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Subject: A Study of Purim - Part 3
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From: Greg Killian
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: A Study of Purim - Part 3

From the Website:

http://24.130.12.78/greg/purim.html

A STUDY OF PURIM - PART 3

And that which was illogical, happened:

Esther 9:1 - 10:3 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the
month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out.
On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but
now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those
who hated them. The Jews assembled in their cities in all the
provinces of King Achashverosh to attack those seeking their
destruction. No one could stand against them, because the people of
all the other nationalities were afraid of them. And all the nobles
of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king's
administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized
them. Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread
throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful. The
Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and
destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated
them. In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five
hundred men. They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha,
The ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But
they did not lay their hands on the plunder. The number of those
slain in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day.
The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed
five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa.
What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is
your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will
also be granted." "If it pleases the king," Esther answered, "give
the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day's edict tomorrow
also, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on gallows." So the king
commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they
hanged the ten sons of Haman. The Jews in Susa came together on the
fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa
three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king's provinces
also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their
enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay
their hands on the plunder. This happened on the thirteenth day of
the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day
of feasting and joy. The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the
thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and
made it a day of feasting and joy. That is why rural Jews--those
living in villages-- observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a
day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.
Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews
throughout the provinces of King Achashverosh , near and far, To have
them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month
of Adar As the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and
as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning
into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days
of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and
gifts to the poor. So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration
they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. For Haman
son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted
against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the <pur> (that is, the
lot) for their ruin and destruction. But when the plot came to the
king's attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman
had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and
that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. (Therefore
these days were called Purim, from the word <pur>.) Because of
everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen
and what had happened to them, The Jews took it upon themselves to
establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join
them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way
prescribed and at the time appointed. These days should be remembered
and observed in every generation by every family, and in every
province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease
to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out
among their descendants. So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along
with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this
second letter concerning Purim. And Mordecai sent letters to all the
Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Achashverosh --words of
goodwill and assurance-- To establish these days of Purim at their
designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for
them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants
in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. Esther's decree
confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in
the records. King Achashverosh imposed tribute throughout the
empire, to its distant shores. And all his acts of power and might,
together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the
king had raised him, are they not written in the book of the annals of
the kings of Media and Persia? Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to
King Achashverosh , preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem
by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people
and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.

In the above passage, an intriguing dialog takes place between Esther
and Achashverosh. First Esther tells us that the ten sons of Haman, by
name, have been killed on the first day of battle. On the second day
of battle, in Shushan, she asks that the ten sons of Haman be hung on
the gallows. If the ten sons are already dead, why bother to hang
them? In verse 9:13, the sages made a comment on the word tomorrow:

"There is a tomorrow that is now, and a tomorrow which is later."[25]

In other words, Esther was asking for Haman's sons to be hung now, and
also to be hung later in history. Her request was obviously not
something that Achashverosh could grant. Only Hashem could keep such
a promise.

According to the Sages, every time King Achashverosh is mentioned by
name, in the Book of Esther, it refers to Achashverosh. Every time the
text merely says, "the King", it refers to Hashem.

So, in the above scripture, we can see that Esther is addressing her
request, that Haman's sons be hanged, to Hashem. In Esther 9:14, The
King, Hashem, grants Esther her request:

"And the King commanded it be done."

Since Hashem always fulfills His word, we should expect this prophecy
to be fulfilled. 2300 years after Esther, we again encounter the sons
of Amalek. The New York Times has the following headline:

GOERING ENDS LIFE BY POISON, 10 OTHERS HANGED IN NUREMBERG PRISON FOR
NAZI WAR CRIMES; DOOMED MEN ON GALLOWS PRAY FOR GERMANY

Nachmanides asserted that any change, from the normal, in a word or
letter of the Tanak, indicates some hidden meaning. If you examine the
list of Haman's ten sons in the Megillat Esther, you will notice that
three letters are written smaller:

The tav ,, the shin a, and the zayin z are written smaller. The three
letters together form z"a,, the Jewish year 5707, which is 1946 c.e.
This is the year that the ten Nazis were hung.

One of the condemned men, Julius Streicher, shouted "Purimfest 1946"
as the trap door was sprung. Streicher obviously grasped some of the
significance of this event.

The hanging took place on October 16, 1947, which was Tishrei 21,
5707, it was Hoshana Rabba, which is the day when Hashem's verdicts
are sealed.

