Hamas in the Torah and in the Hamas Charter

by R. Eliezer Simcha Weisz

“Peace solutions, initiatives, and international conferences to resolve the Palestinian problem are contrary to the beliefs of the Islamic Resistance Movement.” (Hamas Charter, Article 13)

In Parashas Noach, the word ḥamas (H-A-M-A-S) appears in the Torah for the very first time:

“וַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹקים, וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָס”

“And the earth had become corrupt before G-d, and the earth was filled with violence (ḥamas – H-A-M-A-S).” (Bereishis 6:11)

Rashi explains that the generation of the Flood was sealed for judgment because of gezel—theft—the destruction of honesty and trust between man and his fellow. Yet the word ḥamas in Tanach carries a far broader meaning: it expresses cruelty, violence, and moral corruption.

In Tehillim (7:16–17), King David declares:

“בּוֹר כָּרָה וַיַּחְפְּרֵהוּ, וַיִּפֹּל בְּשַׁחַת יִפְעָל
יָשׁוּב עֲמָלוֹ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ, וְעַל קָדְקֳדוֹ חָמָסוֹ יֵרֵד”

“He dug a pit and hollowed it out, and fell into the pit he made.
His mischief will return upon his own head, and his violence (ḥamas – H-A-M-A-S) will descend upon his crown.”

And in Tehillim (11:5):

“ה’ צַדִּיק יִבְחָן, וְרָשָׁע וְאֹהֵב חָמָס שָׂנְאָה נַפְשׁוֹ”

“Hashem examines the righteous, but His soul despises the wicked and the lover of violence (ḥamas – H-A-M-A-S).”

And again in Tehillim (18:49):

“וּמְפַלְּטֵנִי מֵאֹיְבָי, אַף מִן קָמַי תְּרוֹמְמֵנִי; מֵאִישׁ חֲמָסִים תַּצִּילֵנִי”

“And You rescue me from my enemies; indeed, from those who rise against me You raise me high; from a man of violence (ḥamas – H-A-M-A-S) You deliver me.”

An ish ḥamasim—a man of violence—is a ruthless, merciless person who sees brutality as a legitimate means to achieve his aims.

When we bring all these pesukim together, a clear picture emerges: ḥamas (H-A-M-A-S) is not merely theft or wrongdoing, but the complete corruption of human character—an empire of cruelty and violence that fills the earth and drives away the Divine Presence. It is the very opposite of peace, truth, and justice. And when the world becomes filled with ḥamas (H-A-M-A-S), the Torah tells us:

“קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי, כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס מִפְּנֵיהֶם; וְהִנְנִי מַשְׁחִיתָם אֶת הָאָרֶץ”

“The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence (ḥamas – H-A-M-A-S) because of them; and behold, I will destroy them from the earth.” (Bereishis 6:13)

All the descriptions of ḥamas—theft, cruelty, brutality, and moral decay—form one image of a society ruined from within, corrupt and bereft of yiras Shamayim.

It is both astonishing and chilling that this very name—Hamas—was chosen by the terrorist organization that calls itself the “Islamic Resistance Movement.” Its official charter, issued in 1988, overflows with calls for bloodshed and destruction:

“Jihad is its path.” (Article 8)
“There is no solution to the Palestinian problem except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals, and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain pursuits.” (Article 13)
“You are stronger than they are, because of the terror which Allah has cast into their hearts.” (Article 14)

The term jihad, according to Hamas’s own writings, means a “holy war”—a struggle of violence and blood to impose their creed and annihilate Israel. In their worldview, war is not a last resort but a religious duty. Agreements, negotiations, and ceasefires are only temporary tactics, devoid of sincerity, meant to be used until the opportune time to betray them arrives.

Therefore, as long as Hamas exists, there is no basis for trust in any agreement with them. Every pact is signed with the premeditated intent to break it. They do not keep a covenant but use it as a means to gain advantage until it can be discarded. We must not deceive ourselves—and we must not allow them to deceive us.

Deception is not merely a political act—it is a sin. The Torah commands:

“מִדְּבַר שֶׁקֶר תִּרְחָק”

“Distance yourself from falsehood.” (Shemos 23:7)

The Ramban explains that we are enjoined to keep far from anything that carries even a trace of deceit, for truth is the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He.

The Chafetz Chaim (Shemiras HaLashon, Sha’ar HaTevunah) warns that one who deceives himself is in even greater danger than one who deceives others, for he blinds his own conscience and closes the path to teshuvah.

We must therefore open our eyes to reality. The Torah has already shown us what ḥamas (H-A-M-A-S) is—cruelty, violence, and moral corruption. The Nevi’im cried out against it, and David HaMelech pleaded to be saved from it. The name Hamas, chosen in our times, is nothing less than a tragic reflection of those same dark forces that filled the earth before the Flood.

We must not deceive ourselves, nor allow them to deceive us. We can place no faith in the promises of men of violence, but only in Hashem. We must daven that He rescue us from our enemies and redeem us from men of ḥamas (H-A-M-A-S). With this awareness—he who is forewarned is prepared—we must remain alert and resolute, not lax or passive in protecting ourselves.

May we merit to see with our own eyes how HaKadosh Baruch Hu guards His people Israel, brings peace to our Land, and fills the world not with ḥamas—but with chesed and emes.