Friday 22 February 2013

Can One Fulfil the Mitzvah of Mechiyat Amalek by Converting Them?

Originally posted on Mar. 7/09
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There are two ways of fighting evil. One is by destroying the object that contains the evil. The other is by ridding the object of its evil thereby destroying the evil but maintaining the object. This is the question I pose concerning Amalek. Is the Torah command to physically destroy this nation for that is the only way to destroy this evil OR can this evil be destroyed by confronting it within the people, destroying specifically this evil and thereby still maintaing the people?

I addressed this issue in an article now posted on the Nishma website at http://www.nishma.org/articles/update/updatemarch92-choice.htm. You are invited to take a look at it and comment upon it here.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

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