The closing words of this paragraph “from beneath the heaven” is enigmatic. Is it not obvious that Amalek’s name will be erased from “beneath the heaven”? Is there any other place which is not “beneath the heaven”? Perhaps we may suggest the following homiletic exposition. We live in a period during which the cultures which comprise civilization have reached previously unimagined heights of wisdom. Modern man has become enlightened in all areas of science, medicine, and the humanities. It would seem that such heinous evil as the Amalakim were capable of executing was forever gone. The dark ages of humanity when virulent evil was commonplace would be presumably banished by super intellect.
Suddenly this reverie has been tragically shattered with the birth of a new form of evil. This intelligent breed of human vermin represents a strain of evil so sinister that its perpetrators were capable of executing the most awful atrocities against mankind in general and the Jewish people in particular. These acts have shocked the world and taught us a powerful lesson. The destruction of Amalek can only be achieved “beneath the heavens”; it can be temporarily relaxed. Amalek remains an ominous presence in the heavens, however, where he can descend to become reactivated. The specter of Amalek hangs forever over us in the heavens, threatening reentry into our lives whenever we carelessly forget Hashem, our G-d.