* * *

The Megillah says that the Jews "confirmed and undertook" - "Kimu
v'Kiblu" (9:27). The Talmud explains that when the Jewish People
originally received the Torah at Mount Sinai, they were to some degree
"forced" by G-d into accepting the Torah. That initial acceptance was
motivated in part by "fear." But following the events of Purim, the
Jewish People accepted the Torah anew, this time out of love to G-d
for having orchestrated the miraculous series of events. In other
words, the Jews "confirmed and undertook" the Torah from a new
perspective.

The name "Purim" bears an ironic twist. While the name "Purim" (i.e.
"lots that are cast") sounds like something connoting impersonal
"fate", the joke is that the actual message of the holiday is the
exact opposite: In fact, nothing occurs that isn't G-d's will. There
is no such thing as "chance" or "fate". G-d is always here, actively
participating in the world, even though we may not always see clear
evidence of His presence.

Now we can understand why it is called Purim. An illogical name to
describe a feast when the illogical happened and the concealed hand of
G-d illogically remained concealed. Purim the feast of Lots. Why would
an unG-dly man, Haman, use lots which are totally controlled by G-d,
to try to destroy G-d's people? What an illogical thing to do.

Timeline of events

Nisan 1

Cyrus was crowned "King of Babylonia and King of all lands".

Plot of Bigthan and Teresh to assassinate Xerxes discovered by
Mordecai. Apocrypha; Book of Esther.

Nisan 8

The feast of King Achashverus, which lasted for 180 days, came
to an end. Esther 1:4; Manot haLevi

Nisan 13

Haman buys the order for the destruction of the Jews. Esther
3:7-12

Esther has Mordecai and the Jews fast for three days before
seeing the king. Esther 4:16

Nisan 14

Mordecai and the Jews fast for the second day. Esther 4:16

Nisan 15

Vashti is executed by King Xerxes. Esther 1:21; Derash le-Purim

Mordecai is honored by Haman and king Ahasuerus. Esther 5:1 -
6:10

Mordecai and the Jews fast for the third and last day. Esther
4:16

Esther invites the king to feast. Esther 5:1-4, Seder Olam 29

Nisan 16

Esther, Haman, and the king feast. King kills Haman. Esther
5:5-5

Haman was hanged. Esther 7:10, Seder Olam 29

Mordecai becomes chief minister in place of Haman. Esther 8:2

Nisan 17

Hamans plans came to naught. Esther 3:12, 4:16, 5:1, 7:2-9

Tevet 1

Esther is taken to Achashverus' residence. Esther 2:16

Adar 13

The pur chose this day for the destruction of the enemies of
the Jews. Esther 3:13

Adar 14

Purim. The feast of Lots. Esther 9:14-21

Three hundred men of Susa are killed. Esther 9:15

Adar 15

Shushan Purim Esther 9:14-21

This study was written by Greg Killian.

Comments may be submitted to:

Greg Killian

24620 Russell Road P204

Kent, WA. 98032

Internet address: gkilli@aol.com

Web page: http://members.aol.com/gkilli/home/

253-850-6169

[1] Euphemism for `Israel'.

[2] Achashverosh .

[3] As only those in Susa were invited.

[4] Set up by Nebuchadnezzar.

[5] By delivering them, since they really deserved to be exterminated.

[6] Lit., `they did only for appearance'.

[7] Lam. III, 33. [uckn is rendered `without heart', n being taken as
partitive: G-d does not afflict him who sins without intent
(Maharsha).]

[8] Esth. I, 5.

[9] Lit., `he who was worthy'.

[10] Esth. II, 5.

[11] And not mention three names only.

[12] Lit., `crowned with his nimus'. The word nimus means in the
Talmud `manner', or `way' (**), hence bearing, character. Rashi
translates `with his names' (as just explained) as if `nimus' here =
Greek **. [Var. lec. add `as an ornament', hsgf. V. Aruch who
explains: He was adorned with the precepts of the Law as with an
ornament. Yehudi as applied to Mordecai then does not denote a tribal
name but is an epithet of distinction.]

[13] I.e., derogatory.

[14] Dan. III, 12. Though Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah to whom he
refers were not of the tribe of Judah. V. Sanh. 93 b (Tosaf.).

[15] Ibid. 21.

[16] Gen. XLI, 12.

[17] There was a Tarsus in Cilicia and in Cappodocia and it is not
certain which is referred to.

[18] Having always to dance attendance on Achashverosh .

[19] The meeting place of the Sanhedrin in the Temple at Jerusalem.

[20] V. Sanh. 17a.

[21] So that neither of us can do duty for both.

[22] E.V., `it was found'.

[23] Radal emends: If there is no Israel, why should there be a
Passover?

[24] The word wa-ya'abor (went his way), which literally means
`passed', and can also be rendered ' transgressed `.

[25] Tanchuma Bo 13; Rashi on Exodus 13:14

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