Mordechai's Religious Identity/2

Mordechai's Religious Identity

Exegetical Approaches

Overview

The vast majority of commentators assume that Mordechai was not only an observant Jew, but the spiritual leader of Persian Jewry.  According to them, Mordechai maintained his piety while serving in a position of political power and also tried to ensure that Esther and the entire nation acted similarly. As such, the Megillah is the story of a righteous hero who helps to save his nation from both physical and spiritual destruction.

A small group of commentators, though, portray Mordechai in a less favorable light. R. Reggio depicts him as a layman who was not a particularly knowledgeable Jew and was willing to compromise his observance for personal gain.  Accordingly, it was Esther, rather than Mordechai, who saved the nation, and Megillat Esther tells the tale of life in exile without proper leadership and of how Hashem never abandons His nation.  R. Medan goes a step further in presenting Mordechai as a completely assimilated Jew who cared more for his personal honor than his nation. For him, the Megillah records the story of how Mordechai ultimately reconnected with his Jewish roots and conveys the enduring lesson that assimilation does not protect from anti-semitism.

Gadol HaDor (Spiritual Leader of the Generation)

Mordechai was a pious leader of the Jewish community of Persia, who was not only punctilious in his own religious observance but also attempted to aid his brethren in maintaining their faith.

Sources:SeptuagintEsther section A, vss. 1-11Esther 2:20Esther section C, vss. 1-11Esther section A, vss. 1-11About the Septuagint, Seder Olam Rabbah20About Seder Olam Rabbah, BavliMegillah 12bMegillah 13bMegillah 15aMegillah 16bMenachot 65aAbout the Bavli, First Targum of Megillat Esther2:52:11About First Targum of Megillat Esther, Second Targum of Megillat Esther2:5-64:1About Second Targum of Megillat Esther, Shemot Rabbah38:4About Shemot Rabbah, Esther Rabbah6:27:138:58:7About Esther Rabbah, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer(Higger) 49About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, RashiEsther 2:5Esther 2:10-11Esther 2:22Esther 3:2Esther 2:22Megillah 16b s.v. שפירשו, מעיקראAbout R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, R. Yosef KaraEsther Version B 2:5-6Esther Version B 2:19-20Esther Version B 10:3About R. Yosef Kara, RashbamEsther 2:6Esther 10:3About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraEsther Version A 2:9Esther Version A 10:3Esther Version B 2:5Esther Version B 2:11Esther Version B 3:4About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. Avraham SabaEsther 2:5-8Esther 2:21Esther 3:4Esther 10:3About R. Avraham Saba

What type of leader? Seder Olam Rabbah asserts that Mordechai was a prophet,¹ while the Bavli and many in its wake² maintain that Mordechai was a member of the Sanhedrin.³  According to these sources, Mordechai was actively involved in encouraging the nation to lead a Torah lifestyle.⁴

Keeping Mitzvot – According to all of these commentators, Mordechai was a fully observant Jew.⁵  R"A Saba notes how virtuous this makes Mordechai, considering that he was both in exile and a servant in the king's court,⁶ either of which would have caused many to abandon their faith.⁷

"אִישׁ יְהוּדִי" – Many of these commentators⁸ suggest that this appellation is intended to highlight that Mordechai's Judaism was one of his defining characteristics.⁹

Why conceal Esther's religious identity? According to this approach, keeping this secret was meant to aid Esther in her Torah observance:¹⁰

• Rashi asserts that Mordechai thought that hiding Esther's identity would reduce her chances of becoming queen¹¹ and help her avoid the difficulties that palace life would place on maintaining a Jewish lifestyle. 
• According to Ibn Ezra, Mordechai felt that if Esther's religious affiliation was not publicly known, she would be better able to keep Hashem's commandments in the palace.¹²

"וּמׇרְדֳּכַי יֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ" – R. Saba¹³ raises a possible criticism of Mordechai for "sitting at the king's gate" and being involved in court life rather than immersing himself in Torah.¹⁴  He, nonetheless, defends the decision by pointing out that Mordechai refrained from Torah study only because he thought that his position might save the nation.¹⁵

Mordechai's refusal to bow – This approach asserts that Mordechai's action was motivated by a desire to avoid violating a religious prohibition. For a full discussion, see Mordechai's Refusal to Bow.

• Idolatry – Most of these commentators claim that Haman had either proclaimed himself to be a deity¹⁶ or worn an idol on his clothing.¹⁷
• Bowing to a human – On the other hand, R. Yosef Kara says there is a religious prohibition to bow down to any human, even if unconnected to idolatry.

"וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדוֹלָה וּמָרָה" – The Septuagint, Second Targum, Esther Rabbah, and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer all presumably draw on this verse when they interpolate into the story of the Megillah a prayer of Mordechai for salvation.  They assume that the anguished cry of Mordechai was a cry and plea to Hashem.

Mordechai's name – Mordechai's name seems to be related to that of the foreign god, Marduk, a strange choice for an observant Jew.  Bavli Chulin 139b distances itself from this possibility by suggesting that his name is a play on the words "מר דרור".

Why was Mordechai in exile? According to Bavli MenachotMenachot 65aAbout the Bavli, Mordechai is identical to Mordechai Bilshan, one of the early returnees to Israel with Zerubavel after the declaration of Cyrus (Ezra 2:2).  If so, he only subsequently returned to Persia, perhaps as an emissary to help and persuade the remaining Jews to make aliyah.

Religious identity of the whole nation – Bavli Megillah and others following it assert that the nation sinned in participating in Achashverosh's party.  R. Saba even suggests that Esther's fast was intended to atone for the nation's eating at the party. He further asserts that all except Mordechai bowed down to Haman, and that Mordechai's refusal was a corrective act.

Absence of Hashem in the Megillah – According to R. Saadia Gaon, the absence of Hashem's name does not connote a lack of religiosity, but might rather be an attempt to prevent the desecration of Hashem's name, as the Megillah's story was to be recorded in the Persian royal annals.¹⁸

"וְרָצוּי לְרֹב אֶחָיו"

• Critique of Mordechai – Bavli Megillah 16b¹⁹ explains that Mordechai was acceptable only to "most of his brethren" because some of the Sanhedrin withdrew their support from him once he became second to the king and spent less time studying Torah.  R"Y Kara alternatively suggests that some people blamed Mordechai for his refusal to bow and its consequences.²⁰
• Neutral statement – Rashbam suggests that the verse simply means that he was liked by everyone, while Ibn Ezra suggests that it is impossible for anyone to please everyone.

Simple Jew

Mordechai was a layman.  Though he was not assimilated, he was not particularly knowledgeable in matters of Jewish law.

Sources:R. Y"S ReggioEsther pp. 6-10Esther pp. 15-16About R. Yitzchak Shemuel Reggio

Keeping Mitzvot – According to R. Reggio, though Mordechai was generally observant, his religion was not always his highest priority, and not something that he necessarily preached to others. Thus, he never warned Esther to reject Persian polytheism or to adhere to the laws of kashrut. Indeed, he did all in his power to help her become queen, despite the fact that this would make her observance more difficult.

"אִישׁ יְהוּדִי" – R. Reggio asserts that the Megillah's introduction of Mordechai as simply an "אִישׁ יְהוּדִי", without any additional titles, suggests that he had no special religious role, being only a layperson and not a spiritual leader. He points to other Biblical characters who are similarly introduced only by their name and location,²¹ and notes that each of these are also simply common folk.²²

Member of the Sanhedrin? R. Reggio counters those who assert that Mordechai was a member of the Sanhedrin by pointing out that not only is there no hint to this in the text but that it would also be strange that he alone of the Sanhedrin was living in Shushan while the others were in Israel.

Why conceal Esther's religious identity? According to R. Reggio, this was part of Mordechai's efforts to help Esther become queen.²³  Since Esther's lowly origins would have reduced her chances to be selected, Mordechai advised her to conceal them.²⁴ R. Reggio evaluates Mordechai's actions here negatively, asserting that he should not have desired that his relative sit on the throne with a polytheist who prayed to the sun. Moreover, he maintains that if becoming queen required hiding one's faith and made observance more difficult,²⁵ it should never have even been a consideration.

Mordechai's refusal to bow – R. Reggio suggests that, in his ignorance, Mordechai mistakenly assumed that one may not bow to a human, and that he thereby endangered the entire nation with his erroneous piety.²⁶

"וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדוֹלָה וּמָרָה" – According to R. Reggio, this cry is not one of prayer, but of pure distress.  Mordechai was so distraught that his mistaken refusal to bow²⁷ had led to such disastrous consequences that he was not capable of thinking clearly and it did not even occur to him to pray to Hashem for salvation.²⁸

"וּמׇרְדֳּכַי יֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ" – R.Reggio asserts that this verse teaches that Mordechai held some position of authority in the palace.

