Community Magazine March 2016

Historical writers of the era – Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Quintus Curtius Rufus, and Plutarch – tended to use another name altogether, Shahanshah , meaning “king of kings.” In one of his first acts as emperor, Achashverosh’s army chief, Mardonius, pressured him to renew the fight against Greece, to avenge Darius’ losses. According to Herodotus, the Persian army corralled more than two million soldiers, the largest military force up to that point in history. Incredibly, it consisted of Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Israelites. Initially, the Persian army succeeded, particularly in the now-famousBattleofThermopylae. Even recently, bestselling films and books have recalled these battles of heroism and strategic importance. However, after being defeated at Plataea, the Persian army lost critical supplies from destroyed ships. After Platea, Achashverosh refrained from further military conquests. Back in Shushan, Achashverosh earned a murderous reputation for cruelly killing off various family members (including a son and a brother) in fits of jealousy, and for viciously killing others he perceived as traitors. His focus turned to the building ostentatious architecture, mostly created to honor … himself! He funded these lavish projects with exorbitant sums from the national treasury. After the Greek war, Achashverosh dedicated his time and resources to concluding construction projects that had been initiated by his father and grandfather, including the palace and gate of Susa (mentioned in Megillat Esther, “sha’ar hamelech,” the king’s gate, where Mordechai sat). Other of Achashverosh’s projects included a grandiose palace, theHall of a Hundred Columns at Persepolis, and extensive empire-wide roadways for couriers, which were later appropriated by the Romans. These couriers and the roadways they traveled are said to be the harbinger of the modern postal system. Unfortunately, these costly vanity projects, on top of the cost of tremendous military losses, meant increasingly higher taxes for Achashverosh’s subjects. High taxes placed an unbearable burden on the citizens, which produced an economic ripple effect, said to lead to the eventual crumbling of his empire. The story of Purim, however, wasn’t Achashverosh’s only run-in with the Jewish people. In the book of Ezra (chapter 4), Achashverosh received a letter signedby a fewroyal associates (“enemies of the Judah andBenjamin,” many scholars also say “Samaritans”), stating that some Jews had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Achashverosh was warned that if the Jews settled in Jerusalem, he’d lose tax money. Furthermore, he was warned, the Jews might be led to revolt against him, as they had revolted against other kings in the past. Achashverosh then sent men to stop the building “by force.” Over time, Achashverosh’s conquests amassed him treasures. Among these, may be the sacred vessels from the Temple, as alluded to in the “riches” in the Book of Esther, chapter 1. Though he took great pains to hide the Temple vessels, Achashverosh’s successor, Cyrus, discovered these treasures. Cyrus eventually returned them to the Jews to use as they wished for the rebuilding of the Temple. The book of Isaiah alludes to Cyrus giving away these “treasures of darkness.” Conclusion In summary, we can say with some certainty that the popular Purim pastry “ ozney -Haman” (translated: Haman’s ears) had nothing to do with Haman’s ears or the three-pointed hat he wore. Actually, these pastries most probably allude to the shape of the pyramid dice used by Haman to determine the fortune of the Jewish people. Hats and ears, after all, have little connection to the Purim story. Similarly, the Haman- taschen (Yiddish for Haman’s pouch or pocket – alluding to bribery) could have just as easily been Haman- tash – in Hebrew meaning “to weaken,” or “Haman-weakener.” Other scholars believe that during the Renaissance the German word “ mohn ,” meaning poppy seed, is intentionally hidden in “ha- mohn -taschen.” In fact, a popular cookie in Germany during that era was the mohntash – or literally, poppy seed pocket. On that topic, since Achashverosh’s palace only had non-kosher food, Esther – who kept her identity hidden – ate only fruit, seeds, and legumes. This provides us with another appropriate explanation why we use poppy seeds in hamantashen. The seeds, like Esther’s identity, are covered in dough – or “hidden,” as the word “Esther” means in Hebrew. Andfinally, aswereadabove, there ismuchmore toAchashverosh than the sliver of time represented in Megillat Esther. Having ruled for a little more than two decades, he was at the center of wins and losses of Greek military battles. He ordered political assassinations and government-sponsored architectural vanity projects. He held precious items of the Temple, and held back its rebuilding. Achashverosh was killed at age fifty-seven, the victim of a political assassination by his royal bodyguard. We learn in the Purim story and in Achashverosh’s life as well, the message of hashgacha pratit , Divine providence, for the Jewish people. Although Hashem works with hester panim , literally, with His face hidden, we know that He is the one pulling the strings. In today’s modern Persia, Iran, a new Achashverosh- type regime rules. We pray that the Jews of today, who face destruction at the hands of Iranian leaders, will, like the Jews of Achashverosh’s time, be ultimately saved. May Hashem destroy our enemies, prevent potential catastrophe, and allow us to celebrate victory for generations to come. Xerxes Many historians believe that Achashverosh was Xerxes the Great (519 BCE – 465 BCE), who was the fourth king of the Achaemenid Empire. 38 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE