why did mordecai not bow to hamanaudit assistant manager duties and responsibilities

But Mordecai didn't bow down or pay him homage. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. It is the only book in the Bible like this. See Aaron Kollers introduction to this text, A More Religious Megillat Esther., [9] Targum Sheni is an expansive Aramaic translation of the Esther story, including many midrashic motifs woven seamlessly into the retelling. Browse other questions tagged, Like any library, Mi Yodeya offers tons of great information, but, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Esther - Irony and Providence Introducing Esther 338 Esther is a popular book. [10] Based roughly on B. Grossfelds translation, The Two Targums of Esther, Translated, with Apparatus and Notes (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1991), p. 142. Esther Rabba 7:6 presents what is probably the most popular approach to this issue. He would not compromise his faith even for a man with the authority to build a gallows and have him hung from it (Esther 5:14). Why did haman want to kill all the Jews? - Answers But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence. Rav Meidan notes that this Midrash does not seek to portray Mordechai as wicked. Esther 3:1-6. Es). After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. Mordecai How many brothers did Esther have? These so called friends clearly didnt have the guts to give Haman truthful advice which would actually help. It is clear from within biblical tradition, Mordecai's action cannot be justified in the erroneous belief that Jews only bowed down to God and not humans, a fact refuted by a number of biblical passages such as Genesis 23:7; 43;28; and Exodus 18:7; 1 Kings 1:23) So what motivated Mordecai's behaviour? , . In Gods divine providence He wouldnt let the king sleep and directed the specific records of Mordecais loyal help to divulge the conspiracy. Whether or not God led Mordecai to do this, God used it to accomplish His divine purposes in their lives and for all of the Jews throughout the kingdom. Why Did Mordecai Refuse To Bow To Haman? - Fact and Fantasy 12 Facts About the Wicked Haman - Chabad.org The law in Japan at that time was that anyone who did not bow to the ground when the siren sounded was to be put to death. in Bible from the Bernard Revel Graduate School at Yeshiva University and a J.D. Ibn Ezra and Tosafot (Sanhedrin 61b s.v. They dont want to make waves. Mordecai refusing to bow down to him was just the last straw that encouraged him to set this plan of government sanctioned genocide into action. He had stood by the king and saved him from the plotted death. Elijah 2:18). The reason that Mordecai did not bow down to Haman may have been that He and the Jews would only bow down to God: however the Jews would also bow down to their Kings. 7:3 and 29:29); the verbs also appear in tandem in the Aleinu prayer; we bow down and do obeisance [korim u-mishtahavim] to God alone. [12] This script is based loosely on Grossfelds translation, ibid. Exodus 20 3-5 3 "You shall have no other gods before me. He was observant, active, and loyal. Ahasuerus Who was Esther's cousin? 2:11) we can see he genuinely cared for and loved her. Haman was rich. Susa is the capital city referred to here and was one of four royal Persian cities, the others being Babylon, Ecbatana, and Persepolis. It is clear from within biblical tradition, Mordecai's action cannot be justified in the erroneous belief that Jews only bowed down to God and not humans, a fact refuted by a number of biblical. When and how did Haman amass so much wealth? The same causal link between Benjamin, who was not yet born when Jacob and sons all bowed down to Esau (see Gen. 33:3, 6-7), and Mordecai (of the tribe of Benjamin), is found in Esther Rabbah 7:8. Who was Agag? By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct. Sometimes things look bleak. The Jews did not follow the kings decrees as stated in verse 8, which is strange unless you consider the history of the Jewish captivity. It was never about the bowing. If this is true, then it might have been that Mordecai could not bring himself to bow before such an undeserving and corrupt person. Fate would have it that, in his final test, the only way Mordecai could be a real true, loyal servant of his people and a servant of a master higher than that of the Persian crown was by seeming to covet the symbols of Persia's empire, by seeming to revel in them. The apparent catalyst of Hamans plan to eradicate us was Mordechais refusal to bow to Haman. Mordecai creates the impression, a false impression, to be perfectly frank about it that the palace is on the side of the Jews. Read: Why Didn't Mordecai Just Bow? In