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Subject: A Study of Purim - Part I
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 17:01:36 -0800
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From: Greg Killian
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: A Study of Purim - Part I

From the Website:

http://24.130.12.78/greg/purim.html

A STUDY OF PURIM - PART I

The Baal Shem Tov teaches that the name, the Hebrew name, of an
object, is the vehicle through which the G-dly life force inhabits the
object. When Adam named all of the animals, he gave them their name
based on the nature of the animal. The name of every object's essence
is expressed by the Hebrew name of the object. Tonight I would like to
investigate why we call the feast that falls on Adar 14, Purim.

The names of all of the Biblical, and rabbinic, holidays express
either some positive aspect of the holiday or at least a neutral
dimension of the holiday:

Pesach / Hag HaMtzah

Passover / Feast of Unleavened Bread
The day when G-d "Passed over" our
houses and commanded us to eat
unleavened bread because we left so
fast that our bread did not have time
to rise.

Hag Shavuot
Feast of Weeks
The date is determined by counting
seven weeks from Passover.

Rosh HaShanah
Head of the Year
The Head of the Year. The Talmud says
that how we act on this day
determines what will happen to us for
the rest of the year.

Yom HaKippurim
The Day of The Atonements
The name describes a day of cleansing
for G-d's people.

Hag HaSuccoth
The Feast of Tabernacles
The name describes the mitzva of
living in a succah, a temporary
dwelling.

Chanukah
The Feast of Dedication
The Feast of the "Dedication" of the
altar.

Purim
The Feast of Lots
The name does not make any sense!!!
"Lots"?? "Lots" is the method which
the villain used to determine the day
to destroy all of G-d's people. And
this destruction never took place.

Because we can see that the names of the other festivals describes the
essence of the festival, we can assume that Purim / Lots must describe
the essence of this festival. Lets examine the story of Esther and
look at the issues.

The first half of the first chapter seems to be superfluous. It starts
off by telling us, briefly, that Achashverosh gave a six month feats
for the nobles. It does not tell us what happened at this feast. Then
it describes a feast that lasted seven days and was given for everyone
in Susa:

Esther 1:1-8 This is what happened during the time of Achashverosh ,
the Achashverosh who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to
Cush: At that time King Achashverosh reigned from his royal throne
in the citadel of Susa, And in the third year of his reign he gave a
banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of
Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were
present. For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his
kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. When these days
were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the
enclosed garden of the king's palace, for all the people from the
least to the greatest, who were in the citadel of Susa. The garden had
hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen
and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were
couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble,
mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. Wine was served in goblets
of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was
abundant, in keeping with the king's liberality. By the king's
command each guest was allowed to drink in his own way, for the king
instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.

Achashverosh holds an elaborate 6-month feast for all his officers and
subjects in the capital city, Shushan (1:5). Why the celebration?
Because the prophet Jeremiah had reported in G-d's name that following
the destruction of the First Temple, the Jews would stay in exile for
70 years (Jeremiah 29:10). According to Achashverosh's calculations,
the 70 years had expired, meaning that the Jews - and G-d Almighty
Himself - had suffered a permanent, irretractable defeat. (It turns
out that Achashverosh had miscalculated the 70 years. He thought that
it began with the exile of the first Jews. In reality, Jeremiah's
prophecy was figured from the time of the destruction of the Temple -
some two years later. In fact, the exile did end, as prophesied, after
70 years!)

At the feast, Achashverosh demonstrated his disdain for G-d and the
Jews by actually wearing the special clothes of the Jewish High Priest
(Kohen Gadol) and by displaying the Temple vessels (see 1:14). The
entire purpose of this feast was thumbing his nose at Jewish holy
objects and, in effect, celebrating the end of the Jewish People.

So, who went to this party where Vashti ends up dead? Were there any
Jews there? Somehow this first half of chapter one does not seem
necessary, yet it plays a crucial role in understanding the rest of
Esther. Since G-d is in control even while He is concealed in this
story, we can assume that the decree to destroy the Jews, which was
advanced by Haman, was something that G-d allowed. The question is:
What did the Jews do to deserve this awful decree? The Talmud sheds
some light on this:

