[Avodah] Ratzuy l'Rov Echav

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 07:58:57PM +0000, rabbirichwolpoe at gmail.com wrote:
: Somone said that the reason had to do with Mordechai abandoning Israel
: and going back to Persia etc. Does anyone know a source for connecting
: this idea to this Passuq?

>From RCJachter's column at
http://koltorah.org/ravj/15-24_Why_is_Megillat_Ester_Written_in_Such_a_Secular_Style.htm
or http://bit.ly/aW7afQ

    Moreover, there is no mention of Eretz Yisrael or the Beit Hamikdash
    in Megillat Ester, even though the events of Megillat Ester occurred
    in 482 B.C.E., 478 B.C.E., and 473 B.C.E., long after Cyrus permitted
    Jews to return to Eretz Yisrael (539 B.C.E.) and the Beit Hamikdash
    was completed (515 B.C.E.). (This follows the approach of the Daat
    Mikra in understanding the Peshuto Shel Mikra of Ezra-Nechemiah,
    especially the order of Persian emperors that appear in the beginning
    of Ezra chapter four.)

Now, if we identify Mordechai with the one in Ezra (or one of the other
known olim in seifer Ezra), then he had to have left again in order to
later be in Shushan for the Purim story.

See also Megillah 17b:
    "Veratzui lerov echav" -- teaches that some of the Sanhedrin
    separated from him.
    Rav Yosef said: Talmud Torah is greater than hatzalas nefashos.
    For in the beginning Mordechai was after 4 [people] in importance, 
    and at the end, we was after 5. In the begining it says "Who cam
    with Zerubavel: Yeishua, Nechemyah, Serayah, Re'eilyah, Mordekhai
    Bilshon..." (Ezra 2:2). In the end it says "Those who were coming
    with Zerubavel: Yeishua, Nechemyah, Azaryah,  Ra'amyah, Nachamani,
    Mordechai Bilshan" (Nechemiah 7:6)

All of which shows it's possible to explain "lerov echav" on those
grounds. Which is short of finding someone who actually does.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "And you shall love H' your G-d with your whole
micha at aishdas.org        heart, your entire soul, and all you own."
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