Mordecai מרדכי היהודי

Mordechai son of Yair, of the tribe of Benjamin, was taken to Babylon with the exile of Yehoyachin and became a prominent figure in Shushan, «sitting at the king's gate». Scripture calls him simply «Mordechai the Jew»; the sages say the title belongs to anyone who repudiates idolatry.

He uncovered the plot of Bigtan and Teresh against the king, and it was written into the chronicles — the detail that later decided everything. He refused to bow to Haman, a descendant of Amalek, and that refusal became the pretext for the decree.

In the days of mourning he walked the city in sackcloth and ashes, gathered children and taught them Torah, and sent Esther the words that became a formula of responsibility: «Who knows whether you have come to royalty for such a time as this?» After the victory he was made second to the king, «great among the Jews and beloved by the multitude of his brethren».

With Esther he established Purim. Tradition counts him among the men of the Great Assembly.