THE WAR WITH AMALEK RAGES ON

“Blessed is HaShem, my Rock, Who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for war. My Benefactor, my Fortress, my Stronghold, my own Rescuer, my Shield in Whom I take refuge, Who subjugates my nation to me.” Psalms 144:1-2

Would you agree that conflict, strife, anger, hatred and all sorts of debauchery and perversions are unfortunately thriving in the United States right now? Right is wrong and wrong is right. All things which are moral, upright and good have been trashed and demonized and now all things which had been confined and done in the shadows and in the darkness are now fully engaged in the open with total confidence, celebration, glee, joy and absolutely zero shame. What if I were to tell you this is fully expected and prophesied from the beginning and is the hallmark of Israel’s greatest, most bitter arch-enemy….AMALEK!!

As I put this Op together it is Shabbat, 20 February 2021, but more specifically it is Shabbat Zachor, which is the Shabbat just before Purim, which begins the evening of 25 February 2021 and ends the evening of 26 February 2021. It is here on this Shabbat Zachor where we remember what Amalek did to Israel on their way out of Egyptian captivity to include the prophesied time when HaShem will completely and utterly destroy Amalek and anyone associated with him from memory for the rest of eternity. Further, it is here on Purim where we remember and celebrate HaShem’s deliverance of Israel from the devious and treacherous schemes of Haman, descendant of Amalek, via Esther.

We will be exploring just who is Amalek and what his main characteristics associated with him are and who will embody Amalek in the End of Days. It may shock some so be prepared! But before we jump into this always remember the following eternal and unchanging characteristics of HaShem, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Elohim of Israel:

• HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
• His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
• He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
• He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
• He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
• He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
• He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
• He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
• He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
• He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
• He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
• He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
• He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
• He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
• He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
• He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
• He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
• He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
• He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
• He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
• He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
• He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
• He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
• He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
• He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
• He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
• He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
• He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35

War is the name of the game per se, whether that is a physical war or a spiritual war, either way, conflict is the way of life for being a servant of HaShem and it is nothing any of us can avoid! It is inevitable that each of us will face this conflict, there is no get out of jail free card and there is no reasoning our way out of it. Walking away from HaShem may spare us some grief, but that is only for a very short, limited amount of time and then the war will resume and we will be in a much worse state having to endure apart from HaShem, which is hopeless. So, just who is waging this war against HaShem and His people and why? Obviously from the title of this Op we know it is Amalek!

Who is Amalek and why is he such an important person in Biblical history? Well, Bereshyt (Genesis) 36:12 tells us Amalek is the grandson of Esau. This in itself is very important because we know Esau, the brother of Jacob, is also a very bitter enemy of Israel who is to this day hell bent on destroying Israel and wiping out every single Israelite from the planet. On a side note, another name for Esau in the Bible is Edom which is prophetically associated with Rome/Replacement Theology Christendom in the End of Days, but I digress.

From the Encyclopedia of Biblical Personalities on page 435 when describing Amalek it says “Amalek was raised on Esau’s lap. Esau told Amalek ‘How I toiled to kill Jacob! But he did not fall into my hands. Therefore, set your mind to taking my revenge!” Further, it says “The Holy One, Blessed is He, took an oath by His Throne of Glory not to leave a single descendant of Amalek under heaven and to remove any trace of them so that it should not be said, ‘This tree was Amalek’s, this camel was Amalek’s, this lamb was Amalek’s’ so that the name of Amalek will not be mentioned. Neither the Name nor the Throne is complete until the memory of Amalek is eradicated.” It also states Amalek was a homosexual and promoted that filthy, vile lifestyle.

When we read about Amalek in HaShem’s Word, we quickly see HaShem has a very intense hatred of Amalek and has decreed very intense commandments to Israel to equally hate Amalek. Further, HaShem has issued several prophecies that one day He will utterly wipe off the planet anyone associated with Amalek as well as erase Amalek from memory for all eternity.

Now let me stop here and stress, Amalek is NOT confined to a bloodline per se, but it is more importantly a spirit like we have the Spirit of Esau, we have the Spirit of Amalek which is flourishing today. If someone who is physically from the line of Esau and they have chosen to believe in HaShem and to worship the Elohim of Israel and to walk in His Torah, they are no longer considered to be from Esau, but are an Israelite. Very important to remember this fact as we proceed.

In this next part, we will see why it is so important we read the Torah portions each Shabbat because not only will we become familiar with all the people involved but will see the principles HaShem is teaching to us as we will see here with Amalek!!

