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    24 Feb PURIM: GREATEST ACCOLADE GIVEN TO MORDECHAI

    Posted at 15:17h in by
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    The last pasuk in
    the Megillah reads
    “For Mordechai,
    the Yehudi, was
    viceroy to King
    Achashveirosh; he
    was a great man among the Jews, and
    found favor with the multitude of his
    brothers (ratzui l’rov echav); he
    sought the good of his people and
    spoke with peace to all his posterity.
    (v’dover shalom l’chol zar’oh)”
    [Esther 10:3]
    The Ibn Ezra makes two very
    interesting comments on this pasuk.
    He says regarding the phrase “he
    found favor with the multitude
    (literally the majority) of his brothers,”
    that because of jealousy, a person
    cannot find favor with everyone. It is
    impossible to be perfectly popular.
    Then the Ibn Ezra comments on the
    buildup of praises that we have in the
    pasuk. The concluding, and seemingly

    greatest praise is that “he spoke with
    peace to all his posterity.” The Ibn
    Ezra comments that this means he
    was on good terms with all his
    children and grandchildren.
    This seems anti-climactic. Is this the
    greatest thing we can find to say about
    Mordechai HaYehudi? The Ibn Ezra
    says this is indeed a great praise.
    Think of all the children and
    grandchildren that Mordechai had.
    Did each one turn out exactly like
    Mordechai would have wanted? If
    Mordechai would have wanted all his
    children and grandchildren to become
    Torah scholars, do we expect that is
    the way it would have worked out?
    Or, if he wanted them all to be expert
    business people, do we expect that is
    the way it would turn out? Maybe
    there would be a black sheep in the
    family that became a scholar!
    And yet, he spoke in peace to all

    descendants. He was
    able to maintain a
    peaceful relationship
    with all his children and
    all his grandchildren.
    This, the Ibn Ezra tells
    us, is a great thing.
    Because of the natural
    fear that children have
    towards parents, it is not
    always true that there is a
    loving relationship
    between parents and
    children. Therefore, if
    Mordechai could
    maintain such a
    relationship, this is
    indeed the highest
    accolade that the Torah
    can offer him.
    I think this is a great ethical lesson for
    us. We try to raise children, and we
    have certain ideals and standards of
    how we would like our children to be.

    It does not always turn out like that.
    But we should always strive to
    maintain a relationship where we can,
    at least, speak peacefully with all our
    offspring.