Click the link below to listen to the fifth annual Anita Rossman Memorial Lecture, delivered last night in Santa Cruz, California.
From Purim to Passover: Lessons from Queen Esther on Courage, Sacrifice, and Redemption
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Saving the Jews: The Great Mordechai - Esther Debate
An enigma lies at the heart of the Megillah.
It begins with Mordechai instructing Esther to appeal to the king to overturn the decree against the Jews. Esther responds that that would be suicide. Everyone knows that to enter the king's throne room uninvited is asking for instant death.
Do not misunderstand. Esther is not refusing to intercede on behalf of her people. Not at all. All she is saying is that it would be unhelpful to get herself killed. Even if the king does spare her life, violating the law is unlikely to gain the king's favor. Rather, the prudent course of action would be to wait until the next time the king calls for her. Then she will make her plea and save the Jews. The destruction of the nation is scheduled for the thirteenth of Adar - eleven months away - so there is plenty of time.
Esther is aware that she has a critical role to play in the divine plan. Undoubtedly, the very same God who installed her as queen will also see to it that the king will grant her an audience and consent to her request. This is why Esther sent Mordechai a fresh set of clothes. She was telling Mordechai, "You can stop crying. I'll take care of it."
Esther is aware that she has a critical role to play in the divine plan. Undoubtedly, the very same God who installed her as queen will also see to it that the king will grant her an audience and consent to her request. This is why Esther sent Mordechai a fresh set of clothes. She was telling Mordechai, "You can stop crying. I'll take care of it."
Esther's thinking is perfectly reasonable. Mordechai, however, won't hear of it. To paraphrase his response:
If you think you are safe in the palace, you are gravely mistaken. If you are silent now, the Jews will be saved some other way, and you and your family will be destroyed! Who knows if this is why you became queen?
Mordechai's confidence in the nation's future is inspiring, but his harsh words to Esther are in dire need of an explanation.
Mordechai is questioning Esther's assumptions about why Hashem made her queen of the Persian Empire. Esther thinks she is there to intercede on behalf of the Jews. Mordachei differs. "Who knows if this is why you became queen?" In the absence of prophecy Hashem's plans are unknowable. Hashem will see to the survival of the Jews; the question is only what He wants from us.
Mordechai recognized that the decree to destroy the Jews was not merely the collusion of Haman and Achashveirosh; the decree has its origin in heaven. The sages of the Talmud assumed the same and wondered what the Jews had done to deserve such a fate. Some suggested it was the sin of attending Achasveirosh's party. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai attributed it to the sin of bowing to statues of Nebuchadnezzar. Regardless, the Jews are not in need of protexia, what they need is atonement.
One method of achieving atonement is through sacrifice. In the absence of the Beis HaMikdash, animal sacrifice is unavailable. However, there is another kind of sacrifice, the sacrifice of tzaddikim. "The death of tzaddikim atones like the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash."
Mordechai was telling Esther that, in his opinion, Hashem had selected her as the national Korban. "Either you go to the king now and sacrifice yourself, or Hashem will take you some other way. One way or the other, atonement for the nation will come through you."
Esther accepted Mordechai's assessment of the situation, but disagreed on the solution. Mordechai thought that as the chosen one, responsibility for the nation fell on Esther's shoulders. Esther differed. She believed that if the nation was in need of sacrifice, then it should come directly from the the people themselves. They were the ones who sinned and so they must rectify it. Esther therefore instructed Mordechai to gather all the Jews together and institute a three-day fast. After the people gain forgiveness for their sins through tefillah and teshuva with mesiras nefesh, then it will be safe for Esther to approach the king.
Mordechai recognized the truth of Esther's words and followed her instructions. The rest is history.
If you think you are safe in the palace, you are gravely mistaken. If you are silent now, the Jews will be saved some other way, and you and your family will be destroyed! Who knows if this is why you became queen?
Mordechai's confidence in the nation's future is inspiring, but his harsh words to Esther are in dire need of an explanation.
Mordechai is questioning Esther's assumptions about why Hashem made her queen of the Persian Empire. Esther thinks she is there to intercede on behalf of the Jews. Mordachei differs. "Who knows if this is why you became queen?" In the absence of prophecy Hashem's plans are unknowable. Hashem will see to the survival of the Jews; the question is only what He wants from us.
Mordechai recognized that the decree to destroy the Jews was not merely the collusion of Haman and Achashveirosh; the decree has its origin in heaven. The sages of the Talmud assumed the same and wondered what the Jews had done to deserve such a fate. Some suggested it was the sin of attending Achasveirosh's party. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai attributed it to the sin of bowing to statues of Nebuchadnezzar. Regardless, the Jews are not in need of protexia, what they need is atonement.
One method of achieving atonement is through sacrifice. In the absence of the Beis HaMikdash, animal sacrifice is unavailable. However, there is another kind of sacrifice, the sacrifice of tzaddikim. "The death of tzaddikim atones like the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash."
Mordechai was telling Esther that, in his opinion, Hashem had selected her as the national Korban. "Either you go to the king now and sacrifice yourself, or Hashem will take you some other way. One way or the other, atonement for the nation will come through you."
Esther accepted Mordechai's assessment of the situation, but disagreed on the solution. Mordechai thought that as the chosen one, responsibility for the nation fell on Esther's shoulders. Esther differed. She believed that if the nation was in need of sacrifice, then it should come directly from the the people themselves. They were the ones who sinned and so they must rectify it. Esther therefore instructed Mordechai to gather all the Jews together and institute a three-day fast. After the people gain forgiveness for their sins through tefillah and teshuva with mesiras nefesh, then it will be safe for Esther to approach the king.
Mordechai recognized the truth of Esther's words and followed her instructions. The rest is history.
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