Honor is Frowned Upon?

When reading through Rav Yonatan Grossman's shiur, I noticed that he brought up some very interesting point. Many of which we had discussed previously in class. One thing I found a little strange was that honor was frowned upon. This would make sense if you were just looking at the first half of the megilah and noticing how all the Persians were after was power. And all they focused on was gaining power. Rav Grossman suggested that Mordechai receiving honor was actually just a spit in his face, but if it was, then why were the Jews rejoicing in the streets, and why would Mordechai make us celebrate the holiday.
Maybe instead of the Megilah trying to teach us that honor is bad, it is actually trying to teach us that honor is only bad when all you focus on is receiving it. A person, like Mordechai, who receives honor without expecting it in return for good deeds he has done is much better than a person, like Haman, who receives honor by expecting it in return for putting someone else down.

Very Superstitious

         When returning from Pesach break, what could be a better welcome-back gift than blogging? :) We've finally finished the text of Megillas Esther, so we've now begun to delve into the true meaning of the megillah. We've started to look at the different perspectives on the theme of the megillah and how it relates to us and the exile we are in today.

         Before looking at these sources, we discussed how the end of the megillah related to Zachariah's original prediction. While Yirmiyahu predicted that the punishment of the Jews ended after the 70 year exile, Zachariah predicted that the punishment of the Jews took place during the 70 years of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. After this period of destruction, the Jewish people would be led into a time of peace and morality. They would return to Israel, rebuild the Beis Hamikdash, be led by a leader of peace and truth, worship G-d, and all in all just get back on the right track.

         We saw that the reality was, unfortunately, quite far from Zachariah's prediction. Though it is believed that many Jews returned to Israel to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash, most either came back or remained in Persia. In Megillas Esther we see that the Jews were spread out among the Persian Empire. Mordechai become second-in-command to the king, one of the most powerful positions of the empire, and though he had the power to, he still did not lead the Jews back to Israel.

         One of the sources we looked at came from The Dawn, written by Yoram Hazony. Hazony wrote his take on the Megillah shortly after the Holocaust, so his beliefs seem to reflect his feelings on how the Jews should have acted during that time. He believes that the Megillah is a guide for how to be successful in the Diaspora. A rise to power, political success, and military success is all required. We see in the Megillah that Mordechai and Esther both rose to high positions in the kingdom, Esther being the queen and Mordechai being the second-in-command, and they were able to take a stand to save their nation. Hazony's take on the absence of G-d is that even when He doesn't reveal Himself, we need to still believe in Him.

         Another source we looked at came from Sanctuaries in Time, written by מכתב מאליהו, which looks at the chiastic structure of the Megillah and how this related to the theme of ונהפוך הוא. According to מכתב מאליהו, every event in the Megillah, when laid out in a chiastic structure, all seems to be coincidences. This shows us that G-d is controlling every little thing and everyday life events, not just large miracles.

        The last source we looked at came from Akiva Tatz's Worldmask. He proposes that G-d is not mentioned in the Megillah because He was intentionally wearing a mask. However, just because He is hidden doesn't mean that He is not there. Our role is to uncover His disguise. Just like there are no coincidences in the Purim story, so too there are none today. The Megillah is teaching us that G-d is pulling the strings in our world, we just don't see it.

         Thinking about coincidences in our world today, I thought of all the little superstitious and seemingly harmless things we do everyday. Everyone knows when the clock turns to 11:11 you make a wish. Why? All of a sudden, because all of the numbers on the clock are the same, maybe something we wish for will come true. Or any of the other ridiculous superstitions people think up. A black cat means bad luck while a four-leaf clover means good luck. We associate our experiences with random events or sequences to create an aspect of predictability. "Oh, I saw a black cat, that means bad luck is coming my way!" In this way, we are incorrectly associating events with random objects. We see these events as coincidences instead of believing that bad luck comes only when Hashem decides.

