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Attitudes and Culture in the Persian Court
1. Assimilation, Crypto Judaism
Why were the enemies of Israel of that generation penalized with
destruction? Because they took pleasure in the feast of that wicked
Achashverosh. Then why even those living outside Shushan? Rather, that
they bowed to an idol. Maybe G-d is playing favorites? They only did it
outwardly, so too He only did it to them outwardly. Megillah 12a
Esther was not telling her nationality and her birthplace, for Mordechai
had commanded on her not to tell.
2. As soon as Esther begins to come out, the story gets an upturn.
a. when she told Achashverosh in the name of Mordechai
b. when she reveals herself to Achashverosh
3. Haman: There is one people spread out and divided among the nations,
and their ways are different from all the nations, the laws of the king
they keep not, and it is not worth keeping them.
Gemara: 13b: Their ways are different- they do not eat from us and not
we from them, they do not do the law, for they take off the whole year
with Shehi and Pehi.
4. We fasted to make up for eating at Achashverosh's feast. We gathered
to counter the claim that we are spread out.
5. What type of culture was the Persian one?
See the description of the palace and the drinking.
Gemara Megilah 12b: On the 7th day the king called. to bring Vashti when
his heart was good with wine. Until now he was not happy with wine? Rava
says it was Shabbat when Israel eats and drinks they start with Torah
and songs but the idolaters who eat and drink start with foolishness
like at the meal of that wicked one they say the Medes are more pretty
and they say the Persians, So Achashverosh says, mine is Chaldean.
Would you like to see her? (nude, because she used to make the girls clean
on
Shabbat in the nude.)
Pri Tzadik: at this point the difference between Israel and Persia came
out. Until then, they challenged us based on the passage below, Ber. 8b
What kind of justice is there?
Vashti law, don't come to the king law, give honor to husbands law,
Jewish law..
What is the role of women there?
Vashti, Zeresh, Esther?
Are they modest?
Gemara Berachot 8b: Rabban Gamliel says: in 3 matters I like the
Persians, they are temperate in their eating, modest in the privy, and
modest in another matter.
It was an advanced society, mail, tolerance, but look what
happened.:
Hirsch
5. The Jews accepted the Torah lovingly in the days of Purim. What
about
before?
It was a test of wealth, comfort, hedonism: Hirsch
Mordechai was loved by most? It teaches that some in the Sanhedrin
didn't approve of him, since he was too engaged in politics. |
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