QUESTION
Why was the Amaleki nation worthy to have geirim as their descendants? The Gemara (Gittin 57b) says that the descendants of Haman converted and learned in the yeshivos.
ANSWER
And the answer is Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants to demonstrate the inherent greatness in human beings. ׁ̆יƒ‡ ב∆ל¿ב הָˆ≈ﬠ יםƒֻּ̃מֲﬠ םƒיַמ – There are deep waters of counsel and wisdom in every man’s heart. Every human being is capable of endless greatness. When Hakadosh Baruch Hu breathed into humans His breath, the breath of life, the soul, He breathed from Himself which means that endless nobility and wisdom were breathed into the human breast by Hashem. It’s waiting there. It’s waiting to be drawn out.
And even Haman, had he become a baal teshuvah, he could have become a rosh yeshivah. Imagine! Haman becoming a rosh yeshivah. He could have become a tzaddik hador. Everybody up to a certain stage has free will. Haman probably was deprived of his free will after he passed a certain point but his grandchildren, his great grandchildren, weren’t deprived.
Now, although had our nation been able to fulfill the command to wipe out the Amalekim, then nobody would have remained to become geirei tzedek and that would have been alright too because Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave that sentence that they should wipe them out. But since they didn’t do so, those who survived still have a chance.
Same thing with the Germans. If a German becomes a ger tzedek and he acts according to the Torah, so we have the greatest respect for him. And he could become a gadol baTorah. I know such a case. A son of a German ger who was a tzaddik gamur. Because every man possesses endless greatness within his capabilities. April 1982
