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Subject: A Study of Purim - Part II
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 16:58:17 -0800
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From: Greg Killian
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: A Study of Purim - Part II
From the Website:
http://24.130.12.78/greg/purim.html
A STUDY OF PURIM - PART II
At this point the lights should be going on in Mordechai's head. He
should immediately realize why Esther became queen. He should have
immediately requested that she appeal to the king to spare their
lives. Mordechai does not do the logical thing. He realizes that G-d
is allowing this for a reason. He analyzes and understands that it is
a result of their logical attitude towards Achashverosh's party. So
he does not do the logical thing. Mordecai does a very strange thing.
Esther 4:1-4 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore
his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city,
wailing loudly and bitterly. But he went only as far as the king's
gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. In
every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there
was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing.
Many lay in sackcloth and ashes. When Esther's maids and eunuchs came
and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent
clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not
accept them.
Mordechai begins to act as though he trusts in G-d, not in logic or
natural law. Notice that Mordechai is not the only one to adopt this
attitude. All of the Children of Israel adopt this attitude. G-d's
people have begun the process of returning to their G-d. No one has
gone to appeal to the queen. No one as acted logically. Esther does
not even know what is going on. After he mourned, one would expect
Mordechai to go in to the queen. Instead he rips his royal garment and
wears sackcloth to ensure that he can NOT go in to the queen!
The Midrash records that Mordecai went and taught 22000 children the
laws of the meal offering. This is odd. He didn't go out and give to
charity or do other mitzvahs. Instead he taught those who were least
able to help G-d's people, and he taught them a part of Torah that
would not help them out of their predicament. In fact, he taught them
something that they could not do because the Temple was destroyed.
This was very illogical, but it demonstrated that He was going to
depend on G-d to handle the situation. He recognized the problem.
Midrash Rabbah - Esther IX:4 4. Having made the gallows, he went to
Mordecai, whom he found in the house of study with the schoolchildren
sitting before him with sackcloth on their loins, studying the Torah
and crying and weeping. He counted them and found there twenty-two
thousand children. He put chains of iron on them and set guards over
them, saying, ' To-morrow I will kill these children first, and then I
will hang Mordecai.' Their mothers brought them bread and water and
said to them: ' Children, eat and drink before you die to-morrow, and
do not die of starvation.' Straightway they put their hands on their
books and swore by the life of Mordecai their teacher saying, `We will
neither eat nor drink, but will die while still fasting.' They all
wept piteously until the sound of their crying ascended to heaven and
the Holy One, blessed be He, heard the sound of their weeping at about
the second hour of the night. At that moment the compassion of the
Holy One, blessed be He, was stirred, and He arose from the Throne of
Judgment and sat on the Throne of Mercy and said: `What is this loud
noise that I hear as the bleating
Mordechai had taught the children that they needed to attach
themselves to G-d. In teaching the children, he had taught their
parents. They had all learned the lesson of the meal offering. They
had all learned that they needed to draw closer to G-d. Mordechai
taught the meal offering in order to teach Torah. He taught a part of
Torah that the children could not possibly fulfill in order to
demonstrate that Torah study alone will draw us closer to G-d. This is
the importance of Torah study.
About this time, Esther is beside herself trying to figure out what is
wrong with Mordechai. He does not want to cooperate with her. So, she
sends out a very special person:
Esther 4:5-9 Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs
assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling
Mordecai and why. So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square
of the city in front of the king's gate. Mordecai told him everything
that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman
had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the
Jews. He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their
annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and
explain it to her, and he told him to urge her to go into the king's
presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people. Hathach
went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.
Hathach is Daniel! One of G-d's mightiest servants. He is still
serving in the palace in exile. Mordechai tells Hathach the problem
and he gives instructions to Esther.
Now Esther responds with logic to tell Mordechai why she can't obey
his instructions:
Esther 4:10-11 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, "All the
king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for
any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without
being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The
only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to
him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called
to go to the king."