Talmud - Mas. Megilah 12a R. Simon b. Yohai was asked by his
disciples, Why were the enemies of Israel[1] in that generation
deserving of extermination? He said to them: Do you answer. They said:
Because they partook of the feast of that wicked one.[2] [He said to
them]: If so, those in Susa should have been killed, not those in
other parts?[3] They then said, Give your answer. He said to them: It
was because they bowed down to the image.[4] They said to him, Did G-d
then show them favoritism?[5] He replied: They only pretended to
worship,[6] and He also only pretended to exterminate them; and so it
is written, For he afflicted not from his heart.[7] In the court of
the garden of the king's palace.[8] Rab and Samuel gave different
interpretations of this - One said that those who had the entree[9] of
the court were [entertained] in the court, and those who had the
entree of the garden in the garden, and those who had the entree of
the palace in the palace. The other said: He first put them in the
court, and it did not hold them - Then he took them into the garden
and it did not hold them; and finally he had to take them into the
palace, and he found room for them. In a Baraitha it was taught: He
took them into the court and opened two doors for them, one into the
garden and one into the palace.

So, the Jews, of Shushan, derived pleasure from the wicked king's
party, which they probably had to go to, and the other Jews, in
captivity, derived pleasure from the fact that the Shushan Jews had
pleasure. So why is this worthy of Haman's decree? Why did they have
pleasure? Because even as exiles, they were elevated to the point of
getting an invitation to the kings party! This king was king over the
whole world and he had invited the Jews to his party. No wonder the
Jews derived pleasure from the king's party! The Jews, then, were
defining their existence according to the laws of nature, according to
logic. It is important to recognize this in order to understand the
rest of the story. G-d is going to deal with the Jews measure for
measure according to their sins. Since they followed natural law, G-d
was going to let them be buffeted by natural law. Natural law
indicates that Jews do not deserve to exist, therefore Haman's decree
merely repaid the Jews measure for measure.

At the this time in history, G-d's people were never more secure,
according to the laws of nature. Mordechai was a high government
minister, Esther was about to become queen, and the children of Israel
had been elevated in status to the point that they were now being
invited to the king's palace for a party. G-d had prepared the cure
before He allowed the disease to afflict His people.

When G-d gives measure for measure, then people always get their 'just
desserts'. Consider Vashti:

Esther 1:10-22 On the seventh day, when King Achashverosh was in
high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served
him--Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas--
To bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to
display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to
look at. But when the attendants delivered the king's command, Queen
Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with
anger. Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in
matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood
the times And were closest to the king--Carshena, Shethar, Admatha,
Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven nobles of Persia and
Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the
kingdom. "According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?" he
asked. "She has not obeyed the command of King Achashverosh that the
eunuchs have taken to her." Then Memucan replied in the presence of
the king and the nobles, "Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only
against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of
all the provinces of King Achashverosh . For the queen's conduct will
become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands
and say, 'King Achashverosh commanded Queen Vashti to be brought
before him, but she would not come.' This very day the Persian and
Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen's conduct
will respond to all the king's nobles in the same way. There will be
no end of disrespect and discord. "Therefore, if it pleases the
king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws
of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never
again to enter the presence of King Achashverosh . Also let the king
give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. Then
when the king's edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all
the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the
greatest." The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so
the king did as Memucan proposed. He sent dispatches to all parts of
the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in
its own language, proclaiming in each people's tongue that every man
should be ruler over his own household.

At first glance it appears as though the lecherous king has made a
wicked request of an innocent woman. If we consider 'who' and 'what'
Vasti was, we might think a little differently. Vashti was the
granddaughter of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. Just as
Nebuchadnezzar was very wicked, so was his daughter. Vasti was just
like her father. Vashti used to enslave Jewish women and make them
work on Shabbat. G-d has repaid her measure for measure.

The next part of our story concerns a beauty contest. We can assume
that most of the empire's eligible women wanted to be queen. If you
are an observant Jew, the last thing that you wanted was to be made
the queen of a pagan idol worshipper. Being Achashverosh queen was
the last thing that Esther wanted. Yet, that is exactly what G-d
allowed because it is the nature of lecherous kings to want the most
beautiful of women:

Esther 2:1-17 Later when the anger of King Achashverosh had
subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had
decreed about her. Then the king's personal attendants proposed, "Let
a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. Let the
king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring
all these beautiful girls into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let
them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in
charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them.
Then let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti."
This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it. Now there was
in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai
son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, Who had been
carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,
among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. Mordecai
had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had
neither father nor mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther,
was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his
own daughter when her father and mother died. When the king's order
and edict had been proclaimed, many girls were brought to the citadel
of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the
king's palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem.
The girl pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her
with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven
maids selected from the king's palace and moved her and her maids into
the best place in the harem. Esther had not revealed her nationality
and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.
Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to
find out how Esther was and what was happening to her. Before a
girl's turn came to go in to King Achashverosh , she had to complete
twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six
months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. And
this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given
her to take with her from the harem to return to another part of the
harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of
the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased
with her and summoned her by name. When the turn came for Esther
(the girl Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to
go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the
king's eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther
won the favor of everyone who saw her. She was taken to King
Achashverosh in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of
Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Now the king was attracted
to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor
and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal
crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Natural law had taken its course. What Esther least wanted, that is
what she got. Mordechai was a descendant of King Saul (a son of Kish)
and that makes Esther also of royal blood. Natural law dictates that
those of royal blood should be king and queen. The Talmud explains:

