מרדכי בלשן

(א) וְאֵ֣לֶּה ׀ בְּנֵ֣י הַמְּדִינָ֗ה הָֽעֹלִים֙ מִשְּׁבִ֣י הַגּוֹלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶגְלָ֛ה נבוכדנצור [נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥ר] מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל לְבָבֶ֑ל וַיָּשׁ֛וּבוּ לִירוּשָׁלִַ֥ם וִֽיהוּדָ֖ה אִ֥ישׁ לְעִירֽוֹ׃ (ב) אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֣אוּ עִם־זְרֻבָּבֶ֗ל יֵשׁ֡וּעַ נְ֠חֶמְיָה שְׂרָיָ֨ה רְֽעֵלָיָ֜ה מָרְדֳּכַ֥י בִּלְשָׁ֛ן מִסְפָּ֥ר בִּגְוַ֖י רְח֣וּם בַּעֲנָ֑ה מִסְפַּ֕ר אַנְשֵׁ֖י עַ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Ezra 2:1-2

(1) These are the people of the province who came up from among the captive exiles whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried into exile to Babylon, who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own city, (2) who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah: The list of the men of the people of Israel:

אבן עזרא על עזרא ב׳:ב׳:ב׳

מרדכי בלשן - הוא מרדכי היהודי רק בלשן. יתכן שהוא איש אחר והוא חסר וי"ו כאדם שת אנוש.

Ibn Ezra on Ezra 2:2:2

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משנה שקלים ה׳:א׳

(א) אֵלּוּ הֵן הַמְמֻנִּין שֶׁהָיוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, יוֹחָנָן בֶּן פִּנְחָס עַל הַחוֹתָמוֹת, אֲחִיָּה עַל הַנְּסָכִים, מַתִּתְיָה בֶּן שְׁמוּאֵל עַל הַפְּיָסוֹת, פְּתַחְיָה עַל הַקִּנִּין. פְּתַחְיָה, זֶה מָרְדְּכָי. לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פְּתַחְיָה. שֶׁהָיָה פּוֹתֵחַ בִּדְבָרִים וְדוֹרְשָׁן, וְיוֹדֵעַ שִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן. בֶּן אֲחִיָּה עַל חוֹלֵי מֵעַיִם, נְחוּנְיָא חוֹפֵר שִׁיחִין, גְּבִינֵי כָרוֹז, בֶּן גֶּבֶר עַל נְעִילַת שְׁעָרִים, בֶּן בֵּבָי עַל הַפָּקִיעַ, בֶּן אַרְזָה עַל הַצִּלְצָל, הֻגְרַס בֶּן לֵוִי עַל הַשִּׁיר, בֵּית גַּרְמוּ עַל מַעֲשֵׂה לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, בֵּית אַבְטִינָס עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הַקְּטֹרֶת, אֶלְעָזָר עַל הַפָּרוֹכוֹת, וּפִנְחָס עַל הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ:

Mishnah Shekalim 5:1

(1) These are the supervisors who were in the Temple: Yohanan the son of Pinhas oversaw the seals; Ahiya oversaw the libations; Matityah the son of Shemuel oversaw the lots, Petachya oversaw the bird-offerings. Petachya is Mordekhai. Why was he called 'Petachya'? Because he would open [poteach] with words and interpret them, and he knew seventy languages. The son of Achya oversaw stomach illnesses. Nechunia dug pits. Gevini announced. The son of Gever oversaw the locking of the gates. The son of Beibi oversaw [the preparation of] wicks. The son of Arza oversaw the cymbal. Hugras the Levite oversaw the songs. The House of Garmo oversaw the making of the showbreads. The House of Avtinas oversaw the making of the incense. Eleazar oversaw the curtain. And Pinhas oversaw the [priestly] clothing.

מצודת דוד על עזרא ב׳:ב׳:ג׳

מרדכי בלשן. הוא שם אחד והוא דוד לאסתר המלכה ונקרא בלשן על שידע בשבעים לשון כן ארז״ל:

Metzudat David on Ezra 2:2:3

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משנה שקלים ה׳:א׳

Mishnah Shekalim 5:1

מנחות ס״ד ב:ח׳-י״ב

כי מטא עומר לא הוו ידעי מהיכא אייתי עומר אכרזו אתא ההוא חרשא אותיב חדא ידא אאיגרא וחדא ידיה אצריפא. אמר להו מרדכי מי איכא דוכתא דשמה גגות צריפין או צריפין גגות? בדקו ואשכחוה.

