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<font size="-1"><font face="Arial">Of course you can have it both
ways. Midrashim can contradict one another, because they aren't
literal. Or needn't be literal. For example, the midrash says that
Darius is the son of Ahasuerus and Esther. The midrash also says that
Ahasuerus never slept with Esther; that an angel came and took her
place. Each of those midrashim may teach something different in its
own context. Because that's what midrashim are. They're stories meant
to teach a lesson (or lessons). In some cases, they use factual events
to illustrate the lesson, and in other cases, they use fiction. But
the factualness of the details of the midrash are irrelevant to the
lesson(s).<br>
<br>
Lisa<br>
</font></font><br>
On 10/14/2013 11:10 PM, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:cantorwolberg@cox.net">cantorwolberg@cox.net</a> wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:DC6F7D35-0904-4ACE-BB18-34324FA6FF0B@cox.net"
type="cite"> <span style="font-size: 19px;">So how can you say the
Jews were offered it when they already were observing it from the
moment </span><br>
<div><span style="font-size: 19px;"> </span><span
style="font-size: 19px;">the first Jew enters the scene. How then,
can you explain that G-d went to the different nations offering</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 19px;"> them something already observed
by the Jews? In addition, if the ovos were observing Torah, then it </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 19px;"> was a fait accompli.</span></div>
</blockquote>
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