addition, the Midrash says that Haman was an astrologer (God's Law forbids astrology), and this . But, in the end, v'nahafoch hu: Things were reversed. (Exodus 22:22-24, Deuteronomy 10:18, Psalms 10:17-18, 68:5, 82:3.) (1) Some time afterward, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite; he advanced him and seated him higher than any of his fellow officials. Esther 3:4. Timothy. Going farther back, Mordecai was descended from the family of Kish, a family name that can be traced all the way back to Sauls father. Why couldnt the king sleep? We find in the Tanach a number of instances when prominent Jews bowed to kings such as the prophet Natan bowing to David (Melachim 1:1:23) and Yosefs brothers bowing to Yosef (Breishit 42:6). Why Did Mordechai Refuse to Bow Down to Haman? by Rabbi - Kol Torah "But Mordecai Would Not Bow." - GEWatkins.net Just imagine again a chess game. Is the executive branch obligated to enforce the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action? On the other hand, Mordechai perceived the situation of the Jews of his time differently. It's easy to assume that Mordecai doesn't bow to Haman, the viceroy who demands fealty, to avoid being idolatrous, or because Mordecai was a Jew. According to this approach, Mordechai recklessly endangered the entire Jewish people because of personal pride. Genesis 47:31 He said, "Swear to me." So he swore to him. And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. Why a kite flying at 1000 feet in "figure-of-eight loops" serves to "multiply the pulling effect of the airflow" on the ship to which it is attached? Prof. Rachel Adelman is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Bostons Hebrew College. The Midrash relates that Mordechai and Haman were once on a boat together and Haman had no food. Because Haman was second in position, only to the king, he was always at the palace. His parade sends the unmistakable signal that Persian officialdom, represented in that big, golden crown stands firmly behind the Jews. In the end, Mordecai would need to impersonate Haman to defeat Haman. window.location.replace(""); But in order to have done all this, Mordecai needed to go against the very thing he had once held so sacrosanct. What are the implications of constexpr floating-point math? Esther 3:5-6King James Version. Ruth May we have the courage and clarity to emulate his example. A better example may be Jacob bowing to his brother Esau. The effect of that parade is like a wave. of Amos Hakham in his Daat Miqra Commentary. In the coming battle, Persian officialdom throughout the empire will tacitly back the Jews. Something went wrong while submitting the form. How did Esther reveal to Achashveroch that Mordechai is her husband. As a Jew, Mordecai would only bow to the Lord God of Israel. Also, according to the Midrash, Haman had an idolatrous image embroidered on his garments. It is very possible that after the events of Daniel in the Lions' den and the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo, that the Babylonian kings, and the Persian kings that followed, realized that exempting Jews from decrees requiring worship of anyone or anything other than their God was better than the rebellion that they faced due to their zealousness for the God of Israel. Why Did Mordecai Not Bow Down to Haman? - TheTorah.com He had a massive ego. I am instead suggesting that the use of the words korim u-mishtachavim in the Megillah text, in and of themselves, can explain to any and all of its readers why Mordechai refuses to bow and kneel to Haman. He could have been tapping his foot too, if you know what I mean. In order for Mordecai to succeed, he needs to understand a deeper truth about what he's always valued. Gen. 23:7, 33:3, 43:28, Exod. If a person of authority is a narcissistic megalomaniac or has another abnormal personality or corrupt character, should believers respect his position? The bad things he planned for his enemies (the towering gallows for Mordecai) God used to execute him. Sarah If you are asking strictly about a text allowing or prohibiting bowing, would examples of Israeli's bowing to David, Solomon, etc., work? Paperback Book You can alsoorder a paperback version of the Character Studies book from Amazon. They guarded the door of the royal palace. Not from disloyalty. However, my cousin Binyamin refused to kneel. Like you said he was a descendant of king Agag, Agag was excecuted by Samuel (1 Samuel 15:33.) The description of this type of obeisance appears in daily Jewish prayers such as the Aleinu, recited at the end of every service, and the mah tovu, (here bowing precedes kneeling) recited at the beginning of the morning service. [12] Most scholars now date the writing of Esther to the late Persian or early Greek period between 400 and 200 B.C.E. Stack Exchange network consists of 182 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. 