Selected Comments (17 March, 2014, 15 Adar-2, 5774)
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Esther and the Tribal Task of the Children of Rachel (Joseph and Benjamin)
3. The Biblical Obligation to Wipe Out Amalek
4. The Aristocratic Quality of Benjamin in the Book of Esther
5. Esther Was Warned to Put Her People Before Her Own Interests!
6. The Irreversibility of Decrees. Why the Jews HAD TO Defend Themselves. There was no other Option!
7. Persia as compared to Benjamin (the Tribe of Esther)
Benjamin and Joseph Both Have the Ability of Sexual Self-Control!
8. Why is Mordecai form Benjamin called a Jew?
Descendants of Jonathan became Hereditary Aristocrats.
9. Being a Jews Means Being an Uncompromising Monotheist
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1. Introduction
The Book of Esther is an important work. It is also exciting and of great interest. It is read out in the synagogues on the Feast of Purim. We have not yet prepared a complete Brit-Am Commentary to this work, as we have to most other books of the Bible.
http://www.britam.org/ContentsSubject.html#lic
Over the years however in the course of our studies we have had occasion to discuss several issues that the Book of Esther deals with. The present article is a collection of these notes with a few minor alterations. It will be seen that the effort has been worthwhile. This article is a continuation and addition to a previous one along the same lines.
See Also:
Heroine. Hebrew Nations and the Book of Esther
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/esther/heroine.html
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2. Esther and the Tribal Task of the Children of Rachel (Joseph and Benjamin)
http://www.britam.org/mael/Mael18Power.html
The Rulership (in Hebrew: Malcut) of the Children of Rachel, especially of Joseph, concerns the Gentiles. Joseph ruled over Egypt and other peoples.
Mordecai (in the Book of Esther) from the Tribe of Benjamin became the second in command to the King of Persia.
The task of the Children of Rachel (i.e. the Tribes of Joseph and Benjamin) is to fight against Edom and Esau.
Joshua son of Nun from the Tribe of Ephraim fought against the nations of the World and Amalek.
So (in their own way) did King Saul and Mordecai both of whom came from Benjamin.
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3. The Biblical Obligation to Wipe Out Amalek
http://www.britam.org/now2/1669Now.html
There is a commandment to remember what was done to us and to wipe out Amalek (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) . Descendants of Rachel (Joseph and Benjamin) are to be especially involved with this task.
Duration: 9.32 minutes
Purim celebrates the deliverance of the Jews in the Persian Empire from the machinations of Haman the Agagite.
This is related in the Book of Esther.
Haman according to tradition was a descendant of Amalek as were many persecutors of the ages throughout history.
Exodus 17:14-16
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.? 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD is my banner, 16 saying, 'A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."
Numbers 24:20
20 Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said, Amalek was the first among the nations, but its end is utter destruction.
Deuteronomy 25:17-19.
17 'Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, 18 how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. 19 Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.
The expression "and he did not fear God" may alternately be read from the Hebrew as saying "and YOU did not fear God". This is how it is read in the Sifre an early Midrashic source. In other words, Even if you (i.e. those amongst you) lacked Fear of Heaven at the time in question and somehow may partly have caused the Persecution you should still take vengeance for it.
See also:
Amalek
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalek
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4. The Aristocratic Quality of Benjamin in the Book of Esther
The Book of Esther describes the behavior of Hadassah (i.e. Queen Esther) and her uncle Mordecai. There is an aristocratic air about them, in the good sense. They were descendants of King Saul. Michal the daughter of Saul was married to David but despised him for not being regal enough. Mordecai and Esther were meant to rectify the failings of Saul. They did so. Aristocracy was a trait of Benjamin as well as of the Tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph. Benjamin and Joseph were the sons of Rachel who had bequeathed the attribute of nobility to her offspring.
Duration: 18.41 minutes
http://britam.org/judges/judges20.html
Commentators point out that there was a trait of aristocratic
defiance amongst the Benjaminites. The first king Saul was from Benjamin.
Michal the daughter of Saul criticized David for not conducting himself in
a regal manner. Mordechai "the Jew" was from Benjamin [Esther 2:5] and he
refused to bow down to Haman even though it may have been permissible (by
Law) to do so and by not doing so he endangered himself and all the Jewish
people [Esther 3:4-6]. In the case of Mordechai the end result was a
positive one but it did not necessarily always have to be that way.
2-Samuel chapter 6 tells the story of David bringing the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem.
The Ark had at first been in the Tabernacle at Shiloh.