Religious identity of the whole nation – According to R. Reggio, the religiosity of the Jews of Shushan was similar to that of Mordechai; they, too, were simple laypeople.

Absence of Hashem in the Megillah – As Mordechai was neither a particularly pious person nor a spiritual leader, Hashem was not consistently in his thoughts or speech, and thus God's name is missing from the mouths of the Megillah's protagonists.

Mordechai's name – R. Reggio does not address the Babylonian origins of Mordechai's name.

"גָדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים וְרָצוּי לְרֹב אֶחָיו" – R. Reggio asserts that even at the end of the story, Mordechai is considered great in the eyes of his brethren only because of his position as second to the king, but not because of his Torah knowledge or exemplary character. In fact, some may have even viewed him negatively since they felt that he chased after honor.

Message of the Megillah – This portrait of Mordechai makes one wonder why the story of Megillat Esther would have been included in Tanakh. It is possible that, according to this reading, the Megillah comes to teach that even in exile, when Hashem's presence is not always felt, He still cares for His Nation and protects them.

Assimilated Persian

Mordechai was a secular Jew who was completely assimilated into Persian society and initially cared little about his nation.

Sources:One option developed by R. Yaacov Medan²⁹

Keeping Mitzvot – R. Medan suggests that Mordechai might have been disconnected from his Judaism and a full part of Persian society.  Though he had the opportunity to return to Israel with the proclamation of Cyrus, he decided against doing so.

"אִישׁ יְהוּדִי" – This approach might suggest that this title has nothing to do with Mordechai's connection to his Judaism, but rather points to his having been exiled from the province of Judea.

"וּמׇרְדֳּכַי יֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ" – Mordechai had fully acculturated, involving himself in Persian politics and working his way up to a position of prominence in the king's court. The ensuing difficulties in observance did not deter him as he was not attempting to maintain a Jewish lifestyle.

Mordechai's name – Mordechai's name, recalling that of the Babylonian god, Marduk, might be evidence of his total assimilation.  Unlike by Esther, there is not even a record that he had an alternative Hebrew name.

Why conceal Esther's religious identity? R. Medan suggests that Mordechai was embarrassed by their Jewish roots and therefore counseled Esther to hide her origins.  It is possible that Mordechai attempted to hide his own Jewish identity as well, but at some point was forced to reveal it.³⁰

Mordechai's refusal to bow – This act of disobedience was prompted not by any religious motives but by a personal rivalry with Haman. After having just saved the king's life, Mordechai did not view himself as subordinate to Haman and thus refused to acknowledge Haman's authority.  He did not give a second thought as to how this might affect his nation.

"וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדוֹלָה וּמָרָה" – This position could posit that this was the turning point in Mordechai's life. When he realized the consequences of his actions, he set out to correct them and, in so doing, returned to both his nation and Hashem.

Absence of Hashem in the Megillah – This position might suggest that the absence of Hashem's name in the Megillah reflects that both Mordechai's and the nation's lives were devoid of devotion to Hashem.

Biblical parallels – R. Medan suggests that there are similarities between Mordechai and Moshe.  During the earlier stages of their lives, each was detached from his brethren and had ties to the king's palace.  Moshe may have even been swayed by Yitro's religious beliefs.³¹ Nonetheless at the crucial moment, each one assumes the leadership mantle and dedicates the rest of his life to saving and helping his nation.

Religious identity of the whole nation – It is possible that many of the Jews of Shushan were similarly assimilated.  Like Mordechai, they had opted to remain in exile, and were perhaps quite comfortable in Persian society.

Message of the Megillah – According to this approach, the Megillah is as much a story about a return to Hashem and one's roots as it is about salvation from physical destruction.

¹ Cf. Bavli Megillah 15a.  See also the Septuagint and Esther Rabbah 8:5 who present Mordechai as having a prophetic dream about two dragons coming to destroy a small nation which in the end is saved, portending the events of the Megillah.

² See, for example: Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Rashi, R"Y Kara, Rashbam, and R. Saba.

³ See below that R. Reggio rejects this claim for having no basis in the text of the Megillah.

⁴ Thus, for example, Esther Rabbah presents Mordechai as warning the nation not to participate in Achashverosh's party and its accompanying promiscuity.

⁵ Esther Rabbah (6:2, 8:7) presents Mordechai as studying Torah.  The Septuagint, Second Targum 4:1, Esther Rabbah 8:7, and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer add a prayer which he offered for the salvation of the nation. See also Bavli Megillah, First Targum, and Shemot Rabbah, who mention prayer in other contexts as well. R. Saba also emphasizes Mordechai's observance of kashrut.  However, there is no explicit evidence in the Megillah for any of these.

