By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel
CHULA VISTA, California — Mark Twain’s purported remark, “History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes,” suggests that while historical events are not exact replicas of each other, they often have similarities or patterns that echo through time. This metaphorical statement implies that while specific circumstances, characters, and details may change, the underlying themes, lessons, or consequences of historical events can be remarkably similar.
As a case in point, take the ancient story of Amalek.
As the Israelites left Egypt, they encountered a belligerent people known as the Amalekites, who, as described in Deuteronomy 25:18, targeted the most vulnerable Israelites, striking from behind when they were weary, akin to modern-day terrorism. This savage attack scarred the memory of the Israelites, who found it difficult to understand: Why did the Amalekites attack them?
Historical trauma often lingers for centuries.
In the biblical narrative from the First Book of Samuel, Chapter 15, King Saul was commanded by God, through the prophet Samuel, to completely destroy the Amalekites, including all people and animals. This command was in retribution for the Amalekites’ attack on the Israelites. Saul led a successful battle against the Amalekites but disobeyed God’s command by sparing Agag, the Amalekite king, and the best livestock. Samuel rebuked Saul for his incomplete obedience, stating that God had rejected Saul as king for this failure.
The violent legacy of Amalek continued in the pages of the Bible.
In the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible, Haman, the main antagonist, is linked to the Amalekites through his identification as an Agagite, implying descent from Agag, the king of the Amalekites mentioned in the First Book of Samuel. This connection positions Haman as part of the ongoing enmity between the Amalekites and the Israelites. His plot to annihilate the Jewish people in the Persian Empire echoes the historical conflict between these groups. The story of Esther, which recounts Haman’s defeat and is celebrated during the Jewish festival of Purim, symbolizes the broader struggle between good and evil and the survival of the Jewish people against their adversaries throughout history.
Although the story of Amalek essentially disappears over the next two millennia, the rabbis in the Talmud grappled with the implications of this troubling biblical story. Many Jewish thinkers throughout our history asserted that “anyone whose avowed purpose is the destruction of the Jewish people becomes, by definition, Amalek.”[1]
Does this mean that Hitler was Amalek?
Does this mean that every German and Austrian who supported Hitler deserves to be wiped out because they are modern incarnation of Amalek?
But wait! One might argue that if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck!
There can be little doubt that Hitler certainly personified the murderous characteristics of Amalek—at least in a moral and spiritual sense.
Yet, our tradition teaches us, “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for one’s own crime shall a person be put to death (Deut. 24:16). Early rabbinical tradition applied this ethical biblical teaching to the children of all of ancient Israel’s traditional foes—including Amalek!
One Talmudic discussion may provide an alternative answer to genocide: “The descendants of Sisera studied Torah in Jerusalem; the descendants of Sennacherib taught Torah to the multitude: Who were these? — Shemaiah and Abtalion. The descendants of Haman studied Torah in B’nai Barak.”[2] Although Shemaiah and Abtalion were descendants of Amalek, they transmuted the evil that characterized their ancestors by embracing the ways of Torah. The Sages seem to suggest that the menace of Amalek can be destroyed through spiritual enlightenment—i.e., the power of light.
To some degree, we can see such a remarkable transformation in Germany today. German society has gone to great lengths to expunge the legacy and ideology of Hitler since the end of WWII.
One of the best-known Austrian-born, American actors is Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose father was a member of the Nazi Party. His encounters with Holocaust survivors and his visit to Auschwitz, emphasizing the importance of combating antisemitism and racism. Schwarzenegger has often related to others about the self-destructive nature of hatred, drawing from his experiences growing up in post-war Vienna. Visiting Auschwitz and looking at the discarded shoes helped him to imagine how he would have felt had he been walking in their shoes.[3] Indeed, many other children of Nazis not only rejected the evil ways of their fathers, but some have also even converted to Judaism![4]
But that is another story we shall turn to in the near future.
Let us now go to the present.
After the genocidal attack of Hamas and thousands of their fellow Palestinian butchered over 1200 Jews on October 7th, PM Benyamin Netanyahu likened Hamas to Amalek.[5]
Is it possible for the children of Palestinian terrorists to walk a similar path as Schwarzenegger did?
Absolutely yes!
Mosab Hassan Yousef, a former Israeli spy and son of Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, advocates for Israel to eliminate Hamas leaders, including his father, to halt “ethnic cleansing.” He opposes prisoner exchanges with Hamas, viewing it as emboldening the group, and highlights the global threat posed by Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization internationally. Yousef distinguishes between civilian casualties in Gaza and those affected by Hamas’s tactics, describing the latter as “war victims” used as human shields. He urges a firm stance against Hamas, framing the group’s actions as an escalating threat to global peace and stability.[6]
Interestingly, much of Mosab Hassan Yousef’s transformation may also have a lot to do with his personal conversion to Christianity. After moving to the United States, in a 2012 interview, Yousef shared his perspective on the mindset of the Palestinian people and the influence of Islam, which he views as deceptive. He hopes his insights will encourage prayers for those he believes are misled by Islam, wishing for their transition to Christianity.
There have been hundreds of former Palestinian terrorists who have rejected the genocidal theology of the Islamists, who not only threaten Israel and the peaceful people who want to live in peace with Israel. They are no less a threat to the rest of the Western and Middle Eastern world.
Let us pray that more Palestinians will dare to challenge the evil hegemony of Hamas and their supporters, so that the possibility of peace will someday become a reality in this tortured part of the world.
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NOTES
[1] R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Dr. Arnold Lustiger (ed.) Chumash Mesoras HaRav Sefer Bereshis: With commentary based on the writings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (New York: OU Press, 2013), p. 269.
[3] Arnold Schwarzenegger: ‘I was born to a father who was a Nazi’ – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)
[4] The sins of their fathers | Judaism | The Guardian
[5] Netanyahu compares Hamas to Amalek, rival of the Israelites | World News (christianpost.com)
[6] Son of Hamas Co-Founder Calls for Israel to Kill His Father Along With All Terror Group Chiefs in Gaza, Qatar – Algemeiner.com
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Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista. He may be contacted via michael.samuel@sdjewishworld.com