In the Book of Samuel we are told how the Israelites went to war against the Philistines (1-Samuel ch.4). The Israelite were defeated in battle and so brought the Ark to the battlefield hoping its presence would grant them victory. It did not. The Israelites were defeated and the Ark was captured (1-Samuel 4:11). The ark brought a series of plagues on the Philistines. They tried moving it from city to city but wherever they took it invited disaster (1-Samuel 5). Consequently the Philistines put the Ark in a cart with offerings. The cart was drawn by two milking cows. The cows took the cart to Beth-Shemesh (1-Samuel 6), west of Jerusalem. Eventually the ark was lodged at Kiriath-Yearim (1-Samuel 7:21).
Meanwhile, the Tabernacle at Shiloh had been destroyed by the Philistines shortly after they had captured the ark.The Tabernacle was erected anew in Nob in the territory of Benjamin. Later Saul destroyed Nob (1-Samuel 21) and the Tabernacle was again rebuilt at Gibeon.The Ark and the Tabernacle were trherefore in two different palces.
David took the Ark to Jerusalem.
Later in the time of Solomon the Tabernacle at Gibeon was dismantled and replaced the Temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem. Only then were the Ark and Tabernacle re-united. The Temple in effect was henceforth the same as the Tabernacle.
When David wished to bring the Ark from Kiriath-Yearim a mishap happened on the way. A man named Uzzah angered God so HE killed him. After that David left the Ark in the home of
Obed-Edom the Gittite (2-Samuel 6:10). It remained there for 3 months during which Obed-Edom the Gittite and all his household was greatly blessed (2-Samuel 6:11). David together with the people then went once again and brought the Ark into Jerusalem. It was a happy occasion. David and the people were dancing and celebrating. Michal the daughter of Saul and wife of King David considered the conduct of David undignified for a monarch.
2-Samuel 6:
12 It was told King David, 'The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.' So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing;
13 and when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
14 David danced before the LORD with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.
15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
16 As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.
17 They brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt-offerings and offerings of well-being before the LORD. 18 When David had finished offering the burnt-offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts,
19 and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes.
20 David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, 'How the king of Israel honoured himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!'
21 David said to Michal, 'It was before the LORD, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD, that I have danced before the LORD.
22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in my own eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honour.'
23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
Concerning the last verse,
[2-Samuel 6:23] THEREFORE MICHAL THE DAUGHTER OF SAUL HAD NO CHILD UNTO THE DAY OF HER DEATH.
This is often interpreted to mean that David in anger separated himself from Michal and therefore she had no children until she died. Or that from heaven she was punished with no children.
UNTO THE DAY OF HER DEATH: "Unto" in Hebrew "ad" from which word we have the English "add", and "odd" (also found in Hebrew "OD" and pronounced in the same way as the English "odd" but in Hebrew meaning more "additional").
The Sages said the words "HAD NO CHILD UNTO THE DAY OF HER DEATH" meant that she had no children "up unto" the day that she died and that she died in Childbirth and gave birth to "Yithream"
cf.
"AND THE SIXTH, ITHREAM, BY EGLAH DAVID'S WIFE. THESE WERE BORN TO DAVID IN HEBRON" [2-Samuel 3:5].
EGLAH: The Sages said that this was another name for Michal.
At all events Michal daughter of Saul showed the Aristocratic quality that was characteristic of the Tribe of Benjamin.
It was also an attribute of Joseph, especially of Ephraim. In Hebrew an Ephrathite meant either an important, aristocratic type person or someone from the Tribe of Ephraim. Commentators (e.g.Radak) say that this was because every member of the Tribe of Ephraim considered themselves aristocratic!
See our quotation from the Hebrew Dictionary of Iben Shushan (entry : Ephrathi) where he quotes Midrashic and Literary sources: http://www.britam.org/EphraimClip.html#Aristocratic
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5. Esther Was Warned to Put Her People Before Her Own Interests!
Queen Esther was warned not to consider her own personal safety. We all have unique tasks and obligations in this world. We may not always understand why things are as they are but there is a reason. Sometimes this may involve the actions of our ancestors.
Duration: 5.29 minutes
http://www.britam.org/Job/Job5.html
Esther 4:
13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: 'Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?'
Esther was being asked to risk her life and try and save her people.
Mordecai warned her NOT to think of herself. Esther at the superficial level could have stayed as she was.
