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How can the Torah (תורה) command us to destroy Amalek when the entire world recognizes genocide as a crime against humanity? Rabbi Zweig develops the principle that a nation bent on total self-destruction to harm others forfeits its place in the brotherhood of nations. When a people cannot be deterred because they have no self-preservation instinct, eradication becomes morally justified.
This shiur addresses a fundamental question about the Torah (תורה)'s command to destroy Amalek in light of modern concepts of genocide and crimes against humanity. Rabbi Zweig begins by referencing the Nuremberg trials, where the Allies established that genocide is such a fundamental crime that individuals should have refused to follow government orders to commit it. This creates a compelling question: if genocide is universally recognized as a crime against humanity that transcends positive law, how can the Torah command us to destroy Amalek? The shiur establishes a crucial principle based on Rashi (רש"י)'s comment on the first verse of Bereishis. When the nations accuse the Jewish people of stealing Eretz Yisrael, the answer cannot simply be 'Hashem (ה׳) told us to do it.' The Torah doesn't make immoral acts moral simply by divine command. Rather, Hashem never commands anything that is inherently immoral - there must be a legitimate moral justification.
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Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Ki Seitzei - Devarim 25:17-19
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