Talmud - Mas. Megilah 12b There was a certain Jew in Shushan the
castle, etc. a Benjamite.[10] What is the point of this verse? If it
is to give the pedigree of Mordecai, it should trace it right back to
Benjamin![11] [Why then were only these specified?] - A Tanna taught:
All of them are designations [of Mordecai]. `The son of Jair' means,
the son who enlightened [he'ir] the eyes of Israel by his prayer. `The
son of Shimei means, the son to whose prayer G-d hearkened [shama'].
`The son of Kish' indicates that he knocked [hikkish] at the gates of
mercy and they were opened to him. He is called `a Jew' [yehudi] which
implies that he came from [the tribe of] Judah, and he is called `a
Benjamite', which implies that he came from Benjamin. [How is this]? -
R. Nahman said: He was a man of distinguished character.[12] Rabbah b.
Bar Hanah said in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: His father was from
Benjamin and his mother from Judah. The Rabbis, however, said: The
tribes competed with one another [for him]. The tribe of Judah said: I
am responsible for the birth of Mordecai, because David did not kill
Shimei the son of Gera, and the tribe of Benjamin said: He is actually
descended from me. Raba said: The community of Israel explained [the
two designations] in the opposite[13] sense: `See what a Judean did to
me and how a Benjamite repaid me!' What a Judean did to me viz., that
David did not kill Shimei from whom was descended Mordecai who
provoked Haman. `And how a Benjamite repaid me', viz., that Saul did
not slay Agag from whom was descended Haman who oppressed Israel. R.
Johanan said: He did indeed come from Benjamin. Why then was he called
`a Jew'? Because he repudiated idolatry. For anyone who repudiates
idolatry is called `a Jew', as it is written, There are certain
Jews[14] etc.

Mordechai had raised Esther. What sort of education could Mordechai
provide for Esther? Lets look at the Talmud:

Talmud - Mas. Megilah 13b

In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, Bigthan and
Teresh were wroth.[15] R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of R.
Johanan: The Holy One, blessed be He, [once] caused a master to be
wroth with his servants in order to fulfil the desire of a righteous
man, namely Joseph, as it says, And there was with us there a young
man, a Hebrew, etc.;[16] and servants with their master in order to
perform a miracle for a righteous man, namely, Mordecai, as it is
written, `And the thing was known to Mordecai etc. ` R. Johanan said:
Bigthan and Teresh were two Tarseans[17] and conversed in the Tarsean
language. They said: From the day this woman came we have been able
to get no sleep.[18] Come, let us put poison in the dish so that he
will die. They did not know that Mordecai was one of those who had
seats in the Chamber of Hewn Stone,[19] and that he understood seventy
languages.[20] Said the other to him, But are not my post and your
post different?[21] He replied: I will keep guard at my post and at
yours. So it is written, And when inquisition was made, he was
found,[22] that is to say, they were not [both] found at their posts.

Since Mordechai was a member of Sanhedrin, and since we know that one
of the requirements of this group was the ability to speak seventy
languages, we can, therefore, know that Mordechai spoke seventy
languages. If you are going to be queen over the entire world, it
makes sense that a knowledge of languages would be very useful.
Esther, therefore, was obviously one of the most qualified ladies, in
Achashverosh kingdom, to be queen, according to natural law. To
Mordechai, it did not make any sense. How could a lady be chosen who
was specifically trying not to be chosen? Achashverosh didn't know,
or care, about Esther's unique qualifications. He just wanted a beauty
queen. G-d's hand is concealed as he starts to turn things up side
down. Mordechai senses that G-d is at work, so he tells Esther to keep
quiet about her nationality:

Esther 2:17-20 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any
of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any
of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her
queen instead of Vashti. And the king gave a great banquet, Esther's
banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday
throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting
at the king's gate. But Esther had kept secret her family background
and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued
to follow Mordecai's instructions as she had done when he was bringing
her up

Esther is now in the place G-d wanted her to be. Mordechai is almost
set up. He is a minister in the palace, but we need one more piece to
ensure that Mordechai is set up:

Esther 2:21-23 During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king's
gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the
doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Achashverosh .
But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in
turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. And when the
report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were
hanged on a gallows. All this was recorded in the book of the annals
in the presence of the king.