23. (3 . Haman perceived himself as a competitor to the Ribbono Shel Olam (as well as Achashveirosh) and reinforced this belief by ordering all to bow to him as they would bow to Hashem (Lihavdil). How he died:No evidence is given, but from Esther 10 we can see that like Joseph and Daniel before him, Mordecai rose up to become a powerful leader (2nd in the kingdom) and used this position to protect and help his people. [9] Adelman notes that these two words appear in combination in the Bible only as a gesture of homage to God. A Nonprofit Media Company helping people closely read the Torah to discover its beauty, meaning and relevance, Connect:InstagramTikTokFacebookYoutubeApple PodcastsSpotify, Idolatry: An Attempt to Answer Mordecai's Story, Why Doesn't Mordecai Bow to Haman? Of course not. Satan opposes God every step of the way and also has his pawns he is controlling such as Haman, Hitler, and the Antichrist. He went there everyday to check up on her and give her advice. But Mordecai didnt do as little as he could, perhaps giving her a small room in the attic and using her as a servant like in the story Cinderella, but throughout the book of Esther (cf. (See Josephus and Esther Rabbah 7:5), Ibn Ezra suggests that Haman had idols hanging off his clothing, so that the people bowing to him would be essentially bowing to idols. It only takes a minute to sign up. So why did Mordechai imperil the entire Jewish people by refusing to bow to Haman? As judge, God alone has this right and commanded it because of the incredible evilness of those people as a religion that would become infectious to all people around them. He thought scorn] Literally, it was contemptible in his eyes. Joseph step-father of Jesus He is bringing His plan for His people to fruition. How Did Old Testament Prophets "Earn Their Bread"? 3. Why did only Pinchas (knew how to) respond? God condemned the Amalekites(Deuteronomy 25:19) +1, Agree with the OP's answer as being quite plausible, but would like to add: "We also read of King Sauls failure to fulfill Gods decree when he preserves the life of Agag, the Amalekite king (1 Sam. 1:23, 31. rev2023.7.3.43523. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. 6. 3. Who was Mordecai in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Or it could be because he knew Hamans lineage and because of the family feud between the two groups refused to bow down to him. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. They represented an extremely evil pagan religion known for its worship of fertility gods through immoral acts and baby sacrifices. Guesses include: little boy, or bitter, or warrior, or a follower of Marduk, a false Babylonian god. Agag lived during the time of Saul and was king of the Amalekites (Genesis 36:12, Exodus 17:8-16, 1 Samuel 15). He would need to play with the matches of megalomania to avoid the inferno of genocide. Spam, November 27 2020 It wasn't ever really about the clothes. This is what happens when someone disobeys an egomaniac. They represented an extremely evil pagan religion known for its worship of fertility gods through immoral acts and baby sacrifices. No matter how high you are or how smart you are, it is wise to surround yourselves not with yes men, but with people who will give you the hard truth even if it hurts. 4. Nehemiah A true friend would have cautioned Haman and told him he was playing with fire, however the people gathered around him would have been too scared of Hamans hot temper to tell him this. I understand that (one of) the reason(s) that Mordechai did not bow before Haman was that Haman wore an idol around his neck and therefore bowing to him would (appear to?) entry 9832). Mordecai, a descendant of Sauls line, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin (Est. By employing this language, the Pasuk seeks to compare the two events and teach that Mordechai appropriately followed the model of Yosef to resist powerful people and observe the Torah despite the enormous danger involved. Esther 3:4b for he had told them that he was a Jew. Mordecai was the greatest example of a person staying faithful to his trust and belief in God even under the threat if death He would not bow to a false idol ..let us all follow this example of great honor and faithfulness. Why Did Mordechai Refuse to Bow Down to Haman? - yutorah.org Esther 3-4 HCSB - Haman's Plan to Kill the Jews - After - Bible Gateway If he had practiced humility, he wouldnt have found himself hanging from the gallows. Peter Most people go with the flow. However, this is an assumption! The Malbim says that it wasn't about idolatry, but