11 Mar PURIM REPEATS: A MODERN TALE OF SUCCESS AND JEALOUSY

During President
Trump’s address to
Congress last week,
there was a notable
moment where he
said that Democrats
were unlikely to applaud his statements
no matter what he did—even if he found a
cure to save the entire world, they would
not stand or show any type of support.
Throughout his 100-minute speech,
President Trump discussed various topics,
including economic policies, foreign
affairs, and domestic issues. The address
was marked by visible divisions between
Republican and Democratic members of
Congress. Many Democrats chose to
express their dissent through silent
protests, such as wearing symbolic colors,
holding up signs with messages like
“False,” and some even walked out during
the speech.
It is interesting to see that this very idea is
mentioned at the very end of Megillat
Esther. After the Megillah discusses at
length the work of Mordechai—who led

the Jewish nation through the devastating
and dangerous time of Haman’s decree
and witnessed the miracles that Hashem
performed to save them— Mordechai was
finally elevated to be second in command
to the king.
Mordechai’s accomplishments and legacy
are remarkable. For example, as a member
of the Sanhedrin, he established the chag
of Purim, along with all its mitzvot.
Mordechai is even called “the righteous”
(HaTzadik), a title granted to only a select
few, such as Yosef, who earned it for
resisting the test with Potiphar’s wife.
One would expect such a great man to be
universally applauded and celebrated.
Yet, the Megillah ends with a bitter truth:
he was accepted only by the majority of
the nation, while a minority still opposed
him.
The mefarshim offer different explanations
for this. Rashi explains that the Sanhedrin
separated themselves from Mordechai
because he became involved in communal
affairs for the king. Although this was
clearly for the benefit of the Jewish

community, the Sanhedrin
felt that his primary role
should have been learning
Torah instead.
Mahari Kera offers a
different perspective,
stating that some among
the nation blamed
Mordechai for provoking
Haman, which led to the
entire Purim story. They
argued that although they
were ultimately saved by the grace of
Hashem, the crisis could have been
avoided altogether if Mordechai had not
agitated Haman in the first place.
Others offer different explanations, but
why were people not fully supportive of
the great sage Mordechai HaTzadik?
While the actions of the rabbis against
Mordechai were driven by idealism, based
on what they believed to be the proper
priority, Metzudat Tzion explains that the
rest of the people were simply jealous of
him—after all, it is impossible to please
everyone.

When opposition arises against someone,
they should not be worried or offended, as
this is a clear sign of success. If a person
were not successful, no one would bother
them. However, the more one achieves,
the more opposition they will face, simply
because it is human nature to be jealous.
The mefarshim explain that the story of
Purim is unique because its themes repeat
in every generation. Likewise, jealousy
can be attributed to the despicable actions
of those who refuse to recognize any good
in President Trump’s success for the
nation.