Mordechai's Legacy – ורצוי לרב אחיו/2

Mordechai's Legacy – ורצוי לרב אחיו

Exegetical Approaches

Overview

Commentators debate both the meaning of the phrase "וְרָצוּי לְרֹב אֶחָיו" and what it reveals regarding Mordechai's enduring legacy.  Most adopt the Talmud Bavli's approach which renders the word "רֹב" as "most", and thereby suggest that the verse is subtly criticizing Mordechai. The Rid and others, in contrast, translate it as "multitudes", resulting in a much more favorable portrait of Mordechai, a leader who was liked by the masses of his brethren.  A middle approach taken by Rashbam and Ibn Ezra maintains the "most" definition, but suggests that this need not cast Mordechai in a negative light.  The result is a full spectrum of portraits of Mordechai, with the poles presenting almost diametrically opposite assessments, and each position providing different insights into both human nature and the world outlook of the commentators espousing it.

Critical of Mordechai

The Megillah ends with subtle criticism of Mordechai.

Sources:BavliMegillah 16bAbout the Bavli, RashiEsther 10:3About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, R. Yosef KaraEsther First Commentary 10:3About R. Yosef Kara, R. Y"S ReggioEsther p.15-16Introduction to Esther pp. 6-8About R. Yitzchak Shemuel Reggio, M. Eisenberg¹

Meaning of "לְרֹב" – All of these commentators maintain that "לְרֹב" means "most" and comes to exclude a group of Jews who were displeased with Mordechai.  However, while this usage of the word is common in Mishnaic² and modern Hebrew, in Biblical Hebrew, "רֹב" consistently takes the meaning of "many" or "much".³ Nonetheless, there would seem to be no reason to say that "many brothers" were pleased with Mordechai unless one is implying that not all agreed.

Why were some Jews upset?

• Political rather than religious involvement – Rashi, following the Bavli, suggests that "אֶחָיו" refers specifically to members of the Sanhedrin who were upset with Mordechai for being involved in court life at the expense of immersing himself in Torah.⁴
• Endangered the nation – R. Yosef Kara, instead, claims that part of the nation blamed Mordechai for endangering the entire people when he refused to bow to Haman.⁵  See Mordechai's Refusal to Bow for an analysis of Mordechai's motives and how commentators evaluate his actions.
• Power hungry – R. Reggio implies that Mordechai was not respected by the people as they thought that he had chased after honor and glory.⁶ 
• Assimilated – M. Eisenberg suggests that the assimilated Jews left in Persia were pleased with Mordechai, while those in Israel, who had maintained their faith, were not.⁷  Mordechai had climbed to the heights of secular power, serving as a model to fellow Jewish-Persians who were similarly happy to remain in exile and acculterate. The Jews of Israel saw this as the ultimate tragedy, for Mordechai's status all but ensured the further assimilation of the rest of Persian Jewry, leaving little hope that many would opt to make aliyah and help rebuild the struggling community in Jerusalem.

Mordechai's religiosity and character

• Torah giant – The Bavli and Rashi claim that Mordechai was not merely an observant Jew, but also a member of the Sanhedrin.  As such, they hold him to a higher standard for not being fully immersed in Torah.
• Layperson – R. Reggio, in contrast, paints Mordechai as a simple Jew, who was not particularly versed in Torah law, and who cared more for his personal honor than observance of mitzvot.  It is this which lead to the lack of admiration.  For elaboration on this portrait of Mordechai, see Mordechai's Religious Identity.
• Assimilated – M. Eisenberg goes a step further, suggesting that Mordechai had actually assimilated in his pursuit of power and rejected Jewish values.⁸

Relationship to the praise in the rest of the verse – The praises of Mordechai in the rest of the verse would seem to counter this negative reading and require explanation:

• The Bavli and Rashi might suggest that it was only the Sanhedrin who faulted Mordechai. The nation as a whole ("לַיְּהוּדִים" / "לְעַמּוֹ"), in contrast, viewed him positively as he had sought their peace and welfare.
• R. Reggio maintains consistency in the verse by mitigating the positive value of the other phrases.  He suggests that Mordechai is considered great in the eyes of his brethren only because of his position as second to the king, but not because of any intrinsic Torah leadership or exemplary character.
• M. Eisenberg assumes that the entire verse is written from the perspective of only those Jews in Shushan.  They (as opposed to the Jews of Israel) appreciated not only how his position enabled him to speak on their behalf to the king ("דֹּרֵשׁ טוֹב לְעַמּוֹ"), but also how he ensured that others "of his seed" be able to follow in his path and attain similar positions of power.

