Mendel Bluming | Blogger

Are there parts of your life that make absolutely no sense? Do you see certain chapters of your story as essential because they express who you are and others as just a distraction? On Purim this story only begins a few chapters into the Megillah and yet the Mishna asks (Megillah 2:3): To fulfill one’s obligation to hear the Megillah, from which point in the story must one begin to read? Rabbi Yehudah said, from the part of the story where Mordechai is introduced. Rabbi Yossi said, from the point where Haman is elevated to viceroy. Rabbi Shimon says one must hear from the point in the story where the king cannot sleep. Finally, the Mishna records the opinion of Rabbi Meir, who says, “One is obligated to hear the entire Megillah.” In Rabbi Meir’s view, there are no shortcuts; one must hear the entire story from the very beginning, including the sordid details of Achashveirosh’s wild parties and beauty pageants. And the Talmud proclaims (Megillah 19a), “The Halacha follows Rabbi Meir.”...

If you read the story of the Megillah you will see that around the time of the original Purim Jews were living safely and securely and having a good life. The king said to bow down to his minister Haman and everyone followed.   Only one Jew refused to follow orders! This incensed the King’s minister and he decided to put the entire Jewish people to death.   Why did Mordechai have to rock the boat?!! Just bow! Big deal, move on. Mordechai is a giant because he reminds us that by bowing you sacrifice your dignity and your basic Jewish values and you have nothing left as a Jewish People. You soon disintegrate and assimilate and you are lost. It is because of Mordechai that me and you are here to celebrate another Purim! Mendel (Menachem) Bluming

The Persian Empire of the 4th century BCE extended over 127 lands, and all the Jews were its subjects. When King Ahasuerus had his wife, Queen Vashti, executed for failing to follow his orders, he arranged a beauty pageant to find a new queen. A Jewish girl, Esther, found favor in his eyes and became the new queen, though she refused to divulge her nationality. Meanwhile, the Jew-hating Haman was appointed prime minister of the empire. Haman convinced the king to issue a decree ordering the extermination of all the Jews on the 13th of Adar, a date chosen by a lottery Haman made. Mordechai, the leader of the Jews and Esther’s cousin, urged Esther to plead with the king to save the Jewish people. He tells her that if not it will be her loss because G-d will find another way to save His people. Listen to that incredible Jewish clarity! He did not say that if you do not intercede with the king we will all be annihilated; it will be all be over! Nothing of the sort. He was confident...