The King did not know her nationality and apparently had decided not to do so. Esther was in a favorable position. She could stay as she was and survive. Mordecai warned her not to entertain such thoughts. If she thought to save herself in the end she would perish and so would all her family. The Jewish people would be saved in some other way and Esther would have lost her chance.
These remarks of Mordecai are interesting and important in themselves. What is particularly of interest is that Mordecai deemed it necessary to direct such words to Esther!
In other words, Esther was as frail and vulnerable as everybody else. She could have failed. She could have given in to her basic survival instincts and sought to save herself at the expense of others.
She did not.
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6. The Irreversibility of Decrees. Why the Jews HAD TO Defend Themselves. There was no other Option!
When King Ahaseurus Signed the Decree Allowing Others to Destroy the Jews it was irreversible. According to the Laws of the Medes and Persians the law could not be revoked. The King could however allow the Jews to defend themselves. This is what he did and the Jews killed their enemies.
The irreversibility of Monarchical Decrees in Ancient Persia is also mentioned in the Book of Daniel.
http://britam.org/Daniel/daniel6.html
They were jealous of Daniel the individual but sought to harm this individual by attacking the Jewish Religion.
[Daniel 6:6] THEN THESE PRESIDENTS AND PRINCES ASSEMBLED TOGETHER TO THE KING, AND SAID THUS UNTO HIM, KING DARIUS, LIVE FOR EVER.
[Daniel 6:7] ALL THE PRESIDENTS OF THE KINGDOM, THE GOVERNORS, AND THE PRINCES, THE COUNSELLORS, AND THE CAPTAINS, HAVE CONSULTED TOGETHER TO ESTABLISH A ROYAL STATUTE, AND TO MAKE A FIRM DECREE, THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL ASK A PETITION OF ANY GOD OR MAN FOR THIRTY DAYS, SAVE OF THEE, O KING, HE SHALL BE CAST INTO THE DEN OF LIONS.
[Daniel 6:8] NOW, O KING, ESTABLISH THE DECREE, AND SIGN THE WRITING, THAT IT BE NOT CHANGED, ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF THE MEDES AND PERSIANS, WHICH ALTERETH NOT.
This peculiar principle is also recalled in the Book of Esther.
"LET IT BE WRITTEN AMONG THE LAWS OF THE PERSIANS AND THE MEDES, THAT IT BE NOT ALTERED" [Esther 1:19].
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7. Persia as compared to Benjamin (the Tribe of Esther)
Benjamin and Joseph Both Have the Ability of Sexual Self-Control!
Israelite Tribes and their Gentile National Counterparts.
http://www.britam.org/Chanukha.html
Fishel Mael (p.160 ff) quoting from Rabbinicial sources, points out that different Israelite Tribes were destined to offset or otherwise encounter specific Gentile adversaries on an individual national basis.
Judah whose strong point was monotheism was to be set against Babylon the mother of pagan religions.
Benjamin was parallel to Persia and Medea.
See the Book of Esther whose plot is located in Persia and whose heroes, Mordecai and Esther, are both from Benjamin.
Benjamin like Joseph is associated with the "Foundational" Principle ("Yisod"). This is the Key to Spiritual and Material Plenty and is concomitant with the Power of Sexual Restraint. The Persians on the other hand were licentious and indulged in incest. Paradoxically the Persians were also known as being modest and for their chaste behaviour. The same applies to Benjamin. In the Book of Judges we find the whole Tribe of Benjamin being almost wiped out because they failed to alow the punishment of those who had committed mass rape (Judges chs. 19 & 20). Later we find King Saul from the Tribe of Benjamin who was exceedingly modest and self-effacing 1-Samuel 10:22).
The modesty of the Persians however even when they emply it has lewd motivation whereas that of the Tribe of Benjamin is genuine.
It was pointed out to me by an independent scholar that what we say about the Persians is a feature of the Arabs today and of Islam in general.
On the one hand the Muslims are very puritanical with women in sexual matters. On the other hand they fill up the brothels in Europe and are always being associated with sexual crimes and deviations, etc.
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8. Why is Mordecai from the Tribe of Benjamin called a Jew?
Descendants of Jonathan became Hereditary Aristocrats.
http://britam.org/samuel-20.html
Mordecai " the Jew" who saved all Israel at the time of Exile was a
descendant of Saul (Esther 2:5-6).
