[Avodah] Mordechai and Esther

[Micha Berger]

Part of this discussion, as it meandered on Areivim, was identifying
Mordechai's Jewish name if "Mordechai" was merely his civil one.

RSBA wrote that it was "Pesachyah".
: Ayen Mesechta Shekalim 5:1 "Pesachya zeh Mordechai"

Other candidates: Ezra, Mal'akhi (both identifications made on Megillah
15a). Also, was Balshan a title (Menachos 65a) because of his skill with
languages, or another name?

So we know he had one, we don't know what it is.

Esther = Hadasah is in the megillah, so for her we /know/ there was a
distinct name that was clearly Hebrew.

But whether Mordekhai and Esther were actually named /for/ AZ, Marduk
and Ishtar were two of the three leading gods of their host country. I
can't see how any of his local contemporaries could have heard "Mordechai"
without hearing echos of "Marduk". It's an odd choice of name regardless
of causality.

And Marduk and Ishtar were known in Malkhus Yehudah before he was expeled
from it -- although under Canaani names. Molekh worship went on in a
hellish valley (pun intended) right outside Y-m, and heretics placed
Asheiros right by Har haBayis! Identifying Baal/El with the One True G-d,
they consecrated things to Him and his purpoted "wife", Asheirah. This
is attested to in both Nakh and digs at the mountain.

With the worship already there, and the conquering country and leading
empire using these other names, it is implausible that a homonym was
not noticed. Even if they had perfectly Jewish intent, it would be a
really oddball thing for two close relatives to have names that sounded
so treif and neither was noticed at the time.

And even if the unlikely had happened, it screams Yad Hashem, and would
require analyzing why the RBSO wanted them to be called by something
that the non-Jews would be so at home with. (Not a difficult question.)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 41st day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        5 weeks and 6 days in/toward the omer.
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