כי בעי לאתוי שתי הלחם לא הוו ידעי מהיכא לאתויי אכרזו אתא ההוא גברא חרשא אותיב ידיה אעיניה וחדא ידא אסיכרא אמר להו מרדכי ומי איכא דוכתא דשמה עין סוכר או סוכר עין? בדקו ואשכחו.

הנהו שלש נשים דאייתו שלש קינין חדא אמרה לזיבתי וחדא אמרה לימתי וחדא אמרה לעונתי סבור מינה זיבתי זבה ממש לימתי לימתי ממש לעונתי לעונתה דכולהו חדא חטאת וחדא עולה אמר להו מרדכי שמא בזוב סיכנה שמא בים סיכנה שמא בעינה סיכנה דכולהו עולות נינהו בדוק ואשכח.

Menachot 64b:8-12

§ The Gemara relates another tradition with regard to that occasion when the omer came from Gaggot Tzerifin and the two loaves from the valley of Ein Sokher: When it came time to bring the omer meal offering, they did not know from where they could bring the omer grain, as all the surrounding fields were looted and ruined. The court publicly proclaimed their difficulty. A certain deaf-mute [ḥersha] came forward and stretched out one hand toward a roof, gag in Hebrew, and one hand toward a hut [atzerifa]. Mordekhai said to the Sages: Is there a place that is called Gaggot Tzerifin or Tzerifin Gaggot? They checked and found that there was such a place, and it contained fields of barley from which they were able to bring the omer meal offering. A similar incident occurred when they needed to bring the two loaves, and they did not know from where to bring the grain. Again the court publicly proclaimed their difficulty, and a certain deaf-mute came forward and stretched out one hand toward his eye [a’eineih] and one hand toward a door latch [assikhera]. Mordekhai said to the Sages: And is there a place that is called: Ein Sokher, or Sokher Ayin? They checked and found that there was such a place, and it contained fields of wheat from which they were able to bring the two loaves. The Gemara relates another story that demonstrates Mordekhai’s wisdom: Once, a certain three women brought three nests for their obligatory offerings of pairs of pigeons or doves (see Leviticus 15:29). One of them said: This offering is for my ziva; and one said: This if for my yamma; and the last one said: This is for my ona. The Sages understood from the first woman’s statement: For my ziva, that she had experienced a discharge of uterine blood when not expecting her menstrual period, which would give her the status of an actual zava. From the second woman’s statement: For my yamma, they understood: My actual yamma, i.e., she was also a ziva, as yam can mean: Sea, or a flow of blood. From the third woman’s statement: For my ona, they came to the conclusion that she needed to bring a sacrifice for her time [ona] of completing her purification process from being a zava. Accordingly, they understood that all these women were obligated to bring one sin offering and one burnt offering. Mordekhai said to the other Sages: Perhaps the first woman was endangered in the course of her menstrual flow [zov]. Similarly, perhaps the second woman was endangered at sea [yam]. Finally, perhaps the third woman was endangered through her eye [ayin], as ayin is phonetically similar to ona. According to these explanations, each woman sought to bring a voluntary offering to give thanks to God for being saved from danger. If so, the appropriate offering in each case is not a sin offering, as they are all burnt offerings. It was checked and they found that Mordekhai’s interpretation was in fact correct.

מנחות ס״ה א:א׳-ג׳

והיינו דתנן פתחיה על הקינין זה מרדכי למה נקרא שמו פתחיה פותח דברים ודורשן ויודע בשבעים לשון.

כולהו סנהדרין נמי ידעי שבעים לשון דאמר רבי יוחנן אין מושיבים בסנהדרין אלא בעלי חכמה בעלי מראה בעלי קומה בעלי זקנה בעלי כשפים ויודעים שבעים לשון שלא תהא סנהדרין שומעת מפי התורגמן. אלא דהוה בייל לישני ודריש והיינו דכתיב במרדכי (נחמיה ז, ז) בלשן:

Menachot 65a:1-3

And this is as we learned in a mishna (Shekalim 13b): Petaḥya was responsible for the nests of birds, i.e., the doves or pigeons brought by a zav, a zava, a woman after childbirth, and a leper. These individuals would place the appropriate sum of money into the horn designated for this purpose, and each day Petaḥya oversaw the purchase of birds from that money and their sacrifice in the proper manner. This Sage is Mordekhai; and why was he called Petaḥya, which resembles the word for opening [petaḥ]? The reason is that he would open, i.e., elucidate, difficult topics and interpret them to the people, and because he knew all seventy languages known in that region at the time. The Gemara asks: What was unique about Petaḥya? All of the members of the Sanhedrin also know all seventy languages. As Rabbi Yoḥanan says: They place on the Great Sanhedrin only men of wisdom, and of pleasant appearance, and of high stature, and of suitable age so that they will be respected. And they must also be masters of sorcery, i.e., they know the nature of sorcery, so that they can judge sorcerers, and they must know all seventy languages in order that the Sanhedrin will not need to hear testimony from the mouth of a translator in a case where a witness speaks a different language. The Gemara answers: Rather, Petaḥya was unique as he not only knew all seventy languages, but also had the ability to combine various languages and interpret them. This is the meaning of that which is written with regard to Mordekhai: “Bilshan” (Nehemiah 7:7). Bilshan is interpreted as another name for Mordekhai, as he would combine [balil] languages [lashon]. MISHNA: How would they perform the rite of the harvest of the omer? Emissaries of the court would emerge on the eve of the festival of Passover and fashion the stalks of barley into sheaves while the stalks were still attached to the ground, so that it would be convenient to reap them. The residents of all the towns adjacent to the site of the harvest would assemble there, so that it would be harvested with great fanfare. Once it grew dark, the court emissary says to those assembled: Did the sun set? The assembly says in response: Yes. The emissary repeats: Did the sun set? They again say: Yes. The court emissary next says to those assembled: Shall I reap the sheaves with this sickle? The assembly says in response: Yes. The emissary repeats: With this sickle? The assembly says: Yes. The court emissary then says to those assembled: Shall I place the gathered sheaves in this basket? The assembly says in response: Yes. The emissary repeats: In this basket? The assembly says: Yes. If the sixteenth of Nisan occurs on Shabbat, the court emissary says to the assembled: Shall I cut the sheaves on this Shabbat? The assembly says in response: Yes. The emissary repeats: On this Shabbat? The assembly says: Yes. The court emissary says to those assembled: Shall I cut the sheaves? And they say to him in response: Cut. The emissary repeats: Shall I cut the sheaves? And they say to him: Cut. The emissary asks three times with regard to each and every matter, and the assembly says to him: Yes, yes, yes. The mishna asks: Why do I need those involved to publicize each stage of the rite to that extent? The mishna answers: It is due to the Boethusians, as they deny the validity of the Oral Law and would say: There is no harvest of the omer at the conclusion of the first Festival day of Passover unless it occurs at the conclusion of Shabbat. The publicity was to underscore that the sixteenth of Nisan was the proper time for the omer harvest. GEMARA: The Sages taught in a baraita: These are the days on which fasting is prohibited, and on some of them eulogizing is prohibited as well: From the New Moon of Nisan until the eighth of the month, the proper sacrifice of the daily offering was established, and therefore it was decreed not to eulogize on these dates. And furthermore, from the eighth of Nisan until the end of the festival of Passover, the correct date for the festival of Shavuot was restored, and it was similarly decreed not to eulogize during this period. The Gemara discusses the baraita: From the New Moon of Nisan until the eighth of the month the proper sacrifice of the daily offering was established, and therefore it was decreed not to eulogize on these dates. The Gemara explains that the Sadducees would say: An individual may donate and bring the daily offering, in opposition to the accepted tradition that the daily offering must be brought from communal funds. What verse did the Sadducees expound? “The one lamb shall you offer [ta’aseh] in the morning, and the other lamb shall you offer in the afternoon” (Numbers 28:4). Since the verse is in the singular form, the Sadducees maintained that even an individual may donate the daily offering. The Gemara asks: What did the Sages reply to refute the argument of the Sadducees? They cited the verse: “Command the children of Israel, and say to them: My food that is presented to Me for offerings made by fire, of a pleasing aroma unto Me, you shall observe [tishmeru] to offer to Me in its due season” (Numbers 28:2). The term: “You shall observe” is in the plural form, which indicates that all of the daily offerings should come from collection of the Temple treasury chamber. Since during that period, between the New Moon of Nisan and the eighth of Nisan, the Sages overruled the Sadducees, it was established as a period of rejoicing, and it was prohibited to eulogize on those dates. The Gemara discusses the next period listed in the baraita: From the eighth of Nisan until the end of the festival of Passover, the correct date for the festival of Shavuot was restored, and it was similarly decreed not to eulogize during this period. As the Boethusians would say that the festival of Shavuot always occurs after Shabbat, on a Sunday. Their reasoning was that the verse states, with regard to the omer offering and the festival of Shavuot that follows seven weeks later: “And you shall count for you from the morrow after the day of rest [hashabbat], from the day that you brought the sheaf [omer] of the waving; seven weeks shall there be complete” (Leviticus 23:15). Disregarding the oral tradition, the Boethusians interpreted the phrase “from the morrow after the day of rest [hashabbat]” literally, as referring to Shabbat, not the Festival day. At the time, Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai joined the discussion with the Boethusians and said to them: Fools! From where have you derived this? And there was no man who answered him, except for one elderly man who was prattling [mefatpet] at him, and he said: Moses, our teacher, was a lover of the Jewish people and he knew that Shavuot is only one day. Therefore, he arose and established it after Shabbat, in order that the Jewish people would enjoy themselves for two days. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai recited this verse in response to that old man: “It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the way of Mount Seir” (Deuteronomy 1:2).

אסתר א׳:כ״ב

(כב) וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח סְפָרִים֙ אֶל־כָּל־מְדִינ֣וֹת הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֶל־מְדִינָ֤ה וּמְדִינָה֙ כִּכְתָבָ֔הּ וְאֶל־עַ֥ם וָעָ֖ם כִּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹ לִהְי֤וֹת כָּל־אִישׁ֙ שֹׂרֵ֣ר בְּבֵית֔וֹ וּמְדַבֵּ֖ר כִּלְשׁ֥וֹן עַמּֽוֹ׃

Esther 1:22

(22) Dispatches were sent to all the provinces of the king, to every province in its own script and to every nation in its own language, that every man should wield authority in his home and speak the language of his own people.

אסתר י׳:ג׳

(ג) כִּ֣י ׀ מָרְדֳּכַ֣י הַיְּהוּדִ֗י מִשְׁנֶה֙ לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ וְגָדוֹל֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְרָצ֖וּי לְרֹ֣ב אֶחָ֑יו דֹּרֵ֥שׁ טוֹב֙ לְעַמּ֔וֹ וְדֹבֵ֥ר שָׁל֖וֹם לְכָל־זַרְעֽוֹ׃

Esther 10:3

(3) For Mordecai the Jew ranked next to King Ahasuerus and was highly regarded by the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brethren; he sought the good of his people and interceded for the welfare of all his kindred.

אסתר ב׳:כ״א-כ״ב

(כא) בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם וּמָרְדֳּכַ֖י יֹשֵׁ֣ב בְּשַֽׁעַר־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ קָצַף֩ בִּגְתָ֨ן וָתֶ֜רֶשׁ שְׁנֵֽי־סָרִיסֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ מִשֹּׁמְרֵ֣י הַסַּ֔ף וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ לִשְׁלֹ֣חַ יָ֔ד בַּמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵֽרֹשׁ׃ (כב) וַיִּוָּדַ֤ע הַדָּבָר֙ לְמָרְדֳּכַ֔י וַיַּגֵּ֖ד לְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה וַתֹּ֧אמֶר אֶסְתֵּ֛ר לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בְּשֵׁ֥ם מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃

Esther 2:21-22

(21) At that time, when Mordecai was sitting in the palace gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the threshold, became angry, and plotted to do away with King Ahasuerus. (22) Mordecai learned of it and told it to Queen Esther, and Esther reported it to the king in Mordecai’s name.

ברטנורא על משנה שקלים ה׳:א׳:ד׳

על הקינים. מחוסרי כפרה כגון זב וזבה ויולדת שמביאים קיני חובה דהיינו תורים ובני יונה, נותנין מעותיהן לשופרות שבמקדש, והממונים על השופרות לוקחים המעות ומביאין בהן הקינים. והיה צריך שיתמנה על זה חכם גדול ובקי, כדאמרינן במסכת אבות קינים ופתחי נדה הן הן גופי הלכות:

Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim 5:1:4

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ברטנורא על משנה שקלים ה׳:א׳:ה׳

שהיה פותח דברים כו׳ והוא מרדכי בלשן שעלה מן הגולה. ונקרא כן, שהיה בולל לשונות הרבה:

Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim 5:1:5

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חולין קל״ט ב:מ״א-מ״ג

מרדכי מן התורה מנין דכתיב (שמות ל, כג) מר דרור ומתרגמינן מירא דכיא:

Chullin 139b:12

Where is Mordecai mentioned in the Torah?... As is is written "Flowing myrrh" (Exodus 30:23), which the Targum renders as "Mira Dachia".

In other words, his name is a blend of two phrases from different languages — a literal "Bilshan", blending two languages, two ways of thinking.

מלבי"ם על אסתר י׳:ג׳:א׳

(א) עד שמרדכי נשאר בתקפו ולא נשבתה הצלחתו, צדיקים ירשו ארץ וישכנו לעד עליה (תהלים לז) והגם שהי' משנה על כל המדינה וממונה על היהודים בפרטות, מ"מ היה רצוי לרוב אחיו, כי היה בכל עניניו דורש טוב לעמו, ולא התנהג עמם בתוקף וחזקה רק בשלום ובמישור:

Malbim on Esther 10:3:1

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