Devar/5769/Balak
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And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said: Amalek was the first of the nations; but his end shall come to destruction. (Num 24:20)
In what sense is Amalek "first of the nations"? After all, Amalek was the son of Esau (Edom) -- therefore he wasn't the first nor the second nation. But when the Children of Israel left Egypt, when they had just been born as a nation, Amalek attacked them: Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim (Ex 17:8). Amalek was the "first of the nations" who dared attack the Children of Israel after their salvation from Egypt.
But their being first in evil will not help them in the end of days. As Bilam says: "but his end shall come to destruction" -- that is, they will not survive at all. It is true that "Haman son of Hamdatta the Agagite" and his sons were killed (see the book of Esther) -- but our Sages of blessed memory say that "they learned Torah from the grandchildren of Haman in Bnei Brak" (see Babli Gittin 57b), and from this perhaps one may conclude there are still Amalekites even today.
But in truth, there are no Amalekites today, as the Rambam explains: When Sancheriv king of Assyria took power, he confused all the nations and mixed them up, and exiled them from one place to another. And those Egyptians who are in Egypt today, are different (from the ancient Egyptians)… (Laws of Forbidden Relations 12:19). And even were we to say that Haman's grandchildren learned Torah in Bnei Brak -- in fact they abandoned the evil ways of their forefathers and clove to God and His people Israel, so Amalek indeed has perished from the earth as Bilam prophesied.
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