<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18876"></HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 10pt" id=role_body bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 rightMargin=7 topMargin=7><FONT id=role_document color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>From: Micha Berger <A href="mailto:micha@aishdas.org">micha@aishdas.org</A><BR><BR> >>
Moreover, there is no mention of Eretz Yisrael or the Beit
Hamikdash<BR> in Megillat Ester, even though the events of Megillat
Ester occurred<BR> in 482 B.C.E., 478 B.C.E., and 473 B.C.E., long
after Cyrus permitted<BR> Jews to return to Eretz Yisrael (539
B.C.E.) and the Beit Hamikdash<BR> was completed (515 B.C.E.).
(This follows the approach of the Daat<BR> Mikra in understanding
the Peshuto Shel Mikra of Ezra-Nechemiah,<BR> especially the order
of Persian emperors that appear in the beginning<BR> of Ezra
chapter four.) <<<BR><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>>>>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>How does this square with the notion that Cyrus was Esther's son (or
grandson)? I guess not everyone agrees that he was.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>However the entire "gefeel" of the Megillah is that the Jews were in galus,
that it was churban time. The fear that they might be wiped out
altogether would surely have been mitigated if some of them were already
living in Eretz Yisrael with the BHM'K rebuilt. It just doesn't sound
right.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><BR></FONT><B><FONT color=#0000ff>--Toby
Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"></B>--------------------</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><BR><BR><BR></FONT> </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>