In Shemot (Exodus) 17, we see Israel has been delivered from Egyptian bondage, they have been offered and accepted the Torah i.e. the Marriage Contract at Mt. Sinai and are in the Wilderness being led by HaShem. Suddenly, we read where Israel begins to doubt and question HaShem because there was no water to drink for them or their livestock. Israel quickly complained against Moshe and HaShem asking “Why is this that you have brought us up from Egypt to kill me and my children and my livestock through thirst?” It is here HaShem commands Moshe to strike the rock and water flows out. Then suddenly in verse eight we see Amalek strike which says “Amalek came and battled Israel in Rephidim.” Can you see the connection HaShem is teaching?

It is this event here in Shemot 17:8 that Amalek is decreed by HaShem to be at war with him from generation to generation! Why? Let’s keep reading in Shemot 17. Verse nine says “Moshe said to Yehoshua, ‘Choose people for us and go do battle with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of Elohim in my hand.'” So, Moshe tells Joshua (Yehoshua) to choose people to go and fight Amalek. Verse 10 says “Yehoshua did as Moshe said to him, to do battle with Amalek; and Moshe, Aharon, and Chur ascended to the top of the hill.” Verse 11 says “It happened that when Moshe raised his hand Israel was stronger, and when he lowered his hand Amalek was stronger.” The commentary from Tractate Rosh HaShanah 29a from the Talmud Bavli says “When Israel saw Moshe raising his hands, they were reminded to gaze upward and devote their hearts to HaShem. When they did so, HaShel helped them win the war. But when he lowered his hands, Israel did not subjugate their hearts and therefore Amalek gained the upper hand.” The point HaShem is teaching is when we subjugate our hearts in service to Him, we will prevail. When we don’t then we fall! Its that simple!

Shemot 17:12-12 says “Moshe’s hands grew heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it, and Aharon and Chur supported his hands, one on this side and one on that side, and he remained with his hands raised in faithful prayer until sunset. Yehoshua weakened Amalek and its people with the sword’s blade.” Tractate Zevachim 116a from the Talmud Bavli says “Yithro, Moshe’s father in law, heard about the war with Amalek and converted.” Why did he convert? Because the war with Amalek showed HaShem’s mastery over the heavens. The Amalekites used astrology to calculate which hours of the day they would be victorious, but HaShem stopped the sun from moving and this threw off all their calculations.

Shemot 17:14-16 says “HaShem said to Moshe, ‘Write this as a remembrance in the Book and recite it in the ears of Yehoshua, that I shall surely erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.’ Moshe built an altar and called its name ‘HaShem is My Miracle’; and he said, ‘For my hand is on the throne of Elohim: HaShem maintains a war against Amalek, from generation to generation.'”

So, the point of this thus far is that Amalek, the grandson of Esau, was inspired by the hatred of Esau and went out to wage war on Israel in the Wilderness with the intent of annihilating all of Israel completely. It is from this event HaShem maintains a perpetual war against Amalek from generation to generation, because Amalek’s hatred of Israel only grows more intense year after year. Further, HaShem reveals a very important aspect of this event in that it says this war was fought at Rephidim. The name ‘Rephidim’ is very revealing in itself because it is two Hebrew words: ‘Refi’ which means ‘Weakness’ and ‘Yadayim’ which means ‘Hands’. It is understood the weakness of Israel in their Torah study is what allowed Amalek to strike! What a massive Op one could do right there on how important it is to discipline ourselves to study and walk in His Torah!

HaShem says in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 25:17-19 “Remember what Amalek did to you, on the way, when you were leaving Egypt, that he happened upon you on the way, and he struck those of you who were hindmost, all the weaklings at your rear, when you were faint and exhausted, AND HE (AMALEK) DID NOT FEAR HASHEM. It shall be that when HaShem, your Elohim, gives you rest from all your enemies (When Messiah comes and destroys all of HaShem’s enemies once and for all) all around, in the Land that HaShem, your Elohim, gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall wipe out the memory of Amalek from under the heaven, you shall not forget!” So, we see Amalek does NOT fear HaShem…very important to remember!

Mitzvah #603 from The Book of the Mitzvot says “The obligation to remember what Amalek did to the Jewish people when they were leaving Egypt. We are commanded to remember what the nation of Amalek did to the Jewish people, which is that Amalek took the initiative to attack them at the time when they were leaving Egypt, before any other nation or kingdom raised its hand against them; as it is stated in Bamidbar (Numbers) 24:20 ‘Amalek is the first among nations’ the first to wage war against Israel was Amalek.”

