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Why did Esther conceal both her "am" and "moladeta"? The shiur explores how, after Matan Torah (תורה), these terms no longer mean religion and birthplace separately. For Jews, nationality and religion became one: being a Yehudi defines both religious identity and connection to Eretz Yisrael, regardless of where one lives. Moladeta shifts from birthplace to yichus within Knesses Yisrael—Jews in galus remain part of Am Yisrael, not defined by their host country.
The shiur opens by noting that it's two weeks before Purim (פורים), the appropriate time to discuss the Megillah. Rabbi Zweig focuses on the opening of Megillas Esther, where Esther is instructed not to reveal two things: her "am" and her "moladeta." These terms require explanation, and their meanings shift dramatically from how they appear in Chumash. The first question is: what does "am" mean? The word can refer either to one's religion or one's nationality. For most peoples, these are separate: one can be an American by nationality and Jewish by religion, or a German Jew, a French Jew, etc. The shiur asks whether "am" here refers to Esther's religion (that she was Jewish) or her nationality, and why she would want to hide either.
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Megillas Esther 2:10 (am and moladeta)
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