This past Shabbat, the one preceding Purim, we added to the regular Torah reading the commandment to blot out the memory of Amalek. And then we read from the prophet, Samuel, how King Saul lost his kingdom for failing to fulfill that commandment.

Saul was a good King. He fought against Amalek valiantly. He began the mitzvah with a full heart and without fear. But he fell prey to both logic and public opinion. The people could not understand why they should destroy the best of the cattle and sheep rather than plunder them. And Saul saw no reason not to spare King Agog, after all he destroyed his army and humiliated him. It is reminiscent of the war we fought in Lebanon when Prime Minister Menachem Begin issued orders not to kill Arafat, rather to let him escape with his personal weapons.

This also reminds me of an editorial that appeared a few years back in the Jerusalem Post by Yosef Goel. It was an amazing criticism of the prophet Samuel! The reporter actually complained about the fact that Samuel saw the need to kill all the sheep! This was the reason why Saul lost his Kingdom, for sinning against G-d, not Samuel. How amazing that even today a reporter could have the audacity to challenge G-d’s Morality concerning a Biblical event! Why then should we be surprised to find so many people challenging our obligation as Jews to follow G-d’s Law today?

We can argue as to whether or not Arafat and his followers are truly descendants of Amalek, but there can be no doubt that no Jewish government has the right to give away Jewish land to anyone, much less to enemies of the Jewish people. In the Passover Seder it says, “In every generation there are those who rise up to destroy us, but Hashem, in His mercy always rescues us from them.” It is one thing to depend upon G-d’s mercy, but another thing entirely to actually oppose G-d by aiding our enemies in their effort to destory us.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2003 and is filed under opinion.