<BODY><P>RZS:</P>
<P>>></P>
<P>That's very nice, and fits well with the Malbim's take on what was going<BR>on behind the scenes (which IMHO was meant more as a commentary on 19th<BR>century German politics than on what he thought the megillah really means).</P>
<P>>></P>
<P>I find this statement extraordinary. Why do you think this is the case? I'm certainly willing to be convinced, but on the face of it I am *very* skeptical of the accuracy of this statement.</P>
<P>I find perfectly plausible that, for example, Shakespeare's Macbeth contains references to contemporary British politics (the ascension of James I to the throne). Macbeth is, after all, a dramatic work meant to entertain his contemporary audience. Why would the Malbim base his commentary on a book of the Tanach on a transient political situation? </P>
<P>Saul Mashbaum</P></BODY>