Page 15 - Issue 21

[3] The traditional interpretation holds that in Mordechai’s famous
verse “relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another
place” (Esther 4:14) the speaker is referring to G-d. I do not dispute
this. It stands to reason that this is what Mordechai meant. From
our standpoint, the important thing is that he avoids saying so
explicitly! (See more on this verse later on).

[4] The traditional interpretation customarily notes three fast days
and the religious fast (ta’anit) as an appeal to G-d. Here too, as in
the previous comment, the gist of my argument is, that the matter
is not described this way explicitly, neither by the author nor by the
heroes. The sinning people of Nineveh could explain their fast as
an attempt to change the decree of G-d (Jonah 3). The Jews of
Shushan were unaware of this.

[5] There is a certain complication with this matter, since
Mordechai is identified in the Book as one of the men of Judea
exiled from Jerusalem with Jeconiah, King of Judea. Hence, a
choice must be made between two alternatives: Either the story
takes place during the Babylonian exile, before the rise of the
Persian Empire (and it is then not clear who the Persian King
Achashverosh ruling over Shushan was) or that Achashverosh of
the Book is indeed the Persian Khshayarsha (Xerxes); however,
Mordechai would then have been about 100 years old at the time of
the events.

[6] See: Esther 3:7-14

[7] By the way, in other versions of the story, preserved in Greek,
both G-d and petitions to G-d by the heroes are mentioned.

[8] Esther 4:13-14

[9] Esther 4:16

[10] Esther 4:17

[11] Esther 5:1