Q&A: Jewish Law and Morality, Amalek
Jewish Law and Morality, Amalek
Question
On Daniel Doshi’s podcast, he asked you why a God who is absolute good would want the destruction of an entire people. You explained that since this is a people that is wholly evil, that is exactly what you would expect a good God to command.
On the other hand, elsewhere you explain that although most approaches in Judaism try to explain that Jewish law is moral, you treat Jewish law and morality as two completely separate categories. That is, as you argued here https://youtube.com/shorts/BSTlryF7q2Y?si=_pXsUMlBU7IgkfCF, destroying Amalek is not moral, but there is such a halakhic command, and so we weigh the halakhic command against morality.
Isn’t there a contradiction between those two claims?
Answer
No. I explained there on several levels: 1. It is moral, and therefore the question does not arise. 2. Even if it does arise, there may be tension between a halakhic command and moral values. 3. The value of life and justice, according to which one does not kill people without justification, is not only a moral principle but also a halakhic principle.