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This issue of Parasha-Page is dedicated to memory of Hagaon Ha'amiti Harav Aharon Chaim ben Rav Yakov Moshe Zimmerman, Zatza"l, who passed away last Thursday. One of the most profound and unique Torah scholars of the generation, Rav Chaim's pursuit of truth inspired his many thousands of students.

Purim 5755

PURIM: THE FIGHT OVER JERUSALEM

I am proud to present to you this week some thoughts submitted by a guest contributor, Rabbi David Lichtman. Rabbi Lichtman is the former rabbi of the orthodox synagogue of Calgary, Alberta (a province of Canada). During his stay in Calgary, Rabbi Lichtman left a profound impact on the Jewish community there. At present he is a member of the faculty of Yeshivat Ohr Yerushalayim and lives in Kiryat Sefer.

I

The political turmoil in the Middle East of today is dizzying. The most skilled statesmen and negotiators, heads of State and generals, seem to all be stumped. It is natural and wise, in difficult circumstances, to turn to precedents in history. It will presently be shown that perhaps the most important (and exacting) parallel to our dilemma can be found in Megilat Esther. The story of Purim was nothing short of the main battle in the war over control of Jerusalem!

In order to gain this insight it is necessary to understand not only the trials and tribulations of the episode itself, but also the historical/political setting in which it occurred.

The First Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Nevuchadnezar, king of Babylon in 3338. The king of Judea, Yehoyachin, was sent into exile 11 years before. With him to Babylonia traveled Mordechai (Esther 2:6). When Corash (=Cyrus, a Persian-Median successor to the Babylonian empire) authorized the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem in 3390, Mordechai returned with Zerubavel, the leader of the returning exiles to Israel (Ezra 2:1-2, see also Gemara Menachot 65a). Yet, again according to Esther 2:6, Mordechai is found in Shushan, in the year 3398 (at least the sixth year of the rule of Achashverosh [Esther 2:16]).

The question is, why? What compelled Mordechai, already quite advanced in age, to return, perhaps even voluntarily, from the land of redemption to the wanderings of the Diaspora?

The answer is Jerusalem.

II

The book of Ezra recounts the bold efforts of the original returnees with Zerubavel and Mordechai to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. However, these returnees did not find the Land of Israel uninhabited. It is well known that the Assyrian conquest of the North Kingdom of Israel some 185 years prior (3205) resulted in the expulsion of the Ten Tribes, who largely inhabited the area known as Shomron (Samaria). The Assyrians, true to their style of population displacement, settled a myriad of different groups of nations, from places largely unknown, in the then-recently vacated Shomron. Although these new Shomronim had a tacit relationship with the remaining Jews in Yehuda (Judea), they were not subject to the Babylonian exile resultant from the destruction of the First Temple. It was these people Zerubavel and company encountered on their return home. And it wasn't a warm welcome.

In the book of Ezra, the Shomronim are called the "tzarei Yehuda u'Binyamin" the Antagonists of Judah and Benjamin (Ezra 4:1). From the outset, they were clearly not pleased at the sudden return of their old neighbors. Perhaps they were growing accustomed to having the place for themselves. Perhaps they thought that the world had seen the last of the Jews. Whatever their motive, they set out to reverse the situation. Their strategy was simple: stop the building of Jerusalem, and checkmate the Jews indefinitely.

Trying to stop the building in a forcible manner was not considered simply because the building effort was officially sanctioned and promoted by the superpower empire of the day. So they sent lobbyists, armed with petitions of antagonism (against the Jews) to the then king of the Empire, King Corash. The building of Jerusalem was stopped. The Jews tried to initiate the building once again in the days of Achashverosh, a successor of Corash, the Shomronim again sent a petition to the king. Achashverosh accepted the petition and withdrew the building permit (Ezra 4:6,7 and Rashi).

The big surprise was who the author of the petitions and the lobbyist that were dispatched were. The author was Haman's son(s) and the lobbyist was Haman himself! Rashi, quoting Seder Olam Rabba (also brought in Yalkut Shimoni #1068), clearly identifies the ten sons of Haman with "the ones who wrote the attack on Judah and Jerusalem mentioned in Ezra" (Rashi, Esther 9:10).

III

Although these Midrashic connections might seem ethereal, they are not. A close study of the texts themselves attests the same conclusion. First, although the king had decreed all to bow in the presence of Haman, it was the fact that Mordechai was a "Yehudi" which caused others to call Haman's attention to the insubordination of Mordechai (Esther 3:4). Here, "Yehudi" is clearly an appellation of his region or district of origin, Judea. Haman was apparently known for having a thing for the Judeans.