Mention of Achashverosh's taxation and chronicles

• M. Eisenberg suggests that this seemingly irrelevant point is included only to show how far Mordechai had risen in the Persian courts; it was his position as second in command that invited revenue and ensured that he was recorded in the Persian Chronicles.⁹  This, however, is not particularly praiseworthy.  The Megillah is hinting that in following a path to power in exile, Mordechai demonstrated his preference to be written in the Persian Chronicles, rather than the Judean ones.
• One might also suggest that the increased taxation caused resentment, leading to the implied criticism of Mordechai. This might be parallel to Yosef, whose policies of taxation may have similarly backfired, eventually causing resentment despite Yosef's earlier role as a savior.¹⁰

Complimentary to Mordechai

The ending of the Megillah is intended to cast Mordechai in a positive light.

Sources:RashbamEsther 10:3About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraEsther First Commentary 10:1-3Esther Second Commentary 10:1-3About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RidEsther 10:3About R. Yeshayah of Trani, R. Avraham SabaEshkol HaKofer Esther 2:21Eshkol HaKofer Esther 10:1Eshkol HaKofer Esther 10:3About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor), R"E GalikoR"E Galiko, Hoil MosheEsther 10:3About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi

Meaning of "לְרֹב"

• Many/multitudes – The Rid and the Hoil Moshe define the word as "ריבוי" or "הרבה", explaining that Mordechai was liked by his many brothers.  This understanding is supported by the many places in Tanakh where the word "רב" clearly takes this meaning.¹¹
• Exalted – The Hoil Moshe opines that the word might also refer to the exalted members of the nation.¹²  The verse would then be saying that not only was Mordechai viewed positively by the masses, but also by the important people.¹³
• Most – Rashbam and Ibn Ezra assume that the word literally means most, but suggest that this need not cast Mordechai in a negative light. 
• Rashbam claims that despite the literal definition, the connotation of the phrase is "all his brothers".  He explains the verse via "דרכי המקראות", pointing out that it is the way of the text not to always be literally precise in its language.¹⁴
• Alternatively, Ibn Ezra points out that realistically it is impossible for any person, and particularly a leader, to please everyone, as man's nature is to be jealous of others and of those in power.

Mordechai's character – These sources read Mordechai positively, and as such, would find it surprising had the Megillah ended with criticism of him.  For elaboration, see Mordechai's Religious Identity.

Relationship to the praise in the rest of the verse – This reading works well with the other descriptions in the verse which similarly aim to laud Mordechai.

Mention of Achashverosh's taxation – According to this position, this fact, too, serves to praise Mordechai:

• R. Galiko suggest that the fact appears only so as to further increase people's respect for Mordechai. Since he was second in command, the greater the prestige of the Persian kingdom, the greater was Mordechai as well.  Ibn Ezra and R. Saba further suggests that the verse might be implying that Achashverosh taxed even those countries not under his control, since they too had begun to fear him in the merit of Mordechai.
• R"A Saba proposes that the text might be implying that though others were taxed, Israel was exempt.  He even suggests that the tax was a punishment to all those who dared join in Haman's rebellion against the Jews.¹⁵  As such, the verse is included as a further demonstration of how the nation benefited from Mordechai's leadership.

"דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי מָדַי וּפָרָס" – R. Saba asserts that the verses are trying to emphasize not only how Mordechai was so accomplished among the Gentiles as to be recorded in their annals, but that he did so while simultaneously being "גָדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים".  He managed to not only remain pious in his position, but also to address the needs of his fellow Jews and even actively seek out their welfare.¹⁶

¹ See Michael Eisenberg, ככה יעשה ליהודי, (Ashkelon, 2016): 175-179.

² See, for instance: Mishna Yevamot 12:2, "בגדול שהוא יכול להלוך בו או בקטן שהוא חופה את רוב רגלו חליצתה כשרה" and Mishna Ketubot 1:10, "אם רוב אנשי העיר משיאין לכהונה הרי זו תנשא לכהונה".