         Really, if you think about, luck implies chance. We learned that Haman and Amalek relied on chance and random happenings instead of believing that something is controlling everything. So the next time you see a dark-colored cat, maybe understand that when you trip a few minutes later, it isn't just a coincidence or a superstition, but Hashem's hand in this world. In this way, we can find it easy to see Hashem in everyday experiences.

Do you believe in superstitions? If so, have they ever come true? Do you think about them differently now?

Hashem: A Lover or a Father?

Though we have not started learning (if we are going to learn) Shir HaShirim, I thought it was appropriate to write a blog about it since it is Pesach. Shir HaShirim was love song written by King Shlomo describing his love towards Hashem as a lover.

Many people have two different ways of describing their love towards Hashem. Some people say they love him like a lover, like Shlomo, and some love Hashem like a father. As I said above, Shir HaShirim is a song in which Shlomo describes his love towards Hashem as a lover, in an almost sexual way.

Personally I think that this type of relationship with Hashem is gross. When we pray to Hashem we say Avinu Malkeinu, our father our king. We don't address him as our lover. When we read the story was Adam and Chava, we learn that Hashem created Adam, which in our right minds would make Hashem his and our father. He created us. I think that when we pray to Hashem we pray with an intense admiration, and thanks. We admire Him as an influential figure in our lives and we must thank Him for that.

Since I have not read or learned Shir HaShirim in depth, this is my first impression and criticism. Shlomo was definitely an intense and thoughtful person who was swallowed by an immense amount of love all the time. He was passionate which can explain why he thought of Hashem in this way. I just think that our relationship with Him should be driven more my thanks and admiration.

The turning point for Haman.

The whole plot of Megillat Esther is set up in such a conplex way that it had to have actually happened. Everything that happens in the Megilla works out and fits together perfectly. For example the time when Zeresh suggested to Haman to ask the king's permission to kill Mordechai because he was so fixated on him. In the meantime Achashverosh is looking through his book, where he writes down everything that happens around the kingdom, to make sure Esther and Haman were not plotting against him. He was paranoid because this was right after she invited him and Haman to her first party. 

Remember, Achashverosh was looking in his book to see if there was any significant information about Esther and Haman teaming up on him. He was not looking randomly and out of nowhere found the story of how Mordechai saved his life. He asks Haman how he should honor such a man, and Achashverosh finds out two very important things.

The first important thing, is that Haman wants to take over the king's position, and eventually become the top of the kingdom. Haman thought that Achashverosh was honoring the king, so he said all the elements that he would like to be honored by: riding on the king's horse, wearing the king's garments, and also his crown. This is the turning point for Haman where everything gets worse for him because the king is now against him, and the Jews rise higher to the top. 

Firstly, he has a stronger belief that Haman's intentions are to kill him and take over because he is lurking outside of his palace at night. This is very suspicious to Achashverosh. This idea is also strengthened by the fact that Haman wanted to be honored by basically "being" the king. 

Hold on, Stay still and see whats coming!

We continue are bumpy journey through the purim story and we see in Perek ה on the 3rd day Ehster wore her royal garments. The king saw Ehster standing, she found favor in her eyes. The king stuck out his septor and ehster touched it, she was outside the courtyard.  She wanted something big from the king, she wanted a request. She must have wanted something big from the king if she was their, why would she be risking her life just to ask the king a request? Ehster wants the king to go to a party with haman. The king's confused. The king says "half my kingdom I will give you." Ehster says my request is Haman the king should go to the party that she's making for THEM.

Haman's Exotic he went to the party. He see's Mordechai sitting their and dosen't get up. Haman's angry. He calls his advisors and his wife. Mordechai was in Shaa'r Hamalech. The kingdom's whimsical.

Later on, the king's night gets disturbed. He hears a noise in the courtyard. It's haman! haman came to ask to hang Mordechai, the king who he wants to honor. He brings him clothing that the king already wore. And puts the kingship on his head.

