Who or what is Amalek?

METAHISTORIE.COM

Who or what is Amalek? dr. H. Dubbelman

Introduction

In previous installments, we wrote about angels of the nations and Amalek. These angels (Daniel 10) are opposed to Israel or are neutral toward Israel. History shows that there were and are angels of various nations that support Israel, such as the U.S. and, specifically after the Second World War, the European nations. In the present day, this is changing. Among these nations, there are those who are critical of Israel because of its actions in Gaza and the West Bank (1).

The angels of the nations are called unholy in Jewish tradition. However, they are not evil angels (Michael Schulman, Ask Noah). The area surrounding the modern states of Israel and Palestine is considered a holy nation (Wikipedia) (2).

Besides these nations, there is a power that wants to eradicate the existence of Israel. That is Amalek, which can act spiritually, materially, or in combination.

What does the angel or spirit of Amalek represent?

AskNoah.org

“Amalek came and fought against Israel in Refidim.” (Exodus 17:8)

“God wages war against Amalek from generation to generation.” (Exodus 17:15)

The Lubavitcher Rebbe (3) gave an explanation of these verses during the Russian Communist Revolution.

The Rebbe explains that Amalek is the spiritual source and root of the spiritual evil of the seven evil nations. These are the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Girgsites, Jebusites, and Rephaim [Genesis 15:20-21]. But Amalek itself is the most persistent of all evil forces. Amalek stands apart from those seven mentioned nations, because it contains no element of goodness. It is impossible for it to be saved by means of the divine service of humans. The “rectification” of the evil of Amalek is its complete eradication and destruction.

Amalek is the supreme force of evil, above all other evil forces. The Messiah will accomplish many tasks as soon as he is revealed to the world. One of his first and most important tasks will be to destroy the spiritual power of Amalek. May this happen quickly and in our time.

A limit to the existence of spiritual darkness

However, God has “set a limit to the darkness” [Job 28:3]. The time that this evil is allowed to exist has been determined, and when that time is over, the evil will be completely destroyed and eradicated, leaving no trace behind.

With the help of the Torah and faith in God, a person can recognize this power (Michael Schulman, AskNoah.org).

In summary

De nation of Amalek

Eliphaz, the son of Esau (Jacob's twin brother) and his concubine Timna had a child named Amalek. He grew up in Esau's house and gradually absorbed Esau's hatred of Jacob's descendants. His descendants formed the people of Amalek, who lived south of the land of Israel, in what is now known as the Negev Desert.

Amalek was an ancient Middle Eastern people with a deep-seated hatred of Israel. The Amalekites seized every opportunity to attack Jews, without any reason. There was no land conflict or provocation that caused this hatred. It was an intrinsic, pathological need to destroy God's people. Such hatred cannot be combated with diplomacy. There was no possibility of re-educating the Amalekites or adapting their school curricula. Their hatred was not learned; it was etched within them. As long as an Amalekite walked the earth, no Jew was safe. It was a matter of killing or being killed. A Jew had to take the order to kill Amalekites literally. His life depended on it.

Over time, the Amalekite people assimilated into the peoples around them. Their innate hatred weakened as their national identity disappeared, and the order to kill them became impossible to carry out. This was no coincidence. The God who wrote the Torah is also the Creator of history. He decided that the time had come for this order to no longer be obeyed literally. It was time for the Jewish people to move on.

In summary

The Spirit of Amalek is the oldest enemy of Israel. The Amalekites were the first people to attack Israel when they left Egypt for the Promised Land (Exodus 17:8 ff). Amalek was a grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12) who, according to the rabbis, inherited his grandfather's envy and hatred for his twin brother Jacob (Dr. Jürgen Bühler, ICEJ President, 3-11-2023).

Amalek appeared in another form

It is no longer a foreign nation, but an internal enemy. An Amalekite lurks within each of us. This inner Amalekite is unholy cynicism within each of us that mocks, belittles, and attacks truth and good. This is our irrational tendency to ridicule people who act morally, to be cynical about altruism, and to doubt our own or others' sincerity. These are the Amalekites of this age. They wage a deadly war with our soul. If we allow it, every attempt at self-improvement can be crushed, and every step towards character formation and self-expression can be stifled. Which ultimately leads to self-destruction.

Nations under the authority of unholy angels

The unholy angels of the nations believe that they are somewhat independent of God. This causes the people of the nations under their influence to have a tendency to honor and idolize the unholy qualities they represent. The spiritual power (or 'angel') of Amalek is naturally the most impure crown for all other forces on the side of unholiness (Michael Schulman, AskNoah.org).

When a physical person of their own free will chooses not to do what God expects of him or her, as revealed in His commandments and teachings in the Torah, that is called 'evil'. The very worst is when someone tries to prevent an entire population from following God's will.

Summary and conclusion

Note that the Torah says that God is at war with "Amalek" in every generation (Exodus 17:16). Originally, this referred to the wicked inhabitants, the people of Amalek. Until

the people disappeared. Since then, it refers to the bad character traits of Amalek internally and in nations of the world (Chabad.org).

The principal enemy of the Jewish people is the nation of Amalek. Regarding all [other] nations, the prophet says: “For then (when the Righteous Redeemer comes) I will ensure that they all speak a clear and simple language, so that they all call upon God’s name and serve Him.” When the Messiah comes, all other nations will be purified to a certain extent. Amalek, however, cannot be purified in the same way as other nations. He must be destroyed, wiped out, and swept away, and this is his fate.

In our time, resistance against Israel and Jews outside Israel is increasing. It concerns both a political and a spiritual conflict. Amalek spiritual powers infiltrate the angels of the nations and their inhabitants. Even though Amalek no longer exists as a people, this spirit could and can manifest itself later in nations up to the present time (Dov Stein, Chabad.org). A current example is the war between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel with the U.S. The regime's goal is to destroy Israel (www.state.gov. (2017:2021)).

Additionally, there is the role of the angel Samael. He has great power in the spiritual and material world. He influences many nations and their angels who oppose Israel. This indicates that he holds a higher rank in the angelic hierarchy (Dov Stein, Chabad.org). His power manifested itself when Rome became a world empire. He is also called the ruler of the world (The New Testament) (4).

Finally

Although there are now more than 70 nations, they remain within the framework of the 70 nations (Dov Stein, Chabad.org, July 2025). Within many branches of Judaism, there is a fundamental understanding that what happens in our material world is, in fact, a reflection of what is going on at an invisible spiritual level. Wars are fought on both levels.

It is up to you to reflect on this. Perhaps you are able to recognize these powers.

footnotes

(1) Besides the Netherlands, European countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain have also signed the declaration. Russia and the Arab League, which represents 22 Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa, also support the declaration. The United States is absent (Website NOS, 18,2, 2025) en Amnesty Internaional (2024)).

(2) Researchers believe that the concept of a sanctified land implies that it is the 'earthly dwelling place of the God of Israel'. The city of Jerusalem serves as the connection between earthly reality and the spiritual world.

(3) MMenachem Mendel Schneerson lived from April 5, 1902, to June 12, 1994. He was known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or simply as the Rebbe. He was born in the Russian Empire, in Rostov. He emigrated to America and became an American Orthodox Jewish rabbi and also the last rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. He is considered one of the most influential Jewish leaders of the twentieth century.

(4) According to the book Pirke, Rabbi Eliezer, Samael was a high archangel (prince) in heaven. He rebelled against God and was removed from the highest heaven. That is the level of the angels of the nations. But Samael (Satan) was not completely banished from the spiritual realms, for he still appears before God in the spiritual heavenly court to accuse sinners.