To blot out his seed from the world: That we were commanded to blot out the seed of Amalek and to destroy his memory from the world — male and female, old and young. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 25:19), “you shall blot out the memory (zekher) of Amalek” — as all are included in “the memory.” And a great man of the generation (gadol hador) already erred in the vocalization of this word — and that was Yoav ben Tseruyah — and he left over the females from them. As many were those that did not pay careful attention when they learned this verse and Yoav jumbled [it] and read “male” (zakhar) instead of “memory” (zekher), as it comes [down] in Bava Batra 21b in the chapter [entitled] Lo Yachpor.
And this is from the commandments that are incumbent upon the entire community; and like the matter that they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sanhedrin 20b), “Three commandments were commanded to Israel at the time of their entrance to the Land: to appoint themselves a king; to build themselves the Choice House (the Temple); and to cut off the seed of Amalek.” And in truth it is that the obligation to kill them and destroy them from the world is also incumbent upon every male individual from Israel — if they have the power in their hands — in every place and at all times, if he finds one from all of their seed. And one who transgresses this and one from the seed of Amalek [chances upon] him — and he has the wherewithal in his hand to kill him — and he does not kill him, he has violated this positive commandment.
לִמְחוֹת זַרְעוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם – שֶׁנִּצְטַוִּינוּ לִמְחוֹת זַרְעוֹ שֶׁל עֲמָלֵק וּלְאַבֵּד זִכְרוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם, זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, גָּדוֹל וְקָטָן, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים כה יט) "תִּמְחֶה אֶת זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק", שֶׁבִּכְלַל זֵכֶר הוּא הַכֹּל. וּכְבָר טָעָה בְּנִקּוּד תֵּבָה זוֹ גְּדוֹל הַדּוֹר, וְהוּא יוֹאָב בֶּן צְרוּיָה, וְהִשְׁאִיר מֵהֶם הַנְּקֵבוֹת, לְפִי שֶׁרַבּוֹ לֹא הִשְׁגִּיחַ יָפֶה עָלָיו כְּשֶׁלִּמְּדוֹ מִקְרָא זֶה וְנִשְׁתַּבֵּשׁ יוֹאָב וְקָרָא זָכָר בִּמְקוֹם זֵכֶר כְּמוֹ שֶׁבָּא בְּבָבָא בָּתְרָא פֶּרֶק לֹא יַחְפֹּר (כא, ב).
To blot out his seed from the world: That we were commanded to blot out the seed of Amalek and to destroy his memory from the world — male and female, old and young. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 25:19), “you shall blot out the memory (zekher) of Amalek” — as all are included in “the memory.” And a great man of the generation (gadol hador) already erred in the vocalization of this word — and that was Yoav ben Tseruyah — and he left over the females from them. As many were those that did not pay careful attention when they learned this verse and Yoav jumbled [it] and read “male” (zakhar) instead of “memory” (zekher), as it comes [down] in Bava Batra 21b in the chapter [entitled] Lo Yachpor.
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. הָעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ בַּמִּצְוָה הַקּוֹדֶמֶת לָהּ.
The matter that we wrote in the commandment that precedes it is from the roots of the commandment.
דִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. קְצָרִים, וְהֵם מְבֹאָרִים בְּפֶרֶק שְׁמִינִי מִסּוֹטָה.
The laws of the commandment are short and they are elucidated in the eighth chapter of Sotah.
וְזֹאת מִן הַמִּצְוֹת הַמּוּטָלוֹת עַל הַצִּבּוּר כֻּלָּן, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סנהדרין כ, ב), שָׁלֹשׁ מִצְוֹת נִצְטַוּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁעַת כְּנִיסָתָן לָאָרֶץ, לְמַנּוֹת לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ, וְלִבְנוֹת לָהֶם בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה, וּלְהַכְרִית זֶרַע עֲמָלֵק. וּבֶאֱמֶת כִּי גַּם עַל כָּל יָחִיד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל הַזְּכָרִים מוּטָל הַחִיּוּב לְהָרְגָם וּלְאַבְּדָם מִן הָעוֹלָם, אִם יֵשׁ כֹּחַ בְּיָדָם בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן, אִם יִמָּצֵא אֶחָד מִכָּל זַרְעָם. וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וּבָא לְיָדוֹ אֶחָד מִזֶּרַע עֲמָלֵק וְיֵשׁ סִפֵּק בְּיָדוֹ לְהָרְגוֹ וְלֹא הֲרָגוֹ, בִּטֵּל עֲשֵׂה זֶה.
And this is from the commandments that are incumbent upon the entire community; and like the matter that they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sanhedrin 20b), “Three commandments were commanded to Israel at the time of their entrance to the Land: to appoint themselves a king; to build themselves the Choice House (the Temple); and to cut off the seed of Amalek.” And in truth it is that the obligation to kill them and destroy them from the world is also incumbent upon every male individual from Israel — if they have the power in their hands — in every place and at all times, if he finds one from all of their seed. And one who transgresses this and one from the seed of Amalek [chances upon] him — and he has the wherewithal in his hand to kill him — and he does not kill him, he has violated this positive commandment.