Esther does not yet understand the problem, but she is no dummy. She
realizes, quickly, when Mordechai explains it to her:
Esther 4:12-17 When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, He
sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the
king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain
silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise
from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And
who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as
this?" Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather
together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or
drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you
do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is
against the law. And if I perish, I perish." So Mordecai went away
and carried out all of Esther's instructions.
Now Esther gets it! She starts to act illogically. Instead of making
herself beautiful before going in to the king, she makes herself ugly
by fasting for three days. This is very illogical, but Esther now
understands what Mordechai understood. She must quit trusting logic
and natural law. She must begin to trust wholeheartedly in G-d.
Mordechai was now confident that she understood because he went out to
carry out her wishes, where he had ignored them before.
It is important to understand how illogical it is for Mordechai,
Esther, and the other Jews to fast for three days. one of the three
days will be Passover! Passover is a feast! You are not allowed to
fast on Passover. You are commanded, by G-d, to eat!
The decree then went out on Nisan 13. So Esther and the Jews of Sushan
fasted on Nisan 13, 14, and 15. The evening of the 14th was the Lord's
Passover feast:
Leviticus 23:5 The LORD'S Passover begins at twilight on the
fourteenth day of the first month.
The Midrash states that Mordechai protested the fast on Passover.
Esther replied that if there are no Israelites, there will be no
Passover! Mordechai, obviously, agreed. The deliverance of the
Israelites has begun! No wonder it takes place on Passover! Once the
Children of Israel begin returning to G-d, He promises that He will
deliver them. Isn't G-d's timing perfect?
Midrash Rabbah - Esther VIII:7 7.THEN ESTHER BADE THEM RETURN ANSWER
UNTO MORDECAI (ib. 15). She said to him: GO, GATHER TOGETHER ALL THE
JEWS THAT ARE PRESENT IN SHUSHAN, AND FAST YE FOR ME, AND NEITHER EAT
NOR DRINK THREE DAYS (ib, 16): these were the thirteenth, fourteenth
and fifteenth of Nisan. He sent back word to her: But these include
the first day of Passover? She replied: Elder of Israel, why is there
a Passover?[23] Mordecai thereupon acceded to her request, as it says,
SO MORDECAI WENT HIS WAY, AND DID ACCORDING TO ALL AT ESTHER HAD
COMMANDED HIM (ib. 17). In Babylon they say that this[24] means that
he spent the festival of Passover in fasting on account of that
calamity. Mordecai prayed to the Lord and said: ' It is fully known
before the throne of Thy glory, O Lord of all worlds, that it was not
from pride of heart or vaingloriousness that I acted in not bowing
down to Haman, but through fear of Thee I did thus, not to bow down to
him, for I was in fear of Thee lest I should assign Thy honour to
flesh and blood, and I was not willing to bow down to any beside Thee.
For who am I that I should not bow down to Haman for the salvation of
Thy people Israel? For that I would even kiss his shoe-latchet. Now
therefore, our G-d, deliver us, we pray Thee, from his hand and let
him fall into the pit which he has digged and let him be caught in the
snare which he has hidden for the feet of Thy saints, and let this
sinner know that Thou hast not forgotten the promise
Three days later, Esther does another illogical thing:
Esther 5:1-5 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood
in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall. The
king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.
When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with
her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So
Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. Then the king
asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to
half the kingdom, it will be given you." "If it pleases the king,"
replied Esther, "let the king, together with Haman, come today to a
banquet I have prepared for him." "Bring Haman at once," the king
said, "so that we may do what Esther asks." So the king and Haman went
to the banquet Esther had prepared.
Esther puts her life on the line to go ask the king to deliver her
people. When her life is spared, her wildest hopes are also answered:
the king is disposed to give her ANYTHING she wants, up to half of his
kingdom. Does she make her appeal for her people? NO! Instead she
invites the king, and Haman to dinner. This is very illogical. What is
going on here?
When they have all feasted, the king is again favorably disposed
towards Esther:
Esther 5:6-8 As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther,
"Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your
request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted." Esther
replied, "My petition and my request is this: If the king regards me
with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill
my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will
prepare for them. Then I will answer the king's question."