⁶ He even asserts  that Mordechai's position might have made him analogous to a slave who is exempt from keeping the commandments altogether.

⁷ 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 court. He points them to Mordechai who managed to maintain his piety and nonetheless succeed in public office.

⁸ Rashi, in contrast, simply explains that he is designated as such since he was an exile from Judah.

⁹ R. Saba asserts that it shows how he managed to be a Jew in all of his actions, despite the negative influences from the palace and Shushan.  Others suggest a play on words, with Esther Rabbah claiming that Mordechai "‏ייחד שם ה'‏‎‏"‎  and the First Targum suggesting that he was always "מודה ומצלי קדם אלהא", thanking and praying to Hashem. See also Bavli Megillah 12a that he was "יחיד", unique in his generation.

¹⁰ For a full spectrum of approaches to this issue, see Why Conceal Esther's Nationality?

¹¹ He assumes that Esther was of royal lineage, being a descendant of Shaul, and that Mordechai wanted to hide this fact from the king.

¹² Ibn Ezra assumes that if her religion were known the king would have actively forced Esther to transgress commandments, but if no one knew, they might not notice if she observed commandments in secret.

¹³ Cf. Bavli Megillah 16b and Rashi who say similarly regarding Mordechai's appointment as second to the king.

¹⁴ See above that R. Saba might be subtly criticizing contemporaries who abandoned Torah study and observance in order to rise to positions of prominence.

¹⁵ He points out that the verse purposely adds, "בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם", to suggest that this was only during a specific time period, when the nation was in potential danger.

¹⁶ See Bavli Megillah 19a and Rashi.

¹⁷ See Esther Rabbah, Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer, Ibn Ezra, and R. Saba.

¹⁸ In his introduction to the Megillah, R. Saadia asserts that Esther and Mordechai knew that the scroll was going to be stored in the royal archives.  Thus, if Hashem's name were to be mentioned, the Persians would have replaced it with the names of their gods. Esther and Mordechai therefore decided to omit Hashem's name entirely.

¹⁹ Rashi adopts this interpretation.

²⁰ See Mordechai's Refusal to Bow for a discussion of R. Yosef' Kara's position on whether Mordechai's decision was justified.

²¹ Cf. the Biblical introductions to Manoach (Shofetim 13:1), the "איש הלוי" (Shofetim 19:1), and Kish (Shemuel I 9:1).

²² He further suggests that the Megillah consistently refers to Mordechai as a "יהודי", since it was his Judaism which led him to feel obligated, albeit erroneously,  to refuse to bow, leading to the near catastrophe.

²³ According to R. Reggio, even later when Haman makes his decree, Mordechai is less fearful for the fate of the nation (whom he was confident would find salvation "from some other source") than he was of the possibility that Esther would lose her position!

²⁴ For elaboration, see Why Conceal Esther's Nationality?.

²⁵ In contrast to Ibn Ezra above who thought that secrecy would abet observance, R. Reggio maintains the opposite.  He assumes that there was no religious persecution in the palace, and if Esther had asked for Kosher food due to her religious convictions, her request would have been honored.

²⁶ See Mordechai's Refusal to Bow for elaboration.

²⁷ See above that Mordechai erroneously believed that one is not allowed to bow to a human.

²⁸ According to R. Reggio, if the fate of the nation was solely in Mordechai's hands all would have been lost.  It was only Esther's proactive behavior that brought salvation.  Mordechai had not even thought of speaking to her, and it was only because Esther heard his cries, that she inquired as to what was going on.  Even then, Mordechai was interested only in keeping Esther on the throne and not is saving the nation. It was Esther on her own who decided to call a fast and to work to save the nation.

²⁹ See his article, "‏ומרדכי לא יכרע ולא ישתחוה' – מדוע?‏'", in הדסה היא אסתר, (Jerusalem, 5757): 151-171.  This is one of several options raised in the article.

³⁰ It is possible that it is first during the clash with Haman that his own Judaism became known, but beforehand, as he was rising in power, everyone was unaware of it.

³¹ R. Medan points to the opinion brought by R. Elazar HaModai in Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael that suggests that Moshe made a pact with Yitro that one of his sons would not be circumcised and raised as a polytheist.  For a full discussion of this episode, see Mystery at the Malon.