Mordechai's Religious Identity/2

Mordechai's Religious Identity

Exegetical Approaches

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Spiritual Leader (גדול הדור)

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, Eshkol HaKoferEsther 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 say Mordechai was one of the Sanhedrin.  According to these sources Mordechai was actively involved in leading the nation in a Torah lifestyle.  Thus, Esther Rabbah presents him as warning the nation not to join Achashverosh's party and its accompanying promiscuity and has him teaching Torah to both adults and children.

Keeping Mitzvot – According to all these commentators, Mordechai was a fully observant Jew.  R"A Saba notes how virtuous this makes Mordechai considering that he was both in exile and a servant in the king's court,³ two conditions which would have made many leave their faith.⁴ These sources point to a variety of commandments that Mordechai was involved in including learning Torah,⁵ not bowing to idolatry,⁶ keeping kosher,⁷ and praying.⁸ For most of these, there is no explicit evidence in the Megillah.

"אִישׁ יְהוּדִי" – Many of these commentators⁹ suggest that this extra title is intended to highlight that Mordechai's Judaism was one of his defining characteristics.

• R. Saba asserts that it shows how he managed to be a Jew in all he did, despite the negative influences from the palace and Shushan.¹⁰
• Others suggest a play on words with Esther Rabbah claiming that Mordechai  "ייחד שם ה'"‎ ¹¹and the First Targum suggesting that he was always "מודה ומצלי קדם אלהא", thanking  and praying to Hashem.

Why conceal Esther's religious identity? According to this approach, the secret was meant to aid Esther in her Torah observance:¹²

• Rashi asserts that Mordechai thought that hiding Esther's identity would reduce her chances of becoming queen¹³ and help her avoid the difficulties that palace life would place on maintaining a Jewish lifestyle. 
• According to Ibn Ezra, Mordechai felt that Esther would be better able to keep Hashem's commandments if her Judaism was not known.¹⁴

"וּמׇרְדֳּכַי יֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ" – R. Saba¹⁵ raises a possible criticism of Mordechai for "sitting at the king's gate" and being involved in court life rather than involving himself in Torah.¹⁶  He, nonetheless, defends the decision by pointing out that the verse purposefully adds, "בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם" to suggest that this was only during a specific time period, when the nation was in potential danger. Mordechai only refrained from Torah study because the thought that his positioning might save the nation.

Mordechai's refusal to bow – This approach asserts that Mordechai's action was motivated by a desire to avoid violating a religious prohibition.

• Idolatry – Most claim that Haman had either proclaimed himself a deity¹⁷ or worn an idol on his clothing.¹⁸
• Bowing to a human – On the other hand, R. Yosef Kara says there is a religious prohibition to bow down to an human, unconnected to worship of idolatry.¹⁹

"וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדוֹלָה וּמָרָה" – ?? assume that this cry was a cry to Hashem and hints to Mordechai's prayers.

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

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

Absence of Hashem in the Megillah – The absence of Hashem's name might not connote a lack of religiosity, but might rather be an attempt to prevent desecration of Hashem's name.²⁰

"וְרָצוּי לְרֹב אֶחָיו"

• Critique of Mordechai – Bavli Megillah 16b²¹ explains that Mordechai wasn't acceptable to all his brethren because some of the Sanhedrin withdrew from him once he became second in command and stopped learning.  R"Y Kara alternatively suggests that some people blamed Mordechai for his refusal to bow and its consequences.²²
• Neutral Statement – Ibn Ezra suggests that it is impossible for someone to please everybody while Rashbam suggests that the verse simply means that he was liked by everyone.

Simple Jew (עם הארץ)

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

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 also that it would be strange that he alone of the Sanhedrin was positioned in Shushan while the others were in Jerusalem.

Keeping Mitzvot – According to R. Reggio, Mordechai was an observant, but not particularly knowledgeable Jew.  Observance, moreover, was not always his highest priority, and not something that he necessarily preached to others. Thus, he never warns Esther to uphold belief in one God and reject Persian polytheism or to try and keep the laws of kashrut. Instead, he does all in his power to get her to become queen, despite the fact that it will make observance more difficult.