So, does Esther make an appeal for her people? NO! She again does an
illogical thing: she invites the king and Haman to another party. What
is going on here? Since we have this question, G-d proceeds to answer
it for us:
Esther 5:9-14 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But
when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate and observed that he neither
rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against
Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.
Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, Haman boasted to
them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king
had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and
officials. "And that's not all," Haman added. "I'm the only person
Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave.
And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. But all this
gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at
the king's gate." His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him,
"Have a gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king in the
morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the
dinner and be happy." This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the
gallows built.
So, now we know why Haman was invited: to make him so confident that
he decides to show his heart and attempt to destroy Mordechai. We also
see his wife's heart and his son's heart. They are all alike in their
hatred of the Jews. They have the heart of hatred, of the Amalekites.
Now we need to figure out why Esther is waiting to ask her question.
Lets see the set up that G-d has put together to give us some clues:
Esther 6:1-14 That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the
book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and
read to him. It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed
Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the
doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Achashverosh. "What
honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?" the king asked.
"Nothing has been done for him," his attendants answered. The king
said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer
court of the palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the
gallows he had erected for him. His attendants answered, "Haman is
standing in the court." "Bring him in," the king ordered. When Haman
entered, the king asked him, "What should be done for the man the king
delights to honor?" Now Haman thought to himself, "Who is there that
the king would rather honor than me?" So he answered the king, "For
the man the king delights to honor, Have them bring a royal robe the
king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest
placed on its head. Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one
of the king's most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king
delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets,
proclaiming before him, 'This is what is done for the man the king
delights to honor!'" "Go at once," the king commanded Haman. "Get the
robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the
Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Do not neglect anything you have
recommended." So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed
Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets,
proclaiming before him, "This is what is done for the man the king
delights to honor!" Afterward Mordecai returned to the king's gate.
But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, And told
Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to
him. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, "Since Mordecai,
before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot
stand against him--you will surely come to ruin!" While they were
still talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman
away to the banquet Esther had prepared.
In perhaps the most famous scene of the entire Megillah, Mordechai is
paraded on horseback through the streets of Shushan, wearing the royal
robes - with Haman leading the way.
After this incident, Haman returns home "with his head covered"
(6:12). The Midrash explains the meaning of this phrase: When the
parade route passed by Haman's house, his daughter saw them coming and
had a great idea: She would take a toilet bowl up to the second floor
window, and pour its contents on Mordechai's head! The only problem is
that the girl assumed it was her wonderful father being honored on
horseback, with that lowly Jew Mordechai pulling him along. So when
the parade passed by, she timed it perfectly and - splash! The one
pulling the horse got it right in the face.
The Midrash says that when the girl saw that she'd dumped toilet waste
all over her father, she was so despondent that she jumped out of the
window to her death. And Haman returned home "with his head covered."
To make matters worse, Haman found little encouragement at home: His
wife Zeresh tells him: "If this is how things are going, you're gonna
lose your fight against the Jewish People!" (6:13)
What causes a king to lose sleep? Surely not money worries or hunger.
Yet, here is a sleepless king. Something is bothering him, but what?
We can tell by what he does: he has his servant read the book of
chronicles to him. This would seem to indicate that he is looking for
a reason to explain why certain types of things are not happening.
>From his answer it appears that he is no longer getting tips from his
subjects. The subjects are not likely to risk going to the king with a
tip if he does not reward them. When the king discovers that he has
never rewarded Haman, he finally understands why he hasn't been
receiving any tips lately. The word has gotten out that he in
ungrateful and that he never rewarded Mordechai for saving his life.
The king immediately sets about to correct this problem. This is the
set up that will lead us to Esther's strange behavior. After Esther
observes Haman's debasement and Mordechai's elevation, she immediately
pops the question. It appears that she was looking to see if G-d was
predisposed towards helping her and her people. After this little
parade she has her answer.
G-d has seen that his people have recognized their sin in failing to
look to Him for the reason for their existence. The people of Israel
have recognized their sin at the beginning of Esther, the party sin.
