, night clubs loving people. Nevertheless, we have to
in Bali, schools in Toulouse, stores in be very mindful that our own nuanced
Paris and coffee shops in Sydney are all sophistication does not cloud our vision Rabbi Doron Perez is Chief Executive
fair game. Radical Islamic terror is the in dealing with this scourge of evil. The of World Mizrachi

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