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PURIM READING

Esther, Chapter Ten SHABBAT
SNOW

— י קרפ ,רתסא תליגמ — Dr. Tova Ganzel

The Untold Story JOIN US FOR A
FRIDAY NIGHT

study of chapter 10 raises the while on the other were very involved And what about Mordechai? The
question of its importance and in the Persian court. Megillah’s concluding verse leaves us
A inclusion in the Megillah. It with conflicting emotions – Morde- DINNER
contains only three verses: How can we explain the fact that the chai retains his Jewish identity (“Mor-
Jews in Persia and throughout the $35
“King Achashverosh imposed tax on kingdom, whose lives are in danger dechai HaYehudi”), even as second to
King Achashverosh, and “sought the
the mainland and the islands. All his following Achashverosh’s decree, good of his people and interceded for PER PERSON
mighty and powerful acts, and a full don’t see in the Mikdash and in the the welfare of all his seed.” But there AT SHILOH MELBOURNE
account of the greatness to which people living in Eretz Yisrael a natu- was a group – and I suggest these
the king advanced Mordechai, are ral and available solution? Wouldn’t were Jews who lived in Israel, far from
recorded in the Annals of the Kings we have expected a delegation of Per- Persia – who were not so enamored
of Media and Persia. For Mordechai sian Jews to travel to Eretz Yisrael, by his position. As the author empha-
the Jew ranked next to King Achash- sacrifice korbanot in the Mikdash, sizes: “popular among the multitude MARCH 12TH 2021
verosh and was highly regarded by and consult with the prophets and of his brethren.”
the Jews and popular among the mul- kohanim in Yerushalayim? Moreover, 6:15pm Early Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat at Kehillat Ohr David,
titude of his brethren; he sought the wouldn’t it have been obvious for Jews Yes, despite the disconnect between
good of his people and interceded for living throughout the Persian Empire the two centers of Judaism, in Persia Mizrachi, followed by a Four Course Meal at Shiloh @ 7:30pm
the welfare of all his seed.” to immigrate to Israel, unite, and see and in Israel, it seems that in the
years the second Beit HaMikdash
Despite its brevity, this chapter the Mikdash in Jerusalem as a center was standing, there were Jews from
reveals something critical about the through which they could turn to G-d the Persian Empire who continued to FOR YOUNG ADULTS (Ages 22-32)
entire story of Megillat Esther. Maybe for a miracle and salvation? come to Israel, even if not many, and
this is the ‘untold story’ of the rela- This perhaps is precisely the pur- contribute to the strengthening of the Bookings for this event are not open to children
tionship between the Jews in Persia pose of these concluding verses of Holy Land.
and their brethren in Israel, who, the Megillah. The norm of the Jewish But Mordechai and what he repre-
during these very years, were trying Persian reality – which we saw in the sented disappointed those in Israel www.trybooking.com/BOJKD
to establish and strengthen the status banquets at the start of the Megillah – who hoped their brethren in the
of the second Beit HaMikdash in and the physical and spiritual distance Diaspora would make aliyah – if not Generously sponsored by the Lamm, Mirvis,
Yerushalayim. The events described from the Mikdash in Yerushalayim are during normal times, at least during a Nossbaum and Seigel families
in the Megillah happened during the accentuated. The author of the Megil- crisis.
reign of Achashverosh (Xerxes I, who lah concludes that sadly, at the end of
ruled between 485-465 BCE). Morde- these dramatic events, nothing had We can perhaps conclude that the
chai’s family was exiled to Babylon in changed. King Achashverosh contin- ‘untold story’ of Chapter 10 of the
the same exile as the prophet Yechez- ued to demand taxes from all his sub- Megillah is the story of the rise of
kel. His great-grandfather was exiled jects, and this story, like many other the second Beit HaMikdash, and
from Yerushalayim “in the group car- events during his reign, was recorded a reminder to us that prayers for a
ried into exile along with King Yecho- in the Annals of the Kings of Media better future don’t necessarily end
nya of Yehuda” (Esther 2:5-6), over and Persia. In other words, the Jews with the prayer for its rebuilding in
100 years before the events of Megil- were – and still are – just another Yerushalayim.
lat Esther occurred. ethnic group the king had to deal with

It seems the Megillah has something in the context of his kingship. Their Dr. Tova Ganzel is a lecturer in Bible and
to teach us about the historical real- Temple wasn’t special or different (to Halacha at Bar-Ilan University and a certified
women’s halachic advisor.
ity in which, on the one hand, these him or them) and their G-d made no
Jews in Persia had no connection with particular impression upon him (or A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
the people and the Mikdash in Israel, them). mizrachi.org/speakers

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