Esther powerpoint 4

The Mystery of The Mystery of Esther’s NinthEsther’s Ninth

A powerpoint companion toA powerpoint companion toThe Day After: A Megillah RetrospectiveThe Day After: A Megillah Retrospective

Lecture 4Lecture 4By Rabbi David FohrmanBy Rabbi David Fohrman

The Theme of Chapter NineThe Theme of Chapter Nine

The bulk of chapter nine details the efforts of The bulk of chapter nine details the efforts of Mordechai and Esther to take what was at first a Mordechai and Esther to take what was at first a spontaneous celebration of the Jews on the day spontaneous celebration of the Jews on the day they won their victory, and turn it into an they won their victory, and turn it into an officially recognized Jewish holiday, which officially recognized Jewish holiday, which would be observed in perpetuity.would be observed in perpetuity.

There is, however, a significant digression right There is, however, a significant digression right in the middle of this chronicle…in the middle of this chronicle…

c,fhu c,fhu

lknv ,ubhsn kfc rat ohsuvhv kf kt ohrpx jkahu vktv ohrcsv ,t hfsrnlknv ,ubhsn kfc rat ohsuvhv kf kt ohrpx jkahu vktv ohrcsv ,t hfsrn

asjk rag vgcrt ouh ,t ohag ,uhvk ovhkg ohe k ohe ujrvu ohcure v auruajtasjk rag vgcrt ouh ,t ohag ,uhvk ovhkg ohe k ohe ujrvu ohcure v auruajt

ovhchutn ohsuvhv ovc ujb rat ohnhf vbau vba kfc uc rag vanj ouh ,tu rstovhchutn ohsuvhv ovc ujb rat ohnhf vbau vba kfc uc rag vanj ouh ,tu rst

vjnau v,an hnh o,ut ,uagk cuy ouhk kctnu vjnak iud hn ovk lpvb rat asjvuvjnau v,an hnh o,ut ,uagk cuy ouhk kctnu vjnak iud hn ovk lpvb rat asjvu

,tu ,uagk ukjv rat ,t ohsuvhv kce u ohbuhctk ,ub,nu uvgrk aht ,ubn jukanu,tu ,uagk ukjv rat ,t ohsuvhv kce u ohbuhctk ,ub,nu uvgrk aht ,ubn jukanu

caj ohsuvhv kf rrm hd d tv t,snv ic inv hf caj ohsuvhv kf rrm hd d tv t,snv ic inv hf ovhkt hfsrn c,f ratovhkt hfsrn c,f rat

rnt lknv hbpk vtccu osctku onvk krud v tuv rup khpvu osctk ohsuvhv kgrnt lknv hbpk vtccu osctku onvk krud v tuv rup khpvu osctk ohsuvhv kg

uhbc ,tu u ,t uk,u uatr kg ohsuvhv kg caj rat vgrv u ,cajn cuah rpxv oguhbc ,tu u ,t uk,u uatr kg ohsuvhv kg caj rat vgrv u ,cajn cuah rpxv og

,rd tv hrcs kf kg if kg rupv oa kg ohrup vktv ohnhk utre if kg .gv kg,rd tv hrcs kf kg if kg rupv oa kg ohrup vktv ohnhk utre if kg .gv kg

ovhkg ohsuvhv kce u unheovhkg ohsuvhv kce u unhe ovhkt ghd v vnu vff kg utr vnu ,tzv ovhkt ghd v vnu vff kg utr vnu ,tzv

oc,ff vktv ohnhv hba ,t ohag ,uhvk rucgh tku ovhkg ohukbv kf kgu ogrz kguoc,ff vktv ohnhv hba ,t ohag ,uhvk rucgh tku ovhkg ohukbv kf kgu ogrz kgu

vjpanu vjpan rusu rus kfc ohagbu ohrfzb vktv ohnhvu vbau vba kfc obnzfuvjpanu vjpan rusu rus kfc ohagbu ohrfzb vktv ohnhvu vbau vba kfc obnzfu

;uxh tk orfzu ohsuvhv lu ,n urcgh tk vktv ohrupv hnhu rhgu rhgu vbhsnu vbhsn;uxh tk orfzu ohsuvhv lu ,n urcgh tk vktv ohrupv hnhu rhgu rhgu vbhsnu vbhsn

,t ohe k ;e , kf ,t hsuvhv hfsrnu khjhct ,c vfknv r,xt c,f,u ogrzn,t ohe k ;e , kf ,t hsuvhv hfsrnu khjhct ,c vfknv r,xt c,f,u ogrzn

vtnu ohragu gca kt ohsuvhv kf kt ohrpx jkahu ,hbav ,tzv ohrupv ,rd tvtnu ohragu gca kt ohsuvhv kf kt ohrpx jkahu ,hbav ,tzv ohrupv ,rd t

ratf ovhbnzc vktv ohrpv hnh ,t ohe k ,ntu ouka hrcs auruajt ,ufkn vbhsnratf ovhbnzc vktv ohrpv hnh ,t ohe k ,ntu ouka hrcs auruajt ,ufkn vbhsn

,unm v hrcs ogrz kgu oapb kg unhe ratfu vfknv r,xtu hsuvhv hfsrn ovhkg ohe,unm v hrcs ogrz kgu oapb kg unhe ratfu vfknv r,xtu hsuvhv hfsrn ovhkg ohe

rpxc c,fbu vktv ohrpv hrcs ohe r,xt rntnu o,e gzurpxc c,fbu vktv ohrpv hrcs ohe r,xt rntnu o,e gzu

