[Avodah] Mordechai and Esther

[Eliyahu Grossman]

> From: Eli Turkel <eliturkel at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Avodah] Moshe Rabbenu and his family
> Just came from a shiur of R. Benny Lau and he pointed out that most of our
> impressions of Mordecai and Esther and the Jewish community come from
> midrashim.
> Basing himself strictly on the pshat and what he admitted was a minority
of
> midrashim he had a completely different take on the entire story (He just
> published a book on the topic)
>
> -- 
> Eli Turkel

What is the title of the book? I would be interested in reading it, and
could not find any reference on the Internet.

I recently attended a shuir by a local Rav who spoke of the Midrash that has
Achashveiros celebrating because of the end of the 70 year period of Jewish
exile (with a calculation error) as but one opinion, and that the entire
story takes on a different flavor if you move it before/during/after the
building of the second Temple. Many would have a problem with Mordechai, a
member of the Men of the Great Assembly and leader of the Jews of his area,
remaining a chutznik, taking a cushy job (pun intended), and lots of
benefits rather than following Ezra and Nechamiah. And so making it BEFORE
takes the sting out of it. I personally like to consider all three
possibilities, since my liking seems to vary from reading to reading!

All the best.

Eliyahu Grossman
Efrat, Israel