It further says “At the time of the Exodus ALL the nations were afraid of the Jewish people, having heard about the Great Hand that HaShem inflicted upon Egypt on their behalf; but the Amalekites, due to their evil hearts and corrupt nature, paid no attention to all this and attacked the Jewish people, and through this they removed the great fear of the Jewish people from the hearts of the other nations, leading them as well to eventually attack Israel.”

What is the purpose of this mitzvah? “Among the underlying purposes of the mitzvah is that we should take to heart the idea that anyone who causes trouble for the Jewish people is hated by HaShem, blessed is He, and the degree of his evil, and the sinister design of his great injury, will be matched by the severity of his downfall and his ruin. Amalek had a sinister design because it intended to show other nations that they should not be afraid to attack Israel. This design was harmful, because Amalek’s brazen attack is the cause of every subsequent war against us. HaShem, blessed is He, commanded us to erase their memory from the earth and to uproot that memory until it is completely gone.” I should add, uprooting the memory of Amalek will not be fully completed until Messiah comes and does so…may it be VERY soon in our days!

From The Book of Our Heritage by Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov when describing Amalek says on page 378 “The deep rooted hatred which Amalek has for Israel cannot be compared to the hatred of other anti-Semites. While the animosity of other nations occasionally subsides, Amalek’s hatred is unrelenting and they constantly plan our destruction. Other nations can be bribed or placated; Amalek is unwilling to be placated through any means.”

I like to describe Amalek via an excerpt from the Terminator movie when Reese is warning Sarah about the Terminator only modified for Amalek: “Listen and understand, Amalek is out there! He can’t be reasoned with. He can’t be bargained with. He doesn’t know pity, or remorse or fear and he absolutely will not stop, ever until Israel is destroyed!” I digress.

Rabbi Kitov goes on describing Amalek “Esav saw that he was unable to destroy Ya’akov (Israel) for Psalms 121:4 says ‘The Guardian of Israel does not sleep or slumber.’ He commanded his children to exact his vengeance. Some of them despaired of being able to do so, for they said to themselves ‘We shall never be able to prevail against the one whom the King of the World protects. Our own possessions are sufficient and we have no desire for the legacy of Abraham and Isaac, neither the obligations nor the rewards.’ They drew far away from the path of Abraham and Isaac, choosing lives of ever growing evil. But there was one despicable member of Esav’s family, Amalek, an offspring who was himself from an abominable source (Incest), who approached his grandfather and said ‘I do not fear G-d. I fell no shame because of your deeds or because of my own (He was homosexual). I will accord no honor to the acts of the righteous, I despise them and their actions. Greatness and strength are mine. I shall go forth and wage war against your brother’s sons who have inherited the greatness that belongs to you. I shall fight them openly and in ambush. I will slay those who stray behind, and I shall slaughter their great ones, until I succeed in totally destroying all of them.”

“Amalek was loyal to the legacy of his grandfather, Esav, who had instructed him: ‘Let this tradition be yours. When you see them (Israel) stumble, attack them!'” Can you see how this applies to each of our lives today? Amalek is constantly coming after those who have chosen to serve HaShem and walk in His Torah!

Rabbi Kitov further says “The evil one, Satan, who is seen and unseen, who waits by the crossroads traveled by all who serve HaShem, placing obstacles and interfering with their pure faith, this is the root of Amalek!” This makes me think of Revelation 12:17 which says “And the dragon was enraged with the woman (Israel), and he went to fight with the remnant of her seed (Israel in the wilderness during the Birth Pains), those guarding the Torah of HaShem and possessing the witness of Yeshua (Not the Jesus of Replacement Theology) Messiah.” Amalek is described as being a vile serpent, a dragon if you will!

Now we need to discuss the characteristics of Amalek and see how he is running amok today!