about a lack of fear for Haman -- Mordechai didn't rise out of fear for any consequence which is why this verse simply indicates that Haman was filled with anger, not anger at the Jews, , The Ralbag says that Mordechai wasn't showing any respect at all. Jonathan is here translated as damage to the king. Purpose To teach the children how fasting can bless their lives. . Rachel Friedman is the founder and Dean of Lamdeinu, the center for Jewish learning in Teaneck, New Jersey. What are the parameters of "one should not return a ruinous report"? He didnt stand nor moved to bow down and prostate himself before Haman. it cant mean something else as Mordechai went horseriding later and in order to do so he would needed to stand up and move his legs. ), Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs whowerebefore the king said, Behold indeed,the gallows standing at Hamans house fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecaiwho spoke good on behalf of the king! And the king said, Hang him on it.. Haman made himself a forbidden image, and Mordechai therefore refused to bow down to him. Why? A wise official would have chosen to ignore Mordecai's "insubordination" so long as they did not observe it themselves, an official who was not a fool would have satisfied themselves with bringing suffering to just Mordecai for the slight he had committed against them. Haman wanted to kill Mordecai and end the disobedience, but could not ask the king to kill Mordecai because the king did not make the order that the leaders at the king's gate must bow. How many hours Esther already fast at the time she go to the palace? As soon as Mordecai heard about the decree, cried and prayed in the streets, wearing sackcloth . Overvoltage protection with ultra low leakage current for 3.3 V, What should be chosen as country of visit if I take travel insurance for Asian Countries. Character Study E-book Study Guide They pointed to Yaakov bowing to Eisav as a precedent for bowing to Haman. The Midrash About the Idol, The Question of Mordecai's Deafening Silence, A Biblical Parallel to Mordecai's Story? (Esther 3:1-6.) Yom Kippur is like Purim because it is in the Temple Service of Yom Kippur that the priests acknowledge with kneeling and bowing on behalf of themselves, the Levites and all of Israelthat God is the king of kings. In examining the history of the Jews during their captivity in Babylon from the book of Daniel, it could very well be that the reason is simply because Mordechai was a Jew. The Jews were content with their lives in the Galut and apparently did not pine for Eretz Yisrael. You will receive a confirmation email shortly. See the comment (ad loc.) to show Zero Degrees of Empathy , This frozen stance shows that ..as far as mordechai is concerned haman is as good as dead - Nigel J Jul 19, 2018 at 14:00 If you are asking strictly about a text allowing or prohibiting bowing, would examples of Israeli's bowing to David, Solomon, etc., work? After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that. Why did Modecai not bow down to Haman? - eBible I saw this studie serie where another reason was giving for nit bowing to Haman, I personally think a answer of why he wouldnt stand for Haman may be found in the answer: Why did Mordechai not stand before Haman? Had the leader of our people, Mordechai, followed the precedent of Yaakov and bowed to Haman, he would have further intensified the assimilation of the Jewish people into Persian society. God had commanded the Israelites to completely wipe out the Amalekites. Bigthana and Teresh were two of the king's officers. For a summary of the alternative versions of the Esther story, see Dr. Elsie Sterns TABS essay,Megillat Esther: A Godless and Assimilated Diaspora.. It likely wasnt a spontaneous thought, but one he had been plotting and scheming about for a long time. Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Mordecai -- a companion of Zerubbabel, also a cousin of Esther, Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular. He fancied that he would be the downfall of all the Jews. Esther 3:1-6 - Bible Study & Commentary - Preacher's Complete The Popes Swiss guards approached him and were ready to harm him until the Pope intervened when Binyamin explained that he is Jewish. And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. You reap what you sow. 5. According to this interpretation, the struggle between Mordechai and Haman was not of a direct religious nature. Mordecai The meaning of his name is only guessed at. Subscribe today to join the conversation.Already a subscriber?Log in here! This is how the enemies of God will meet their fate. Haman's hatred was due to Mordecai's refusal to bow in honor to him ( Esther 3:5 ). (Proverbs 14:19). The Bible shows many encounters between these two peoples (1 Samuel 15:2; 30:17-18; 2 Samuel 1:1; 1 Chronicles 4:41-43). To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. WEB: All the king's servants who were in the king's gate bowed down, and paid homage to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. 