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Why did Mordechai keep Esther's Jewish identity secret even after she became queen? The strategy targeted a deeper problem than Esther's safety: Jewish self-hatred stemming from defining themselves through gentile perceptions. Only by experiencing Haman's irrational hatred would the Jews stop trying to appease anti-Semitism and reclaim their inherent worth.
This shiur examines the feast Achashverosh made for Esther's coronation in Megillas Esther 2:18. Rabbi Zweig begins by analyzing the term 'mishteh gadol,' explaining that 'mishteh' itself means an elegant feast, while 'gadol' refers to the important guests - the gedolei hador or leading political figures. He compares this to Avrohom's feast when Yitzchok was weaned, where the presence of gedolei hador served to legitimize Yitzchok as Avrohom's true heir against those who claimed he was adopted. Achashverosh's feast served a similar political purpose - to reinstall his authority and self-confidence after the embarrassment of Vashti's rebellion. The feast wasn't merely a wedding celebration but a coronation ceremony establishing Esther as a co-sovereign queen ruling over the 127 provinces. This demonstrated that Achashverosh could successfully rule alongside a respectful wife, countering the narrative that he couldn't handle his previous queen.
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Megillas Esther 2:18
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Why would Haman wait years after gaining power before targeting the Jews, given that Amalek's essential nature is to attack Israel? The shiur develops the insight that Haman viewed Jews as vermin beneath individual punishment, leading to his genocidal decree. This Amalekite mindset of contempt, rather than strategic thinking, explains both the delay and the scope of his final solution.