"אִישׁ יְהוּדִי" – R. Reggio asserts that the Megillah's introduction of Mordechai as an "אִישׁ יְהוּדִי" without any further titles suggests that he had none, 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,²³ and notes that each of these, too, are simply one of the masses.²⁴

Why conceal Esther's religious identity? According to R. Reggio Mordechai made every effort to help Esther become queen.  Since Esther's lowly exilic roots would have lowered her chances, Mordechai advised her to hide them.²⁵ 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, and definitely refrain from such actions if doing so requires hiding one's faith.

"וּמׇרְדֳּכַי יֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ"

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

"וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדוֹלָה וּמָרָה" – According to R. Reggio this cry is not one of prayer, but of pure distress.  Mordechai was so distraught regarding his mistake²⁶ that he was not even capable of thinking clearly and it never even occurred to him to pray to Hashem for salvation.

Mordechai's name

Religious identity of the whole nation

Absence of Hashem in the Megillah

"וְרָצוּי לְרֹב אֶחָיו"

Assimilated Persian

Sources:R. Yaacov Medan²⁷

Keeping Mitzvot

"אִישׁ יְהוּדִי"

Why conceal Esther's religious identity?

"וּמׇרְדֳּכַי יֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ"

Mordechai's refusal to bow

"וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדוֹלָה וּמָרָה"

Mordechai's name

Religious identity of the whole nation

Absence of Hashem in the Megillah

"וְרָצוּי לְרֹב אֶחָיו"

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 who in the end is saved.

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

³ He even asserts  that Mordechai's position might have made him analogous to a slave who is exempt from keeping the commandments altogether.

⁴ 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 compromised their beliefs and practices to advance their careers in the king's court. He points them to Mordechai who managed to maintain his piety and nonetheless succeed in public office.

⁵ See Esther Rabbah 6:2 and 8:7.

⁶ See the point below about Mordechai's refusal to bow.

⁷ R. Saba suggests that Mordechai was upset that the people had eaten at Achashevrosh's party.

⁸ See Septuagint, Second Targum 4:1, Esther Rabbah 8:7, and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer who add a prayer of Mordechai for the salvation of the nation.  See also Bavli Megillah, First Targum, and Shemot Rabbah who mention prayer in other contexts as well.

⁹ Rashi, in contrast, simply explains that he is so called since he was an exile from Judah.

¹⁰ See also the second Targum who asserts that it aludes to Mordechai's sanctifying Hashem's name or Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer who points to his learning of Torah.

¹¹ Cf. Bavli Megilla 12a that he was "יחיד", unique in his generation.

¹² For a full spectrum of approaches to this issue, see Why Conceal Esther's Nationality?

¹³ He assumes that Esther was of royal lineage, being a descendant of Shaul, and wanted to hide this fact from the king.

¹⁴ 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.

¹⁵ Cf. Bavli Megillah 16b and Rashi who say similarly, but with regards to Mordechai's appointment to second in command.

¹⁶ The Bavli suggests that when the Megillah ends by saying that Mordechai was "desired by most of his brethren" this implies that some of his fellow members of the Sanhedrin were upset at this decision. See point below for other understandings of the verse.

¹⁷ See Bavli and Rashi.

¹⁸ See Esther Rabbah, Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer,  Ibn Ezra and R. Saba.

¹⁹ For a full discussion of Mordechai's refusal see Mordechai's Refusal to Bow.

²⁰ See R. Saadia in his introduction to the Megillah, who asserts that Esther and Mordechai knew that the scroll was going to be stored in the royal archives and if Hashem's name were to be mentioned, the Persians would have replaced it with the names of their gods. Esther and Mordechai, thus, decided to omit Hashem's name entirely.

²¹ Followed by Rashi.

²² See Mordechai's Refusal to Bow for a discussion of whether Mordechai's decision was justified, according to R. Yosef' Kara's understanding of his motives.

²³ See how Manoach (Shofetim 13:1), the איש הלוי (Shofetim 19:1), and Kish (Shemuel I 9:1) are all introduced.

²⁴ He further suggests that the Megillah consistently refers to Mordechai as such since it was his Judaism which led him to feel obligated, albeit erroneously,  to refuse to bow, leading to the near catastrophe of the Megillah.  The word, Jew, thus becomes like an adjective marking Mordechai's actions.

²⁵ For elaboration see Why Conceal Esther's Nationality?.

²⁶ See above that Mordechai erroneously believed that one is not allowed to bow to a human.

²⁷ See his article, "‏ומרדכי לא יכרע ולא ישתחוה" – מדוע?‏", in הדסה היא אסתר, (Jerusalem, 1997): 151-171.