Page 44 - HaMizrachi Purim Australia 5781

PURIM READING

Esther, Chapter Eight

— ח קרפ ,רתסא תליגמ — Rabbi Yuval Cherlow

The Right of Self-Defense

any readers breathe a sigh of annulled. The decree is in place. In their reality was threatening and truly
relief when they reach this another few months, it will be permit- terrifying, bringing about fasting and
Mchapter – Haman and his ted to kill the Jews. But according to mourning, and the trials and tribula-
sons have been hanged and it seems the new letters sent out, the Jews will tions of this harsh decree (but also the
the story of the Megillah has reached be permitted to congregate and defend great bravery of Esther). This has been
its conclusion. themselves: true throughout Jewish history – lack-
ing independence, dependent on the
This is not a correct reading of the “To this effect: The king has permit- goodwill of foreign rulers, we found
Megillah though. In our chapter we see ted the Jews of every city to assemble ourselves locked between discrimi-
that even though Haman is no longer in and fight for their lives; if any people natory formality and outright hatred
the picture, the decree to wipe out the or province attacks them, they may and hostility that didn’t even need to
Jews still stands. If nothing is done, the destroy, massacre, and exterminate hide behind the hypocritical mask of
verdict will still be valid, and the future its armed force together with women regulation.
of the Jews is at risk. This stems from and children, and plunder their pos-
the laws of the Persian kingdom: sessions… So the king’s scribes were Through G-d’s grace, in Megillat Esther
summoned at that time, on the twen- we were privileged to come together
“...for an edict that has been written ty-third day of the third month, that is, and protect ourselves, to fight for our
in the king’s name and sealed with the the month of Sivan; and letters were lives, and to be free to defend ourselves
king’s signet may not be revoked.” written, at Mordechai’s dictation, to the from harm. An essential part of reading
Jews and to the satraps, the governors
Indeed, in our chapter we read about and the officials of the one hundred and Megillat Esther is to look at the reality
the actions Esther takes, with great in which we are privileged to live today:
courage, to try to annul the decree: twenty-seven provinces from India to we are a nation which does not expect
Ethiopia.” another country to save us from trouble,
“Esther spoke to the king again, falling Thus, before us are nine months of but which stands on its own two feet,
at his feet and weeping, and beseeching drawn-out suspense – what will happen with G-d’s grace. May we merit to real-
him to avert the evil plotted by Haman when the month of Adar comes? Will ize the heroism, courage, confidence
the Agagite against the Jews.” and bravery hidden within it, and to
the enemies of the Jews succeed in
True, Haman was the catalyst, but from executing their plot, or will the Jews defend ourselves – united as a people
– from our enemies.
the moment Achashverosh agreed, he succeed in overcoming their enemies?
became part of the hostility toward the Slowly, it became apparent that the vic-
Jews. Moreover, the first letters were tory would be at the hands of the Jews:
still in place, due to a formal excuse. “And in every province and in every city,
Achashverosh doesn’t care about justice when the king’s command and decree
or morality; he does as he wishes, even arrived, there was gladness and joy
to Vashti, not to mention the actual among the Jews, a feast and a holiday.
decree to kill the Jews. Many times, the And many of the people of the land
wanton hide behind the letter of the professed to be Jews, for the fear of the
law, while their true motivation is not Jews had fallen upon them.”
officialdom but the desire to wipe out Rabbi Yuval Cherlow is a Rosh Yeshiva
the Jews entirely. What can we learn from our chapter? and a founding member of an organization
devoted to bridging the religious-secular
To overcome this formal problem, and The ability to defend oneself is a great divide in Israel.
to force Achashverosh to give up the privilege. It is not self-evident. In Megil-
entire project, the following political lat Esther, the Jews lacked this ability A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
solution is found: the law will not be until the new letters were issued, so mizrachi.org/speakers

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