After 3500 years of serving as HaShem’s chosen people with a history unlike any other nation – neither in suffering nor in accomplishments – the time has come for us to ask if the Jewish nation is a success story or a failure.
We are the only ancient people that is still alive – success. However, the majority of Jews today are not conscious Torah observers – failure. So, at the end of the day, is HaShem “happy” or “disappointed” with us?
The Gemara (Megila 7a) tells of Esther’s request that the miraculous salvation of the Jewish people and the events leading up to it be included in the TaNaCh (Bible) as its 24th book, to be an everlasting remembrance of HaShem’s intervention for the Jewish nation in our miraculous victory over the forces of Amalek.The rabbis rejected her request, basing their rejection on a verse in Mishlay (Proverbs 24:20)
Love thy Jewish brother as yourself, I am HaShem.
HaShem’s demand that we orient ourselves to love our fellow Jew as we love ourselves is an extreme demand. How can one bring himself to this sublime degree of altruism?
And why does this mitzva end with the words “I am HaShem”, when they do not appear in most other mitzvot?
The Megillah records that Achashverosh permitted the Jews to defend themselves on the 13th of Adar against their murderous neighbors in the 127 areas under the King’s control. On that day, the Jews killed 75,000 of the enemy in the outlying areas. An additional 800 were killed in Shushan, the capital, in the two days of fighting there on the 13th and 14th of Adar.
75,800 in two days! That number is vastly larger than what we are seeing today in the Arab countries, yet there is no recorded call by the people of his kingdom for Achashverosh’s head or for the end of the monarchy.
Why not?
The Midrash Raba (Scriptural exegesis) on this week’s parasha compares the Jewish nation with olive oil in two respects: olive oil does not combine with other liquids; and when added to another liquid olive oil rises to the top. So too, the Jewish people maintain a hard core who have never inter-married with Gentiles and never will, and when permitted to, we always rise to the top of society.
But there is a third comparison…
I have an extraordinary, prominent uncle and an equally great or possibly even greater aunt, who happens to also be the aunt of my prestigious uncle!
They lived in very different times and environments with about a 350-year separation; nevertheless, both had very similar ideals, values and similar unhappy fates.
