May I just correct a very common misconception of this blog, as some people have been saying that you can have the mitzvah of “mechias amolek” today. Let’s not dwell on whether we actually could do it. The fact is that the gemoro says that today we do NOT know who amalek is. “Boh sancheriv ubilbel kol haolam kuloh”. Sancheriv (the Assyrian) came and mixed up (transferred populations) the whole world. Hence, TODAY, we do not know who is an amoleki and the mitzvah is moot. YOu will not be able to know who is an amoleki till Elijah Hanovi comes and tells us.
So this whole story about killing an amoleki is one of psychological support,but not one of actual veracity. I’d fall of my chair if I heard (authoritatively)that Rav Kanievski shelita said that this man was ACTUALLY an amoleki.