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From: dsg@mhuxi.UUCP (David S. Green)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Purim
Message-ID: <229@mhuxi.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 8-Nov-84 08:30:08 EST
Article-I.D.: mhuxi.229
Posted: Thu Nov  8 08:30:08 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 9-Nov-84 08:34:24 EST
References: <1071@akgua.UUCP> <1651@ucf-cs.UUCP> <1236@eosp1.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
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[golem, golem]

> It is certainly our religious right to ignore the similarity of the
> names Esther and Mordecai to Ishtar and Marduk (Marduk lives?).
> I think we should extend similar rights to others.
> I'm bracing for flames on this note.  I would appreciate it if some
> of the flames would include:
> 	- discussing the origin of the word "Esther"
> 	- discussing the origin of "Mordechai", which to me is
> 	  a very strange looking Hebrew word

> 	- Toby Robison (not Robinson!)
> 	allegra!eosp1!robison
> 	or: decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison
> 	or (emergency): princeton!eosp1!robison

Sorry, this is not a flame but what I can glean from reading the
Megillah Esther last night  ( ArtScroll Edition ):

1. Mordechai is similar to "flowing myrrh" [Exod. 30:22 ] which
the Targum renders as 'Mira Dachia', which in both spelling and
sound resemble Mordechai ( Chulin 139b ).  Just as the foremost
of spices, so Mordechai was the foremost of the righteous of his
generation ( Midrash ).

2.  There is a difference of opinion among the Sages ( Meg. 13a )
whether Hadassah was her proper name and Esther was added later, or
vice-versa.  Both names are descriptive of her virtues.  Hadassah
is derived from the Hebrew word translated as 'Myrtle'; Esther 
from 'Istahar' [ as beautiful as the moon, says Rashi ].
"Just as the myrtle has a sweet smell but a bitter taste, so
Esther was sweet to Mordechai but bitter to Haman" (Midrash).

Well, at least halloween is over and done with; I hope.
Let us get back to business...  What are the odds of winning at
dreidel? 

Shalom,
David Seth Green   {ihnp4}!mhuxi!dsg   201-564-4468