³ י"יFor some of many examples, see Yeshayahu 1:11: "לָמָּה לִּי רֹב זִבְחֵיכֶם יֹאמַר י"י", Yirmeyahu 30:14: "מַכַּת אוֹיֵב הִכִּיתִיךְ מוּסַר אַכְזָרִי עַל רֹב עֲוֺנֵךְ עָצְמוּ חַטֹּאתָיִךְ", and in Esther itself (5:11): "וַיְסַפֵּר לָהֶם הָמָן אֶת כְּבוֹד עׇשְׁרוֹ וְרֹב בָּנָיו".

⁴ See R. Avraham SabaEshkol HaKofer Esther 2:21About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor) who raises the same possible criticism but defends Mordechai's decision by pointing out that it was intended to enable him to save the nation from potential persecution.

⁵ The fact that Mordechai brought about the nation's salvation is not particularly meritorious if he was the one who endangered them to begin with.

⁶ See Esther's Relations with Achashverosh and Why Conceal Esther's Nationality. According to R. Reggio, Mordechai's main concern throughout the story was that Esther be chosen as queen for her own prestige and that of her family, rather than for the good that her position could provide for her nation.

⁷ M. Eisenberg suggests that Megillat Esther intentionally uses the language of "וְדֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכׇל זַרְעוֹ" to recall the similar phrase by Yosef's brothers "וְלֹא יָכְלוּ דַּבְּרוֹ לְשָׁלֹם" (Bereshit 37:4).  The allusion hints to the reader that, by Mordechai too, some Jews "could not speak [of Mordechai] in peace".

⁸ Cf. R. Medan, "‏ומרדכי לא יכרע ולא ישתחוה' – מדוע?‏'", in הדסה היא אסתר, (Jerusalem, 5757): 151-171 who draws a similar portrait of Mordechai, but suggests that by the end of the story Mordechai had repented and returned to his roots. [R. Medan presents this as only one of several possible readings of the leader.]  See Mordechai's Religious Identity.

⁹ The opening "כִּי" of verse 3 implies that the content of the verse contains the cause of the events of the preceding verses.

¹⁰ See Yosef's Economic Policies for elaboration.

¹¹ See examples in note above, or use the One Click Concordance to explore all of the word's appearances.

¹² This meaning might be supported by Esther 1:8: "עַל כָּל רַב בֵּיתוֹ" and Hoshea 8:12: "אֶכְתׇּב] (אכתוב) לוֹ [רֻבֵּי] (רבו) תּוֹרָתִי]".  Both verses seem to be referring to that which is great and honored.

¹³ He points to Esther 4:3: "אֵבֶל גָּדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים וְצוֹם וּבְכִי וּמִסְפֵּד שַׂק וָאֵפֶר יֻצַּע לָרַבִּים" where there is a similar doubling, as the verse speaks first about the mourning of the Jews as a whole and then the sackcloth of the "רַבִּים" in particular.  There too, he suggests that the "רַבִּים" are not the multitudes but the elite.
R. Galiko, following the second Targum, also explains that the word is related to "ריבונות", which he equates with raised status. However, in contrast to the Hoil Moshe, he suggests that the verse is not saying that Mordechai was pleasing to others, but rather that Mordechai was pleased by the stature of his brethren.  Unlike other leaders, he was not jealous of the greatness of those around him.

¹⁴ For a similar example, see how he explains "וַעֲבָדוֹ לְעֹלָם" in Shemot 21:6 to mean that the slave will work, not forever, but "until the end of his days".

¹⁵ See Achashverosh's Shock and Fury for a discussion of R"A Saba's position that Achashverosh had never knowingly agreed to decimate the Jews.  In fact, he admired their wisdom and felt indebted to Mordechai for saving his life, and thus it was only due to Haman's deception that the decree was passed.  As such, he viewed all those who agreed to abide by the edict as worthy of punishment.

¹⁶ B. Walfish in his book, Esther in Medieval Garb, (New York, 1993): 174-177, suggests that R. Saba's words might be an implicit critique of his contemporaries who sacrificed or compromised their beliefs and practices to advance their careers at the royal palace. He points them to Mordechai who did not forsake observance and nonetheless managed to succeed in public office.