This party is a drinking party. The king says to Ehster on the 2nd day, whats your request? I'll give you more then half the kingdom, Ehster says if I find favor in your eyes - king give me my soul and my people she's making about herself. My people were to be destroyed and killed If we were only sold I wouln't bother the king The king returns comes back to the party house. Haman falls on the bed on Ehster. Chavonah says haman made garrow. The king says to hang him on it. They hang haman. The king wasn't angry anymore.
In perek gimmel haman's request of the king nation's not following the "dat hamelech."

What' Up with Perek 8????

To me, perek 8 seems to be the strangest one yet, in megillat Esther. 

Achashverosh, not learning from his mistakes, gave the seal to Mordechai, someone whom he had just met two minutes earlier. This is giving Mordechai all the power. He gives Esther Haman's home, in order to keep her happy after Haman going against her. Esther than lies down in front of the kings and begs him to forget the decree, which is an innapropriate way to act towards a king. Achashverosh then points his scepter towards her and she immediately stands up and asks the king in a respectful way to give up the decree. She then makes it personal and says that she could not live with the fact that her people are being destroyed. 

If Esther already had the plan to make the request more personal, in order for Achashverosh to listen, shouldn't she have never begged him before. This just might make him angry and not want to help her at all. It also accomplished nothing for her. Why did she beg him before asking him in the nicer way?

     This week we learned a lot about Haman and about Esther's. Perek 5 starts out by talking about how Esther risked her life and went to go talk to the king. She asks Achashveirosh if he will go to a party for him and Haman. There are a few odd things going on here. Why did Esther risk her life to invite Achashveirosh to a party? And why is Haman also invited? Esther is trying to make Achashveirosh seem suspicious because then he will be more interested in her. 

     At the party, Achasveirosh asks Esther what she wants and she invites him and Haman to another party. This is also very weird becuase Achashveirosh haven't talked for a month and now she is throwing a party for him.

     We also see another example of how the law is foolish. When Haman sees Mordechai not bowing to him and he becomes angry, but he restrains himself. When he gets home he talks about how good he is and tries to boost his confidence. His wife tells him that he should build gallows. Haman is going to tells the king. Those gallows were also where people were hung if they didn't listen to Dat Hamelech. But Esther didn't listen and she wasn't hung. 

     When Haman was on his way to talk to the king about the gallows, it is the middle of the night. Achashveirosh happens to be awake that night and can't fall asleep so they got the king's book. Achashveirosh is read the story of Mordechai and Achashveirosh remembers how he didn't reward him yet. 

     Achashveirosh heard Haman in the courtyard, which is not a good thing because he is already suspicious. But Haman does not suspect that Achashveirosh thinks anything about that. When Haman enters Achashveirosh's room, Achashveirosh asks him what he should do for someone he wants to honor. Haman thinks that Achashveirosh is talking about him, so he says what he wants. He says that they should get to use the king's horse, clothes, crown, servant, and have a parade. 

     We can obviously tell that Haman wants to be the king. Since Achashveirosh was already suspicious this definitely confirm his suspicions. Achashveirosh agrees to Haman's idea. But for someone who loves power so much, why would Achashveirosh be willing to give it away so easily? When Achashveirosh tells Haman to give his clothes, crown, etc to Mordechai, Haman is in shock. And not only will Haman have to give Mordechai honor, he will have to give Mordechai the honor that he wanted! 

     After Haman leads Mordechai around at the parade for him, Haman goes home and is basically mourning because he is so upset. Haman tells his wife and his friends about what happened. Zeresh tells him that Haman has no chance.

     At the party, Achashveirosh asks Esther again what she wants and she finally tells him that if it's alright with him, he should save her life and the life of her people because they were sold to be destroyed, but if they were only sold, she wouldn't bother him. Esther is subtly saying that Achashveirosh just thought that the Jews were going to be sold, not killed. This will make him even more angry with Haman when he figured out that it was Haman who wanted to kill Esther. 

     Achashveirosh goes on a walk after hearing that Haman wants to kill Esther. When he returns he finds Haman on top of Esther. Finally Achashveirosh is given the idea to kill Haman. After Haman is killed, Achashveirosh is not angry anymore because now no one wants to take his power.