Commentary from the Book of the Mitzvot discussing Amalek sums it up very well. It says “Amalek, in Hebrew, means ‘Twisted or distorted’ because Amalek embodies the distorted worldview that the world exists WITHOUT Divine Providence. As a result, they see no value in conducting themselves ethically if they can act deceitfully without being caught.” In other words, Amalek will do whatever he wants too! He knows HaShem exists, but is not afraid of HaShem, and embodies injustice, corruption, lies, deceit and unjust weights and measures. He hates anything HaShem considers to be righteous. Hmmm…do we see anything like this today in America? How about those running the government, not subject to laws, disregarding the Constitution, passing laws that promote injustice and tyranny and yet a society fully, willfully embracing the debauchery, immorality, perversion, injustice and insanity and yet hates anything that is righteous according to HaShem. And what is his goal? To get HaShem’s people to separate from His Torah and embrace idolatry, murder and engage in prohibited sexual practices…..Amalek is alive, well and thriving in America today! I digress.

Further, Amalek excels in planting the thoughts of doubt in HaShem’s people…‘Did HaShem really say?’ It is these seeds of doubt that if not squashed quickly will grow and we will end up loosening our grip on HaShem and His Torah, and then Amalek pounces and attacks just like at Rephidim! Point is, Amalek is extremely cunning and devious!

Additionally, Tractate Sanhedrin 74a from the Talmud Bavli states Amalek has three grave sins associated with him: Idolatry, Murder and Prohibited Sexual Relations. Do we see any of these in America today? Idolatry is running amok in that the people are either worshipping themselves, other religious systems or have embraced the idolatry of Replacement Theology Christendom, regardless, all of these teach to separate from HaShem and His Torah, which is a staple of Amalek, to get people to remove themselves from HaShem and thus destroy themselves.

Murder is running rampant whether through violence against each other or through abortion or more recently the murder of the elderly and disabled via COVID!

Finally, prohibited sexual relations! Good grief look how fast this debauchery is consuming the country with the abominable, filthy homosexual lifestyle and the insanity of transgenderism and the subsequent pride and arrogance that follows. The decrees from the highest office in the United States making these lifestyles something to embrace, welcome, celebrate and promote is such an offense against HaShem! The recent decree from the President to fly the homosexual rainbow flag at every single US embassy around the world in effect tells the world that America is a homosexual nation and a giant middle finger in the Face of HaShem! This is done knowing HaShem exists, but there is zero fear of Him! Another example of Amalek flourishing in America!

The point for this Op is that Amalek is rising in America very quickly and will culminate ultimately when HaShem destroys America (Babylon) via Jeremiah 50-51 in a sudden nuclear attack as HaShem brings in the enemies of America and without warning wipes Babylon/America off the map. This sudden destruction will give rise to the one who fully embodies the Amalek spirit i.e. the False Messiah, who is very cunning and devious and teaches the Torah is fulfilled and done away with, teaches the Feasts of HaShem are replaced by Christmas and Easter. Who teaches there is no such thing as unclean food anymore. Who teaches Shabbat can be any day of the week that is convenient for us and who teaches he, himself is G-d in the flesh and who has an intense, seething hatred for HaShem, His people Israel, His Torah and His Temple! Who am I referring too you ask? Consider the following picture:

This Purim, we read the Book of Esther and the account of how Haman, a descendant of Amalek, schemed to destroy Israel as well as read the portions from the Torah discussing what Amalek did to Israel. This same spirit has conspired throughout history and most recently with Hitler in the Holocaust, another picture of the False Messiah, who by the way also claimed to be a Christian and a follower of Replacement Theology Jesus Christ.

I will sum this Op with the hatred we feel for the corruption, the debauchery, the murder, the idolatry, the injustice and all the perversion is good and normal because we do belong to HaShem and per His Own Word, He is at war with Amalek and we are commanded to hate Amalek! But, we also have to understand this enemy is very cunning and devious and very oppressive, meaning unless HaShem intervenes very, very, very soon, His people will succumb and begin to assimilate to his schemes. I cite this because in the account of Lot and his family, HaShem had to act to not only save him and his family from the death threats, corruption, homosexuality, etc, but He had to act swiftly to prevent Lot from assimilating into to the culture under the pressures coming against him. Point is, the more empowered Amalek is in America, then perhaps the sooner HaShem will act to rescue out His Own! May it be so very, very, very soon in our days!

So much for all of us to consider in these very dark times!

Enjoy Purim!!

Shabbat Shalom!

SOURCE MATERIALS

• The Milstein Edition of the Chumash by Artscroll
• Tehillim by Artscroll
• The Book of the Mitzvot by Artscroll
• Tractate Sanhedrin Talmud Bavli by Steinsaltz
• Tractate Rosh HaShanah Talmud Bavli by Steinsalts
• The Book of Our Heritage by Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov
• The Scriptures by the Institute for Scripture Research