They have repented and begun to look to G-d for their the reason for
their existence.
Now, lets see how G-d will destroy the Agagite, Haman:
Esther 7:1-10 So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther,
And as they were drinking wine on that second day, the king again
asked, "Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you.
What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be
granted." Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor with
you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life--this is
my petition. And spare my people--this is my request. For I and my
people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation.
If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have
kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the
king." King Achashverosh asked Queen Esther, "Who is he? Where is
the man who has dared to do such a thing?" Esther said, "The
adversary and enemy is this vile Haman." Then Haman was terrified
before the king and queen. The king got up in a rage, left his wine
and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the
king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther
for his life. Just as the king returned from the palace garden to
the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was
reclining. The king exclaimed, "Will he even molest the queen while
she is with me in the house?" As soon as the word left the king's
mouth, they covered Haman's face. Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs
attending the king, said, "A gallows seventy-five feet high stands by
Haman's house. He had it made for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the
king." The king said, "Hang him on it!" So they hanged Haman on the
gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's fury subsided.
At the second seder, she recounts the story of Pesach from the first
person - including herself as part of the Exodus from Egypt, as we are
commanded to do. Esther's words are allusions to the story of
Pesach: "The Jews were sold to be destroyed, slain, and exterminated"
(7:4). Esther now reveals that she is Jewish and that genocide is
planned against her people.
Outraged, the king demands to know who would dare threaten the Queen
and her relatives (7:5). Esther points to none other than Haman!
Haman is aghast and while pleading with Esther, accidentally falls on
"the couch upon which Esther was" (7:8). This is an allusion to the
custom to lean during the seder rather than sit.
Measure for measure, G-d has given to Haman as Haman had given to
Mordechai. Haman had sought to debase Mordechai, and had been debased
himself. He had sought to hang Mordechai, and had been hung on his own
gallows.
Haman had sought to destroy his enemies, the Jews; and G-d turned that
about and used the Jews to destroy their enemies.
Esther was not content to see the vile Haman dead. She immediately put
her life at risk again:
Esther 8:1-8 That same day King Achashverosh gave Queen Esther the
estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the
presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her.
The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman,
and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman's
estate. Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and
weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the
Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. Then the king
extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before
him. "If it pleases the king," she said, "and if he regards me with
favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with
me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son
of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in
all the king's provinces. For how can I bear to see disaster fall on
my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?" King
Achashverosh replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew,
"Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther,
and they have hanged him on the gallows. Now write another decree in
the king's name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal
it with the king's signet ring--for no document written in the king's
name and sealed with his ring can be revoked."
G-d has decided to hear Esther's plea. The king, again, extends his
scepter, and again invites her to make a request. This time he can not
do what she wants, but he does what he can. He invites Esther and
Mordechai to come up with a solution. The solution is illogical.
Esther 8:9-17 At once the royal secretaries were summoned--on the
twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote
out all Mordecai's orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors
and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These
orders were written in the script of each province and the language of
each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.
Mordecai wrote in the name of King Achashverosh , sealed the
dispatches with the king's signet ring, and sent them by mounted
couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king. The
king's edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and
protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of
any nationality or province that might attack them and their women and
children; and to plunder the property of their enemies. The day
appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King
Achashverosh was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month
of Adar. 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
that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their
enemies. The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred
on by the king's command. And the edict was also issued in the citadel
of Susa. Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal garments of
blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen.
And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. For the Jews it was a
time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. In every province and
in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and
gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many
people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had
seized them.
Mordechai had written a new decree that enabled the Jews to defend
themselves and to slay their enemies. This is illogical. How could a
small group of people from the southern kingdom of Judah, possibly
fight the whole world? What chance did they have?
As if this is not illogical enough, Mordechai and the Children of
Israel go out with JOY and begin celebrating! They haven't even
started to fight, and they are already celebrating! What is going on
here? The Children of Israel had already figured out that if they rely
on G-d, He will not disappoint them. They knew they had the victory
because they knew that the battle belonged to the LORD. The Children
of Israel had learned their lesson well.
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