AviD

813 reputation

1513

bio	website	linkedin.com/in/avidouglen
	location	Israel
	age	38
visits	member for	2 years
	seen	yesterday
stats	profile views	55

Security expert and experienced Windows programmer

	813 reputation	bio	website	linkedin.com/in/avidouglen	visits	member for	2 years
1513 badges		location	Israel		seen	yesterday

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Feb 13	comment	Mordechai - Religious Leader or Political figure? @avi I'm not "withholding" information, I just have my own possible (and incomplete) answer to the question. While self-answers are of course acceptable on SE, it is also good form not to answer immediately after posting - that's why I'm waiting for a few answers first (and, perhaps, someone else will give my answer better than I). I also don't expect it to turn to discussion, but there is definitely room for a clear, complete explanation.
Feb 13	comment	Mordechai - Religious Leader or Political figure? yeah, that's what I was referring to. Either way, it is "proof" inasmuch as the Midrash says it is... not that you're saying it is proof in the first place...
Feb 13	comment	Mordechai - Religious Leader or Political figure? Very good, thanks - though so far you've mostly rebuked my (as yet unspoken) arguments, not presented anything that really supports the "religious leader" point of view. As for your points - 1. Whether or not Mordechai was a "prominent person" is a different question from whether he was religious. 2. your comment re Ezra/Nechamia, while making sense, would be difficult to accept since he is supposed to be present in Persia afterwards. 3. Re Yechanya, this is the historical context, not just from those two words. I will save the rest of my comments for an answer... :)
Feb 12	comment	Mordechai - Religious Leader or Political figure? Also btw, this "proof" is actually based on this issue itself - i.e. you're bringing proof that Mordechai is righteous, based on a midrash, which is based on the assumption that Mordechai is righteous - circular logic ;). So, you're back at relying on the Midrash, that Mordechai is righteous.... (which I'm not saying is wrong...)
Feb 12	comment	Mordechai - Religious Leader or Political figure? Thanks @jake, that's the type of thing I was looking for - though this is a bit "weak", so to speak. To start with, "tzadikim" is still open to interpretation, especially when it is in comparison to reshaim (see also re Noach, "ונוח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו", the opinion that relative to his generation he is to be considered a Tzaddik). Mordechai wasn't necessarily a bad fellow, even by the "non-religious" theory he still seemed to be a stand-up guy, but by secular standards. But, this is a good start :)
Feb 12	awarded	Student
Feb 12	comment	Mordechai - Religious Leader or Political figure? @follick I'm not ignoring, I'm just not taking it necessarily at face value - as noted in the question itself, these shouldnt always be accepted literally, especially when there is (or seems to be) evidence to the contrary. Besides that, there are other opinions! Yes, within the meforshim and Jewish tradition, this other opinion does exist, yet it seems to be forgotten, neglected, even forsaken - but it is still a valid, pre-existing traditional opinion nonetheless.
Feb 12	revised	Mordechai - Religious Leader or Political figure? added 342 characters in body
Feb 12	comment	Mordechai - Religious Leader or Political figure? Thank you, but in addition to @DoubleAA's comment, this occurs after the events of the Megilla, and I was referring to the background, i.e. before/during. (Perhaps I should clarify that). Secondly, this raises another issue, since the megilla states that he stayed in Persia as a minister. (Though this could be excused by saying it was far enough in the future, and he had already "retired". )
Feb 12	asked	Mordechai - Religious Leader or Political figure?
Feb 12	comment	wine from his country Just to back up @jake's comment, don't forget that Sanherib King of Ashur messed up and reorganized all the peoples in that area, not too many years previously.
Feb 12	comment	How to respond to “but he does” I just caught myself, realizing I'm actually recommending humility??!? When did that happen?? ;) But one other consequence of this approach, is that it makes Josh look good (in potential, anyway), instead of making him seem questionable. Depending on who Josh is, this could lead to much better results, and at the least will give the external impression that we're not always bickering with each other (though we mostly are).
Feb 12	answered	How to respond to “but he does”
Feb 6	comment	Touching a woman and the first Pesukim in Melachim @Hacham then you should be asking that Maan DaAmar, no?
Feb 5	comment	What Bracha did they make on the Mahn? @msh210 I was actually wondering in what scenario a cannibal would be worried about which bracha to make...
Feb 2	comment	How should we respond to objectionable content in a public forum? For the record, StackExchange does offer moderators-only a way to initiate private-ish conversations (including only other moderators and SEI-community team). But, as I said, it is moderator only - but that is exactly what it is for.
Jan 31	comment	Product liability in halacha And btw, there was nothing extraordinary about the McDonald's coffee case... Except for the stupidity throughout the case.
Jan 31	comment	Product liability in halacha It seems that one part of this question relates to the concept of "mekach taut" (a misguided sale), but that's not really the wider question of liability. (Although "lemon laws" do come close to that). I'm not putting this as an answer, though, since I feel that I'd still be missing the main part of the question.
Jan 9	comment	Was Darius Jewish? Oh I agree with you on that point - that is, they are both quite ambiguous, but then the whole story of Megillat Esther is inherently ambiguous. Without harping on emotional sore points, I respectfully suggest that you re-read it, focusing on the story without filters except the historical context.
Jan 9	comment	Was Darius Jewish? "He sent" is at best ambiguous, either way it doesn't prove your point. And the fact that he lived in the palace, not the rest of the country, proves mine :). Either way, I think there might be enough meat here for its own question...