In our scripture readings for today, we hear the conclusion of the story of Esther, which ends on a bright note for the Jewish people. Mordecai is given the position of power previously occupied by Haman, and Mordecai convinces the king to issue a counter-edict to the one commanding genocide against the Jews. The Jewish people are given authority to deal with those who hate them, and the date of the Pur becomes a date, not for genocide, but to remove the threat of genocide. And while WE cringe at the casualty numbers, WHAT IS the logical response to people who hate you with an ideologic hatred? Mordecai declares the date of the Pur as a new Jewish festival to celebrate their salvation, a celebration that continues to this day, and is coming up on a round number anniversary....
On May 14th, 1948, the British mandate over the region of Palestine expired, and the new nation of Israel declared independence. On May 15th, 1948, five Arab nations launched an attack on the new nation of Israel. You can tell how well that attack went by the name it was given in Arabic – the nakba – the catastrophe. Like when the Egyptian charioteers drowned in the restored Red Sea, or when 185k Assyrians died suddenly while besieging Jerusalem, when God saves his people, sometimes the body count on the other side creeps up uncomfortably high....
There is a distinct asymmetry between the edict Haman issued against the Jews, and the edict Mordecai issued for the Jews. Haman's edict authorized the annihilation of all Jews in the Persian Empire, men, women, and children, and the confiscation of all of their goods. Mordecai's edict authorized the annihilation of all ARMED FORCES who had the intent of killing Jews, “and they laid no hands on the plunder”. Yes, 75k people were killed on the day of the Pur, but that was across the whole empire, a tiny fraction of the population, including only 800 people in the power-hungry capital city of Susa. And yes, Esther asked for an extra day of killing in Susa, and to hang the sons of the evil Haman from his 75' pole of hatred. But compared to the Pur that Haman envisioned, what actually took place was a muted response of self-defence.
Why does our society have a huge problem with the self-defence of Israel? Why does our society ignore the distinct asymmetry between the tactics of Israel and their enemies? Why are we so worried when the Jews seem to have power over their enemies, and never as worried when enemies seem to have power over the Jews? I'd like to think it's because we know God will save his people, regardless of how desperate their situation looks. But I think the real reason is deeper....and darker....