This article may be foolhardy. But I can’t help it. It is always dangerous to write about important things that are changing by the moment. Many of us found out on Shabbos — as our shul did from a gentile security guard — that the war had begun. We said Tehillim, went out to recite Kiddush Levanah and went home to prepare for Purim. However, I did have enough time to share a maamar at seudah shlishis from my rebbi, Rav Yitzchok Hutner, which seemed to resonate and perhaps even predicted the amazing events that had occurred on Shabbos. It seemed that the United States and Israel, in a coordinated attack, had killed the once-feared Ayatollah Khamenei and numerous other leaders of the regime. The Supreme Leader had threatened incessantly to destroy Eretz Yisroel and murder all the Jews. Like Haman, he is no more.

It may be that this Purim and Shushan Purim neis was presaged by the rosh yeshiva (Pachad Yitzchok, Purim, inyan 15, page 59). The rosh yeshiva cites a Yerushalmi (Megillah 1:1) that “in order to bestow honor upon Eretz Yisroel, the sages ordained the day of Shushan Purim for cities that were surrounded by a wall from the days of Yehoshua ben Nun.” The famous question is that since Shushan itself didn’t have such a wall, how does another day of Purim bring kavod to Eretz Yisroel?

The rosh yeshiva’s answer is to examine two wars between Klal Yisroel and Amaleik. In the first one, during the time of Moshe Rabbeinu, it was Amaleik who attacked us suddenly without any provocation whatsoever (Shemos 17:8). In the second, during the days of Shaul Hamelech, we attacked Amaleik first (Shmuel 1:15:2-9). Rav Hutner continues: “Since the Yom Tov of Purim represents our long-standing struggle with Amaleik, it was ineluctable that it would include both modes of this conflict. Therefore, Purim was divided into two days. First, there was the 14th of Adar, when they attacked us with the decree of genocide. Then, when Hashem performed a miracle and brought us to relief and tranquility, we asked for another day to wreak vengeance upon our enemy, even though the immediate danger had already ended.”

Indeed, the 14th of Adar corresponds to when we were “on the road,” and the 15th when “Hashem your G-d gives you rest from all your enemies” (Devorim 25:19), which resonates with the time in Megillas Esther (9:13, 16) described as “gaining relief from their foes.” At that point, we were not escaping or afraid. We were taking vengeance upon those who were totally committed to our destruction. The obligation to wage war upon Amaleik begins with the Yehoshua’s conquering of Eretz Yisroel. This was the first of our mitzvos as a nation upon entering the Land (Sanhedrin 20b). The honor of Eretz Yisroel requires the eradication of Amaleik. This explains the ruling of the Yerushalmi that the day of Shushan Purim was enacted to grant honor to Eretz Yisroel.” The idea of a walled city simply makes the connection between this day and Eretz Yisroel.

We can now draw a direct line between the two days and modes of warfare in ancient Shushan and recent events. On February 11, 1979, after the Shah fled Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran and proclaimed the Islamic Republic of Iran. Soon after, prominent Jews were arrested and the new regime became the largest purveyor of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel threats, becoming the main sponsor of world terrorism. Threats to annihilate Israel and Jews proliferated and various forms of intifada and other venues to murder Jews abounded. We sometimes responded and sometimes did not. However, this time, together with the United States, we went to do battle against radical Islam in this latest incarnation. Is there a connection? I don’t claim to know for sure, but it surely warrants some more analysis.

The first obvious question is: What does all this have to do with Amaleik? Surely, according to our own sources, the Arabs and recent Islamic groups hail from Yishmoel, not Eisav, who is the progenitor of Amaleik.

The answer was actually given by Rav Hutner himself in a shiur and later article, which I had the privilege of translating for publication (“Holocaust: A Rosh Yeshiva’s Response” in A Path Through the Ashes,” ArtScroll, 1986, page 51). For a bit of context, the rosh yeshiva was discussing the connection between the anti-Semitism of the Nazis and that of the Mufti of Yerushalayim, Haj Amin el-Husseini. Rav Hutner identifies the origin of this seemingly strange alliance as the posuk (Bereishis 28:9) which states, “And Eisav went unto Yishmoel and took Machlas the daughter of Yishmoel…for a wife.” The rosh yeshiva invoked the rule of maaseh avos siman labonim — the actions of the patriarchs are a sign of what would happen later to the children. “We learn from this passage,” the rosh yeshiva continued, “that it was inevitable for the forces of Eisav and Yishmoel to combine. We are now living in the midst of that pivotal moment in Jewish history.”

