Who is Mordochai? (Yichus, yichus )
Esther 2:5-6
Megillat Esther sends us on biblical treasure hunts. The narrator assumes that the reader is familiar with earlier biblical texts that are referred to. Discovering the stories hinted to in the Megillah text adds depth to our narrative. Lets try one example in our section:
5) There was a Judahite man in Shushan the castle, whose name was Mordochai the son of Jair the son of Shimi the son of Kish, a Benjamite,
6) who had been exiled from Jerusalem with the exile that had been exiled with Jechoniah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled.
These verses are loaded with important information which the narrator assumes that we can fish out. (Each colored phrase refers to a piece of information.) After studying them on your own, see if the following helps:
A Judahite man from the kingdom of Judah, but not from the tribe, as we will see. Here we see an early use of Yehudi as a national designation.
in Shushan the castle Indeed, Shushan was the capital and a fort at that period. For more about Shushan (=Susa) see
http://www.iranchamber.com/history/susa/susa.php
whose name was Mordochai son of Jair the name Mordochai seems to point to Babylonian influence (perhaps he came from Babylon to Persia.) The name is known among Jews and non Jews at the time, and echoes the name of the Babylonian god Marduch.
What do the names Mordochai (Morduch?) and Esther (Ishtar?) tell us about the Jews living in Shushan (and perhaps in other parts of the kingdom as well?)
Names are a central part of our identity. How did the exiled people of Judah cope in their new environment?
the son of Shimi Perhaps this is a reference to Shimi son of Gera. It is worth reading the story in II Sam 16:5-13 (taking place during Absaloms revolt against his father, David.) The story comes to an end in I Kings 2:8-9, 36-46.
What might have motivated Shimi the Benjaminite to treat the king in this manner?
And for our story: Why does the narrator choose to hint to that story?
the son of Kish We do know of a person named Kish in a previous biblical story. Check out I Sam 9:1-2.
Why is the name of the son of Kish not mentioned in Mordochais yichus list?
This question may go to the heart of the question of the point of view of the narrator of this story. What was he trying to achieve? What did he want the reader to come away with?
a Benjamenite Benjamin was the youngest son of Rachel, the brother of Joseph. The tribe was located just north of Jerusalem.
A note on the lineage description: It is obvious here that the narrator does not bother to go back 4 immediate generations in Mordochais family, but rather chooses to include the significant members of the line, those that will serve his agenda. The narrative does not claim to be a history book or a family tree.
who had been exiled from Jerusalem This causes some trouble. If Ahasuerus is indeed Xerxes, (as scholars today believe) than Mordochai had to be alive during his reign: 485-465bce. Combining that with the next piece of information, would make Mordochai well over 100 years old, which is not realistic. It is possible that his family was exiled. This is perhaps a hint that being of those exiled with Jechoniah was an honorable title.
with the exile that had been exiled with Jechoniah king of Judah, – The story appears in II Kings 24:8-16. This exile took place in 597bce, 10-11 years before the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple. If you read carefully you will realize that in this first round, the nobility was exiled. These people settled in Babylon. Jechoniah (Jehojachin in Kings II) was eventually recognized by the Babylonians as the last king of Judah. Apparently, not all exiles are created equal.
whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. Even the identity of your persecutor reflects your own worth. The exile of the nobility in 597bce was carried out by the Babylonian king. The destruction of Jerusalem in 586 was done by one of his ministers.
So, who was Mordochai?
Now that you know about him, what can you say about his position in the community?
Since Esther is a close relative and grew up in Mordochai’s house, what should we conclude about her?
How does it affect your understanding of her character as it is presented in the Megillah? Is this a rags to riches story?
A Summary of Esther and Mordochai