This is the scenario:
You've got this guy in Iran who has a real problem with the Jews. He hates them and wants to wipe them off the planet. So he's devising this plan to get his way. First of all, he tries to curry favour with his powerful friends to get their support and establish his credentials. Then, he sets about building his weapon, hoping that it will be used as soon as possible to achieve his goal.
Sounds familiar? Well, it is, except that I'm talking about President Haman of Persia, who lived, oh about two thousand five hundred years ago or so.
Today is the Fast of Esther when we remember how Queen Esther of the eponymous book put her life of the line to protect our people. I am fasting, if only to beg G-d to do his thing and untangle the workings of the modern day Haman in Iran - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The similarities between these two monsters is striking, both in their utter hatred of the Jews (compare Ahmadinejad's claims that that we made the Holocaust up with Haman's rantings about our nation) and their wish to "wipe us/our country" off the planet.
Haman constructed his gallows and Ahmadinejad is building his nuclear weapons.
Let's hope that both men share the same fate and that we can celebrate future Purims, stamping out the name of this new Haman alongside his predecessor.
I pray with all sincerity that G-d is listening this time too.
You've got this guy in Iran who has a real problem with the Jews. He hates them and wants to wipe them off the planet. So he's devising this plan to get his way. First of all, he tries to curry favour with his powerful friends to get their support and establish his credentials. Then, he sets about building his weapon, hoping that it will be used as soon as possible to achieve his goal.
Sounds familiar? Well, it is, except that I'm talking about President Haman of Persia, who lived, oh about two thousand five hundred years ago or so.
Today is the Fast of Esther when we remember how Queen Esther of the eponymous book put her life of the line to protect our people. I am fasting, if only to beg G-d to do his thing and untangle the workings of the modern day Haman in Iran - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The similarities between these two monsters is striking, both in their utter hatred of the Jews (compare Ahmadinejad's claims that that we made the Holocaust up with Haman's rantings about our nation) and their wish to "wipe us/our country" off the planet.
Haman constructed his gallows and Ahmadinejad is building his nuclear weapons.
Let's hope that both men share the same fate and that we can celebrate future Purims, stamping out the name of this new Haman alongside his predecessor.
I pray with all sincerity that G-d is listening this time too.
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