15 Where did Ahasuerus reign From India to Ethiopia What did Ahasuerus do in the third year of his reign? Haman plans to kill all the Jews. The leadership of Medinat Yisrael also must make difficult decisions regarding when to follow the model of Yaakovs bowing to Eisav and when to follow Mordechais model of refusing to bow to Haman. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. The answer falls upon one individual that did not bow to Haman's pride. This is doing only what a good and loving relative would do, but many would not be willing. : [4] See e.g. Samuel Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. Both the Babylonians and Persians were super religious peoples and saw how God blessed the Jews for their obedience. Many times He raises up people to accomplish His plans such as Noah, the judges, Samuel, Ezra, Nebuchadnezzar, Esther, Mordecai, Daniel, Nehemiah, John the Baptist, etc. Haman's Plan to Kill the Jews - After all this took place, King Ahasuerus honored Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite. If you set yourself up against God and His people, you will fail. When Haman saw We infer that Haman had not noticed because others also refused to bow or that he had seen and had not acted on the situation. This Midrash states that Haman wove an image of an idol on his clothes so that anyone who bowed to him was bowing to his Avoda Zara. Why Did Haman Wish To Exterminate Jews During His Time In order to act nobly and save his people isn't it curious that Mordecai had to mimic Haman? To strengthen the question, I would add that a direct consequence of this behaviour led Haman to decide to kill the Jews. Rashi, on the other hand, maintains that Haman made himself into a deity (cf. I think I heard somewhere that Haman is a descendant of Amalek and that could've been the reason for the animosity. 2. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! We find in the Tanach a number of instances when prominent Jews bowed to kings such as the prophet Natan bowing to David . Rebekah Looking for advice repairing granite stair tiles, Creating 8086 binary larger than 64 KiB using NASM or any other assembler. The struggle between Mordechai and Haman was then a religious struggle, similar to the struggle of Matityahu the Hasmonean and his sons against the Greek idol and its altar. This show both his keen sense of responsibility and his compassion. Yaakov sets an appropriate example of swallowing some nationalistic, familial, and personal pride in order to save his nation-family. It would make his skin crawl but he would have to do it. Recall that Chazal assert that Haman is a descendant of King Agag of Amalek (hence, the Megilla repeatedly refers to Haman as Haaggagi) and that Amalek is the grandson of Eisav. Whether people see Him or recognize what He is doing or not, He is directing history. But Mordecai didn't bow down or pay him homage. Are you the self-serving loyalist, or the true champion of an ideal larger than yourself? Asked July 17 2016 Changing non-standard date timestamp format in CSV using awk/sed. People hear about what happened, and they react. Gods divine providence arranges circumstances to accomplish His own plans. Jacob A Religious Confrontation Midrash Esther 7:6. Esther 1:12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him. // Javascript URL redirection It could be because of the commandment in the Mosaic law not to bow down to idols (Ex 20:4-6). The . Why didn't Mordecai bow to Haman? Esther 3:1-3 - YouTube The defiance of Mordechai as he refuses to bow to Haman is a pivotal moment in the Purim story. Mordecai saves the king's life. As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego told Nebuchadnezzar, "If you're going to throw us in the furnace for not bowing to your idol, go ahead, because we are not bowing," In essence, Mordecai's . The Pope, in turn, placed his hand on Binyamins head and blessed him in Hebrew, saying Yevarechecha Elokim Bni. Mr. Toib followed the example of Mordechai in his refusal to kneel to the Pope, even at risk to his life. So my question is, at least according to the opinion that the lack of bowing was because of the idol, why did Mordechai refuse to stand or even move before Haman? Mordecai and Haman Character Study Bible Notes They would say whatever they thought he would like to hear to assuage his hurt feelings and stoke his ego.

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