Rabbi Haim Jachter
Jewish Link, Mar. 7, 2024
“… the Jews took the necessary steps to defend themselves in a situation in which they were in mortal danger. Moreover, the Jews defended themselves in a measured and disciplined manner.”
Some critics wrongly label our self-defense on the 13th of Adar as a massacre. This false claim emerges from a superficial reading of Megillat Esther (perek 9).
The Looming Threat
Even after the dramatic plot is resolved—Esther reveals her Jewish identity, Haman is killed and Mordechai becomes the “mishneh lamelech”—“Jew Extermination Day” on the 13th of Adar remains in effect. Fortunately, Mordechai’s reputation spreads far and wide in the Persian empire, and along with the counter-decree enabling the Jews to defend themselves, kill their enemies and seize their property, this causes most Haman supporters to switch their allegiance. Like Charvonah (as discussed in the chapter “Charvonah”), most of those formerly ready to annihilate us now shift to our side, as stated in 8:17.
Nonetheless, a significant group of hard-core Jew-haters—led by Haman’s 10 sons—were posed to attack (Esther 9:1), and a mortal threat remained. Therefore, the Jews killed 800 enemies in Shushan (on the 13th and 14th), Haman’s 10 sons and 75,000 enemies in the rest of the Persian empire, a necessary act of self-defense.
Let us not underestimate the danger posed by Haman’s 10 sons. We may fairly describe them as the equivalent of Hitler’s lieutenants. Esther’s request to hang them reflects the appeal they still had to their hard-core supporters. Despite Esther and Mordechai’s rise to power, the 10 sons led a significant group of Jew-haters willing to implement Haman’s original decree. While Achashverosh gave us the right to self-defense, he did not order his soldiers to help us. As a result, we were left on our own to defend ourselves.
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