I would like to stress that the rosh yeshiva read each word of the English manuscript carefully, made changes and approved the final result. Of course, I unfortunately have no idea if he would have extended his approbation to this connection to Purim, Shushan Purim and the war with Iran. But one thing is clear. The current battle with Iran is not at all with Persia, ancient or modern. It is with the descendents of Yishmoel who seized control of the country and inflicted their enmity upon us and indeed upon most of the Western world. Are they Amaleik? I don’t know, but they are certainly the philosophic and spiritual heirs of Eisav at his worst. That would certainly seem to be Amaleik.

Since we just heard Parshas Zachor and celebrated Purim and Shushan Purim, let’s broaden the issue a bit more. The Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel (end of Parshas Ki Seitzei) states that “You must remember to eradicate Amaleik from under the heavens, and not forget even in the days of Moshiach.” This coincides well with the teaching of Rabbeinu Bachya (also end of Ki Seitzei) that we will succeed in eradicating Amaleik in the days of Moshiach. It seems from the Ramban on those pesukim as well that since there will no longer be an Amaleik in the world, the mitzvah to remember him will no longer exist. The Birkas Avrohom (end of Maseches Megillah) also quotes from the Brisker Rov that this will be the case. However, others (see discussion in Peninim M’bei Medrasha, Purim, page 428) quote the exact opposite, that in the world of Moshiach we will still have to worry that some Amaleikim who appeared to repent might return to their evil ways. Indeed, the Meleches Shlomo (on Mishnayos Megillah 3:4) suggests that even during those best of times to come, we will have to recall how Amaleik attacked us when we had become weakened in Torah so that we would never again fall into that trap.

With this concept, Rav Yisroel Yaakov Fisher (Even Yisroel on Devorim, page 176) explains the pesukim in Sefer Shmuel cited above. The novi Shmuel had exhorted Shaul that Hashem said, “I have remembered what Amaleik did to Yisroel… Now go and strike down Amaleik.” Rav Fisher asks: Why did Hashem have to mention remembering what Amaleik did? He answers that Shmuel wanted to fulfill the mitzvah of remembering what Amaleik did to us, but he feared that since Shaul was supposed to completely annihilate Amaleik, the mitzvah would soon be obsolete. He therefore wanted to perform the mitzvah while it was still possible. We see that there are varying opinions as to whether or not we will have to remember the evil of Amaleik in the World to Come. Perhaps we can add that even when we are in the process and have the ability to rid the world of Amaleik, we will first have to determine where and who they are, because their identity may have changed over the centuries and millennia.

Rav Yechezkel Levenstein (Ohr Yechezkel, “Torah Vadaas,” page 306) adds a fascinating comment to this subject. In an essay discussing the prohibition to try to “second-guess” Hashem, he cites the mistake made by King Shaul. Hashem had told him to eliminate anything to do with Amaleik, including the cattle, but he didn’t do so. His logic was that Hashem had done so many miracles for Klal Yisroel and they would want to offer korbanos to thank Hashem. Therefore, he thought, he will save some of the animals so the mitzvah of thanking Hashem could be done properly. However, as Rav Chatzkel teaches, we can never understand the true reasons for anything Hashem says or does. Our role is simply to obey. In this, the great Shaul Hamelech failed in his mandate and was punished severely, forever losing his royalty.

It is clear that dealing with Amaleik is always fraught with colossal difficulties. Apparently, even just knowing who they are and what to do about them is hard enough. Even after we have figured something out, new issues arise because after all, they are our mortal enemies and have often outsmarted us. May Hashem send us the wisdom, knowledge and siyata diShmaya to do what is right and take care of us at the same time. May Hashem guide us through this test and protect us with the coming of the geulah sheleimah bemeheirah beyomeinu. Amein.