[Esther 2:5] NOW IN SHUSHAN THE PALACE THERE WAS A CERTAIN JEW,
WHOSE NAME WAS MORDECAI, THE SON OF JAIR, THE SON OF SHIMEI, THE SON OF KISH,
A BENJAMITE;
<<A CERTAIN JEW>>: in Hebrew "Ish Yehudi" = "a man of Judah". Even
though he was a "Benjaminite" by Tribe he was considered "a man of Judah" by
nation. The same applies for all those of the other tribes who
remained in the southern kingdom or re-attached themselves to descendants of its
former citizens. They are all considered "Jews" or people of Judah. On the
other hand those of Judah who went into exile with the LTTs (Lost Ten Tribes)
are considered part of the LTTs. In the last days however each person will
know his/her tribal identity and be re-attached to their tribe. The women
will go according to their husbands. The non-Israelite sojourners (says
Ezekiel 47:22) will be accorded a portion amongst whichever tribe they had
attached themselves.
[Esther 2:6] WHO HAD BEEN CARRIED AWAY FROM JERUSALEM WITH THE
CAPTIVITY WHICH HAD BEEN CARRIED AWAY WITH JECONIAH KING OF JUDAH, WHOM
NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE KING OF BABYLON HAD CARRIED AWAY.
The exile of Jeconiah (Jehoiacin) was a preliminary exile and concerned
the upper classes (2-Kings 24:14) while the lower ranks were to be exiled
later. Mordecai apparently had held a senior post in the administration
of King Jeconiah (Jehoiacin) . Yehudah Kiel ("Sefer Divrei HaYamim", Daat Mikra, p.143) sees this as a continued hereditary association between the
descendants of Jonathan and those of David.
Descendants of Jonathan are listed in 1-Chronicles chapter 8 and
1-Chronicles 9:39-44.
Descendants of Jonathan were destined to return to Judah with Ezra and Nehemiah.
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9. Being a Jews Means Being an Uncompromising Monotheist
http://www.britam.org/now2/1820Now.html
Descendants of former inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah or those who became attached to them are considered Jews.
Mordecai (the uncle of Esther) from the Tribe of Benjamin is referred to as a Jew (Esther 2:5 3:4).
cf.
Zechariah 8:
23 Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.
All Israelites (or at least all those Israelites who keep the Israelite Faith, or are recognizable as being obliged to do so) in the Bible are sometimes referred to as Jews.
Esther 2:
5 In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite.
Rashi: They were exiled with the exile of Judah. All those who were exiled with the Kings of Judah were referred to amongst the Gentiles as Jews, even if they came from another tribe.
The Yemenite Midrash HaGadol (on Genesis 49:8) tells us:
# Said Rabbi Pinchas: The verse (Genesis 49:8 i. e. Your brothers shall acknowledge the truth that you have) refers to the fact that Judah is as his name [connoting acknowledgment of the truth] as his mother said,
# And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, 'Now I will praise [acknowledge] the LORD.' Therefore she called his name Judah [from the root YDA meaning acknowledge the truth and by implication give thanks] (Genesis 29:35). Likewise his brothers will acknowledge him, #you are he whom your brothers shall praise [Hebrew Yoduca" i.e. they shall acknowledge you] Genesis 49:8.
So too, it says, # yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler [although the birthright was Joseph's]# 1-Chronicles 5:2. They are all called by your name, e.g.
# the Jews established and imposed it upon themselves [and their descendants and all who would join them...] [Esther 9:26]. No-one describes [Israelites as] Simeonites, or Reubenites, but they do say Yehudim [Jews named after Judah].
Acknowledgement of the Truth is a trait of your Tribe.
Concerning Achan [from the Tribe of Judah] it says:
# And Achan answered Joshua and said, 'Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel...# (Joshua 7:20).
So too, David [also from the tribe of Judah] said:
# I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,'
[And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah] # Psalms 32:5.
Mercy is close to them [since they acknowledge their sins]
# Whoever confesses and forsakes [his sins] will be shown mercy #. Proverbs 28:13.
Fishel Mael brings sources saying that the term "Yehudi" (Jew) refers to the quality of denying false gods.
See "Shivtei Yisrael" (pp. 192-202) by Fishel Mael.
See:
The Israelite Tribes
Selected Essays Based on the Work of Fishel Mael.
http://www.britam.org/mael/MaelContIntro.html
In the end times the truth of Judah will be acknowledge by everyone:
http://britam.org/Tsits.html
Isaiah 2:
3 Many people shall come and say,
'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.'
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
And rebuke many people;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore.
Isaiah 60:
1 Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
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See Also:
Heroine. Hebrew Nations and the Book of Esther
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/esther/heroine.html