Page 9 - HaMizrachi #27 Purim USA 2021

MIZRACHI EDUCATORS TORAT MIZRACHI

Rabbanit Shani Taragin

Repairing Rivalry & Jewish Brotherhood

egillat Esther, one of the last phenomenon of intertextuality. As as slave and the resentment that follows.
works of Ketuvim to be writ- Esther stands before Achashverosh at But inspired by Mordechai “HaYehudi”
Mten and canonized, employs her second banquet, pleading for the (from the fallen kingdom of Judea), an
numerous allusions to earlier stories survival of her nation, she remembers “Ish Yemini” (from tribe of Binyamin),
in Tanach. Many of the analogies serve the sale of Yosef proposed by his brother who implores her to link her familial and
the ideological purpose of ‘redeeming’ Yehuda: “And Yehuda said unto his tribal affiliation to the survival of all her
the lineage of Binyamin from the short- brethren: ‘What profit is it if we slay our Jewish brethren, she remembered the
comings of Shaul haMelech, particularly brother and conceal his blood? Come, repentance of Yehuda, who risked his life
in fighting Amalek and not adhering to and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, for his brother Binyamin and pledged
the Divine commandment of complete and let not our hand be upon him; for himself as a slave in his stead.
annihilation. The Book of Esther high- he is our brother, our flesh’” (Bereishit
lights Esther’s “success in overcoming 37:26–7). Esther took advantage of the opportunity
the drawbacks of a reticent personality to “repay” Yehuda and achieve lasting
[and] offsets the pivotal failure of Saul Esther revisits his argument of betrayal brotherhood as a descendant of
to do the same.” She does so not only – “for we are sold, I and my people, to Binyamin who could and would risk her
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by ‘fixing’ the faults of Shaul in properly be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. life for her brothers from Yehuda.
eradicating our enemies and declining to But if we had been sold for bondmen
take the spoils even when permitted to and bondwomen, I had held my peace, Recognizing how fragile the balance of
do so (Esther 9:5–16), but in contrast for the adversary is not worthy that the brotherhood is to maintain throughout
to Shaul, who sought to kill his innocent king be damaged” (7:4). history, Mordechai and Esther
young rival, David, at a second-day royal Haman is hanged as a result of her incorporated the mitzvot of mishloach
feast, Esther prepares parallel feasts accusations, but the survival of the manot and matanot la’evyonim as
to bravely save her Jewish brethren, Yehudim is still in severe jeopardy annual remedies for ‘sibling’ rivalry.
descendants of David. until Esther recalls not only the rift and Remembering the stories of Binyamin,
In redeeming Shaul, Esther rises rivalry of Yehuda (children of Leah) vs. Yehuda and Esther, as we celebrate
above tribal affiliation and unifies the the children of Rachel, but his repair together and recall our mutual
Binyaminites and Yehudim (Judeans) and repentance as well. She revisits how responsibilities to care for and defend
who were exiled together in 597 Yehuda risked his life for his brother one another, help assure a lasting legacy
BCE (2:6). How did she succeed in Binyamin and pleaded for his salvation of Jewish brotherhood, solidarity and
overcoming rifts and creating solidarity before the viceroy: “For how shall I go survival.
between the descendants of Yehuda up to my father, if the lad be not with
and Binyamin (without four rounds of me? Lest I look upon the evil that shall
elections in two years)? come on my father (ת ֶ א א ָ צ ְ מִי ר ֶ ׁש ֲ א ע ָ ר ָ ב 1 Yitzchak Berger, “Esther and Benjamite Royalty:

The answer lies in Esther’s recollection י ִ ב ָ א)” (Bereishit 44:34). 2 A Study in Inner-Biblical Allusion” (JBL, 2010).
Rabbi David Fohrman, “Family Feud: The
not only of the Shaul/David feud, but of And she echoes his anguish before the Ominous Background to Esther’s Story”
the earliest story of rivalry between the king: “For how can I endure to see the (AlephBeta).
children of Leah and Rachel, manifested evil that shall come unto my people
in the desire to kill and sell Yosef as a (י ִּ מ ַ ע ת ֶ א א ָ צ ְ מִי ר ֶ ׁש ֲ א ה ָ ע ָ ר ָּ ב)? Or how can Rabbanit Shani Taragin is Educational
slave. Though there are many allusions I endure to see the destruction of my Director of Mizrachi and the Director of the
and parallels between the monarchical kindred?” (Esther 8:6). Mizrachi Matan Lapidot Educators' Program.
success of Esther and Mordechai in
Persia to the rise of Yosef in Egypt, Esther recalled the bitter animosity A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
Rabbi David Fohrman notes another between siblings, the sale of a brother mizrachi.org/speakers
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