Second, the group which authored and dispatched the petition of antagonism was known as the "tzarei [=antagonists of] Yehuda u'Binyamin". Would not then a single member of this group be called "tzorer haYehudim [=antagonist of the Jews]", or "Ish Tzar [=a man who is antagonistic] as Haman was so called (Esther 9:10, 7:6)? And who were the "Tzarim" that the Jews prepared to avenge themselves from on the thirteenth day of Adar? Can we not guess that they were the ten sons of Haman, and the scheming Shomronim?

Finally, and perhaps most compelling, is the content of the petition of antagonism itself. The petition (Ezra 4:11-16) contains two basic arguments: The Jews will be rebellious and they will not pay taxes when they build Jerusalem. These same 2 arguments feature prominently in Haman's argument against the Jews to the king: "...neither do they keep the laws of the king and it is not for the king's profit to suffer them" (Esther 3:8). Rashi (Megilla 13b) even adds that Haman contended the Jews were not paying tribute, poll tax or land tax ("misim, gilgaluyot, ve'arnonot") in parallel with these same items of alleged non-payment in the petition in Ezra (4:13). In short, both argue that the Jews don't obey the king's laws and that they cause financial damage to the king. (For further scrutiny of this matter see M. Lehman's article "A reconstruction of the Purim Story" in Tradition, vol. 12 no. 3-4.)

IV

The final piece in this puzzle is, of course, Mordechai. Why did he return to Shushan? The Midrash fills in this missing piece for us.

"[You shall be punished] as a man who is running from a lion, and meets with a bear; later, when he finally arrives at the house and leans his hand on the wall, the snake bites him."
(Amos 5:19)
"Running away from a lion" - i.e., Babylon; "He meets with a bear" - i.e., the Persian-Mede kingdom; "When he arrives at the house" - when the Bnai Yisroel started to build the walls of the Beit Hamikdash ("he leans his hand on the wall"), the wicked Haman and his son Shimshi tried to stop them ("the snake came and bit him"). That was why Mordechai the messenger went [to Shushan] to try to lobby to continue the building of the Beit Hamikdash. At the same time, Haman went to Shushan to try to permanently stop the building of the Beit Hamikdash.
(Yalkut Shimoni, Amos 545)
Mordechai arrived in Shushan at a time of great distress for the Jews. Their one hope of redemption, the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, was now shattered. And Mordechai arrived with a purpose - to counter-lobby against Haman. It was in this troubled political climate which our story of Purim is set.

Mordechai and Haman were veteran sparring partners from the old country. No wonder Haman was enraged at seeing Mordechai (Esther 3:4). One can envision two Political Action Committees feverishly lobbying at opposite purposes. Two opposing camps lobbying the superpowers of their day for control of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

CONCLUSION

The lobbying efforts of Mordechai were to no avail. In the political arena of international diplomacy and power brokering, the Jew has no grasp. The only strategy which had effect and literally reversed the entire impending catastrophe on our adversaries was one very humbling but courageous decision made by Esther, "Go gather all the Jews of Shushan and fast with me... for three days" (Esther 4:16). Esther instituted a fast of Teshuva [=repentance]. In this manner she was admitting that it is not our enemies that must be beaten and subdued. It is *we* who must change when faced with adversity. We must commit ourselves more strongly to our father in heaven. "When Yakov's [=the Bnai Yisroel's] voice is low, the hands of Esav can overpower him. But when his voice is heard [=in prayer], the hands of Esav have no power over him!" (Midrash Breishit Rabba 65:20). If Yacov uses his voice properly, for prayer, learning and repentance, then the hands of Esav -- and those of his descendants, such as Haman -- will be subdued. Our voice will supersede.

Is the political situation not the same in our day? By now, it is well known that control over Jerusalem is the objective of the Palestinian agenda. The parallel between the Palestinians and the Shomronim runs even deeper when we note that the Palestinians, like the Shomronim of the past, are recent transplants to the region (see "From Time Immemorial" by Joan Peters).

What can the Purim precedent teach us? What skilled negotiating tactics can we learn from Mordechai? The simple answer is that we, too, must commit ourselves more strongly to our father in heaven. With this in mind, let us humbly accept this responsibility in our present struggle. Let us courageously use our "voice of Yakov," crying out to Hashem in Teshuva!


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