Kaisipang Hudyo sa Ester 3:1: Zakhor VeShamor

The expression, "Mordekhai the Jew," precisely reveals the situation of the Jews in exile during that generation. The Jews began to take on foreign names, and even some, the source of which was idolatry.¹⁶Marduk and Ishtar were the name of the central gods in Mesopotamia (like Baal and Asherah in Canaan; and and just like particularly Christian names were adopted by the Jews in Europe). After the fact, these names were transformed to accepted Jewish names as a result of the Megillah and its sanctification [from its inclusion] in the Bible (along the lines 0f, "Ammon and Moav were purified by Sichon - Gittin 38a), obviously without any of its original idolatrous meaning. However the big question is, how could the Jews of Shushan get to the adoption of names that were actually idols for their children and leaders. Moreover we should ask whether there is a connection between these names and sitting in the gate of the king and the heavy involvement in Persian politics; and whether this did not create an expectation in Shushan that Jews that adopted these names would also give up their Judaism and bow to Haman. And they had political connections with the leaders, based on loyalty (like the story of Bigtan and Teresh), but they nevertheless kept their distinctiveness, "but Mordecai would not kneel or bow low" (Esther 3:1); and the letter correspondence among themselves, "Mordecai recorded these events. And he sent dispatches to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus, near and far" (Esther 9:20).