The efforts of Mordechai and Esther to make Purim “official”

c,fhu c,fhu

lknv ,ubhsn kfc rat ohsuvhv kf kt ohrpx jkahu vktv ohrcsv ,t hfsrnlknv ,ubhsn kfc rat ohsuvhv kf kt ohrpx jkahu vktv ohrcsv ,t hfsrn

asjk rag vgcrt ouh ,t ohag ,uhvk ovhkg ohe k ohe ujrvu ohcure v auruajtasjk rag vgcrt ouh ,t ohag ,uhvk ovhkg ohe k ohe ujrvu ohcure v auruajt

ovhchutn ohsuvhv ovc ujb rat ohnhf vbau vba kfc uc rag vanj ouh ,tu rstovhchutn ohsuvhv ovc ujb rat ohnhf vbau vba kfc uc rag vanj ouh ,tu rst

vjnau v,an hnh o,ut ,uagk cuy ouhk kctnu vjnak iud hn ovk lpvb rat asjvuvjnau v,an hnh o,ut ,uagk cuy ouhk kctnu vjnak iud hn ovk lpvb rat asjvu

,tu ,uagk ukjv rat ,t ohsuvhv kce u ohbuhctk ,ub,nu uvgrk aht ,ubn jukanu,tu ,uagk ukjv rat ,t ohsuvhv kce u ohbuhctk ,ub,nu uvgrk aht ,ubn jukanu

caj ohsuvhv kf rrm hd d tv t,snv ic inv hfcaj ohsuvhv kf rrm hd d tv t,snv ic inv hf ovhkt hfsrn c,f ratovhkt hfsrn c,f rat




ovhkg ohsuvhv kce u unheovhkg ohsuvhv kce u unhe ovhkt ghd v vnu vff kg utr vnu ,tzvovhkt ghd v vnu vff kg utr vnu ,tzv

oc,ff vktv ohnhv hba ,t ohag ,uhvk rucgh tku ovhkg ohukbv kf kgu ogrz kguoc,ff vktv ohnhv hba ,t ohag ,uhvk rucgh tku ovhkg ohukbv kf kgu ogrz kgu

vjpanu vjpan rusu rus kfc ohagbu ohrfzb vktv ohnhvu vbau vba kfc obnzfuvjpanu vjpan rusu rus kfc ohagbu ohrfzb vktv ohnhvu vbau vba kfc obnzfu

;uxh tk orfzu ohsuvhv lu ,n urcgh tk vktv ohrupv hnhu rhgu rhgu vbhsnu vbhsn;uxh tk orfzu ohsuvhv lu ,n urcgh tk vktv ohrupv hnhu rhgu rhgu vbhsnu vbhsn

,t ohe k ;e , kf ,t hsuvhv hfsrnu khjhct ,c vfknv r,xt c,f,u ogrzn,t ohe k ;e , kf ,t hsuvhv hfsrnu khjhct ,c vfknv r,xt c,f,u ogrzn

vtnu ohragu gca kt ohsuvhv kf kt ohrpx jkahu ,hbav ,tzv ohrupv ,rd tvtnu ohragu gca kt ohsuvhv kf kt ohrpx jkahu ,hbav ,tzv ohrupv ,rd t

ratf ovhbnzc vktv ohrpv hnh ,t ohe k ,ntu ouka hrcs auruajt ,ufkn vbhsnratf ovhbnzc vktv ohrpv hnh ,t ohe k ,ntu ouka hrcs auruajt ,ufkn vbhsn

,unm v hrcs ogrz kgu oapb kg unhe ratfu vfknv r,xtu hsuvhv hfsrn ovhkg ohe,unm v hrcs ogrz kgu oapb kg unhe ratfu vfknv r,xtu hsuvhv hfsrn ovhkg ohe

rpxc c,fbu vktv ohrpv hrcs ohe r,xt rntnu o,e gzurpxc c,fbu vktv ohrpv hrcs ohe r,xt rntnu o,e gzu

The efforts of Mordechai and Esther to make Purim “official”

The digression

caj ohsuvhv kf rrm hd d tv t,snv ic inv hfcaj ohsuvhv kf rrm hd d tv t,snv ic inv hf




ovhkt ghd v vnu vff kg utr vnu ,tzvovhkt ghd v vnu vff kg utr vnu ,tzv

The digression retells the Purim story – as if we didn’t know it already.

But the digression is also problematicin other ways, too…


rnt lknv hbpk vtccurnt lknv hbpk vtccu osctku onvk krud v tuv rup khpvu osctk ohsuvhv kgosctku onvk krud v tuv rup khpvu osctk ohsuvhv kg


,rd tv hrcs kf kg if kg rupv oa kg ohrup vktv ohnhk utre if kg,rd tv hrcs kf kg if kg rupv oa kg ohrup vktv ohnhk utre if kg .gv kg.gv kg


For example, its verses seem out of order:

First, it tells us that Haman cast lots to destroy the Jews.

Then, we hear that Esther saved the day, causing Haman’s plot to recoil on his own head. And then, we are told that “this is why they call

the day Purim – because of the “pur” (lots).






But wouldn’t it make more sense to do it this way…

First, it tells us that Haman cast lots to destroy the Jews.

Then, we hear that Esther saved the day, causing Haman’s plot to recoil on his own head. Then, we are told that “this is why they call the

day Purim – because of the “pur” (lots).






Moreover, the text gives us two reasons why the day is called Purim:

First, it is because of the lots “pur”.

And then: it got the name Purim “because of what was written in Esther’s letter”.

But what is that supposed to mean?

Esther’s NinthEsther’s Ninth

We will try to solve the mystery of Esther’s We will try to solve the mystery of Esther’s ninth chapter next week…ninth chapter next week…

Spiritual

Esther powerpoint 4