This event is rather odd. Would you plot against the king in the
earshot of one of his ministers? Obviously no! So, what's going on
here? The answer relates to Mordechai's ability to speak seventy
languages. The guards did not expect Mordechai to understand since he
was not one of their country men. Mordechai is wearing his yalmuke
(kipah) and his tzitzith (Numbers 15:37ff) were hanging out. His white
beard and obvious Jewish attire were not what the guards were wearing.
Mordechai was different.

Mordechai is now set up. He has his position and he has the king's
good graces. But, something odd happened. Mordechai did not get
rewarded. If you are king and depend on 'tips' from your subjects, you
are in a very bad way if you don't give a reward for information.

Our story seems very illogical so far. Esther is chosen for queen,
when she tries not to be chosen. Mordechai saves the kings life, but
he receives no reward. This is illogical.

It is now time to turn our attention to Haman. Who is Haman?

Esther 3:1-2 After these events, King Achashverosh honored Haman son
of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of
honor higher than that of all the other nobles. All the royal
officials at the king's gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for
the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not
kneel down or pay him honor.

Haman is a descendant of Agag the Amalekite! The Talmud, which we read
earlier, has described Haman as a descendent of Agag who was concieved
because of king Saul's misplaced mercy. The Amalekites were dedicated
to the destruction of the Children of Israel:

Exodus 17:8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at
Rephidim.

Because of this attack, G-d dictated that the Amalekites should all be
destroyed.

Exodus 17:14-16 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll
as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it,
because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under
heaven." Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner.
He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD
will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."

King Saul failed to obey G-d's command to kill EVERY Amalekite. He
spared the king of the Amalekites:

I Samuel 15:8-9 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his
people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army
spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and
lambs-- everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy
completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally
destroyed.

Haman has a most despicable heritage. The task that king Saul was
charged with: the destruction of Agag, will be accomplished by Saul's
descendent, Mordechai; upon Agag's descendent, Haman.

Haman had a problem:

Esther 3:2-11 All the royal officials at the king's gate knelt down
and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning
him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. Then the
royal officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why do you disobey
the king's command?" Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to
comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai's
behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew. When
Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was
enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai's people were, he scorned
the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to
destroy all Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom
of Achashverosh . In the twelfth year of King Achashverosh , in the
first month, the month of Nisan, they cast the <pur> (that is, the
lot) in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot
fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar. Then Haman said to
King Achashverosh , "There is a certain people dispersed and scattered
among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs
are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the
king's laws; it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them.
If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I
will put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for
the men who carry out this business." So the king took his signet ring
from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite,
the enemy of the Jews. "Keep the money," the king said to Haman, "and
do with the people as you please."

Haman wanted worship from Mordechai, but Mordechai would not worship
Haman. Haman is enraged. He goes to Achashverosh and he 'logically'
explains the problem. The Jews are all spread out and they have
customs which are different. These are the characteristics of G-d's
people. They wear different clothes. They wear different hair styles.
They pray differently. They are dispersed throughout the entire world,
yet they still look and act alike. This is still true of G-d's people
today.

Achashverosh agrees with logic and does not listen to the money.
Logic says that the Jews do not deserve to be alive. Because the Jews
had relied on logic at Achashverosh party, G-d will allow logic to
have its way with the Children of Israel.

Achashverosh show his true character and allows the destruction of
G-d's people. Notice that Achashverosh acts illogically towards G-d's
people. He should have had Haman draft the law and give it to the king
for review before he uses his signet ring. But, that is not what
happens. Achashverosh is hateful towards G-d's people that he just
gives Haman the signet ring. This enables Haman to draft whatever he
wants, and the king does not care. Achashverosh is not a nice guy.

So, what is the significance of the day that the order goes out?

Esther 3:12-15 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the
royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each
province and in the language of each people all Haman's orders to the
king's satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles
of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King
Achashverosh himself and sealed with his own ring. Dispatches were
sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with the order to
destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews--young and old, women and
little children--on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth
month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. A copy of the
text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made
known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for
that day. Spurred on by the king's command, the couriers went out,
and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman
sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.

It is two days before Passover! Passover is supposed to be the feast
of our physical freedom. Instead it has been turned into a time of
mourning.

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