The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-18
THOUGHTS OF PURIM.
Rabbi Levy of Beaumont Reviews
Events of Interest to the Jews.

| Rabbi Levy Of Beaumont Reviews
| Events of Interest to the Jews.
| Beaumont, Texas, March 1.-THE fol-
lowing was handed the Post correspondent
by Rabbi A. Levy, Of Emanuel congrega-
| ton this city.
Wednesday evening March II. 1897. (5657)
the Jews everywhere will observe the feast
! OF Purm by regular evening service and
| the reading OF the book of Esther, 1.-THE
Beautiful Queen"
The period at which the events recorded
in the book OF Esther are fixed is, &C
cordng to many learned and trustworthy
critics In tho reign Of Xerxes l. e., about
4so years before the vulgar era. and nearly
10 years after the issuing of the famous
edict OF Cyrus Of Persia, In favor OF the
captive Jews in his dominions. This crit
icism is at variance with the Views en-
tertained by the old commentators. and by
all early historians. who consider Ahasu-
erus to be either Darius iystaspes, sue
cessor TO Cyrus, or Artaxerxes Longim-
anus. But without referring to dates which
confound both hypothesis. the Ahasuerus
OF scripture is presented to us in very
different light from that in which history
portrays the characters OF Darius asd Ar
taxerxes. On the other hand, the conduct
OF Ahasuerus agrees exactly with the char
acter OF that of Xerxes. who commanded
the sea to be scOurged because it broke
down his bridge over the Hellespont. be-
headed the engineers because their work
was swept away b. storm: wantonly and
before the eyes Of the father, put to death
the sons of his oldest friend Pythias. who
mad contributed most splendidly to his ar
mament. misused the body OF the brave
Leonidas; and after his defeat, like another
sardanapalus. gave himself up to such vol
righteousness. as to issue an edict Offering
a reward TO the inventor of q new pleasure
The Jews scattered over the dominions
or Ahasuerus, were the remnants OF the
Babylonian captivity. a comparatively
small number Of Jews returned with Ecu
rubabel and Joshua, and the second mi
grafton under Ezra, did not take place I'M
I'll the seventh year OF Artaxerxes the
successor OF Ahasuerus. Notwithstanding
the edlct which Cyrus had issued. nearly
half a century before the Hebrews who
had not yet been enabled to migrate to
Judea, were on the accession OF Ahlsuerus,
again in a state of captivity and could op-
pose but feeble resistance to the ma
chinatons Of the cruel and revengeful Ha-
man. The readiness with which the ca
I'iNioho hohaiNu INTO IL SCueIDf OF
his wicked minister gives it every proba-
blity OF success. and the poor Israelites
who during a dreary and protracted cap
tivity. had fortified their hearts by the
scriptural promise that God never abandons
His people. even though they should be In
the land OF their enemies. at length lost
courage and hope. when they beheld the
fearful preparations that were being made
for the determination OF their race.
Murlerai hcNyavar oh III
faith In God, but regarding Esther as the
agent selected by divine Providence to save
her fellow believers. he goes daily to the
palace gate in the city of Susan, to urge
her to exert her influence on behalf OF her
people. Disappointed al the conduct of the
queen, who at first appears indsposed to
incur the risk to which the course recon-
mended by her foster father would ex-
pose her, Mordocai still maintains his trust
In the Almighty and boldly declares to
Esther. IF at this trying time thou
shouldst persevere in keeping silence, help /
and deliyerence will surely come to the |
Jews from another quarter"
The old man said we'll. for he spoke In
the fullness of his confidence in the
guardian OF Israel. But whence should help |
Gomez The Jews had no Moses to give
counsel no Joshua nor Gideon nor iona
than to strike blow in their defence, and
II even a leader werc to offer himself hoy |
could body OF captives, broken dispirit.
I'd ana scattered over the surface of a vast
empire, assemble at any given point an
army capable of resisting the immense
physical resources which would be en- |
ployed against them? To all Lut Mordecai
ina condition of the Jews seemed hopeless |
and hopeless II would have heen in The
teachings OF Scriptures had not been made
manifest, that the Lord operates salvation
ny moral as well as by material strength |
IN HIS inscrutable wisdom the Almighty
nau permitted the wicked purposes OF
liaman TO advance to certain stare %
development, and far enough to lead him
VINO devised them to suppose that thew
might be carried into effect The decree
was published; the king had shown no dis. |
position to mitigate It's severity. and no
thlhg favorable was to be expected from
me forced pubic opinion. On the contrary
IL was much to he feared that the cr,ei
Iopuiace would be but too eager to imbrur
their hands in the blood OF the Jews see
ing that the effects OF the devoted victims
were 10 iaii by right to the hand that d.
stroyed them. Wv
The time now Is at hand. The month n,
AGAR mas begun-the fatal fourteenth davI
Is at hand-and the malignant Uamao
counts the hours that must pass befora
ne can sacrifice many thousands of Inno.
cent beings to his wounded pride Rut Al
vine providence which holds the balance 10
an Things and controls every occurrence
mas long provided In secret moral force,
10 Work against these wicked devices n.
never occurred to Haman that nj Tho la.
nour the king might repent OF the rash