NOTES

References to books of the Talmud refer to the Babylonian Talmud unless otherwise noted.
1. Circa 422 B.C.E. or 3338 in the Jewish calendar.
2. Jeremiah 7:32-34, chaps. 8-9.
3. Jeremiah 25:11-13; 29:10.
4. Isaiah 49:14; 50:1.
5. Achashverosh II was king of Media and Persia. He became emperor after the death of Cyrus, although he was not of royal descent.
6. Rashi, Book of Esther, 1:1.
7. Megillah 11b.
8. Ibid. 19a.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid. 12a.
11. Exodus 17:8-16; Deuteronomy 25:17-19.
12. Book of Esther 3:1.
13.Megillah 7a.
14. Ibid. 12a.
15. Code of Jewish Law, Orach Chaim 695:8, Ramah.
16. Yigal Yadin, Masada, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1966, pp. 164-167.
17. Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
18. Leviticus 26:32 -33.
19. Deuteronomy 28:37.
20. Numbers 23:9.
21. Deuteronomy 30:3-5.
22. Ibid. 31:21; Rashi ad loc.; Shabbat 138b.
23. Leviticus 26:44; Megillah 11a.
24. Levush Malchut, Orach Chaim, 670.
25. Book of Esther 9:22.
26. Ibid. 3:8.
27. Midrash Rabbahh, Vayikra 26:2; Midrash Tanchuma, Bamidbar, Parshat Chukat 4.
28. Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, Shnei Luchot Habrit, Parshat Tetzaveh, Drush 4.
29. Megillah 7b.
30. Nachmanides, Commentary on the Torah, Leviticus 19:2; Deuteronomy 21:18-21; Sanhedrin 70a, 71b, 72a.
31. Code of Jewish Law, Orach Chaim, 695:2, Biur Halachah ad loc.
32. Ibid. Ramah and Mishnah Berurah ad loc.
33. Ibid.
34. Maharal, Ohr Chadash, Introduction.
35. Eruvin 65a; Sanhedrin 38a; Eruvin 65b.
36. Known as the AriZ"al. Lived in Safed, Israel, in the 17th century.
37. Leviticus 23:28.
38. Ta’anit 7a.
39. Nachmanides, Commentary on the Torah, Exodus 20:8.
40. Rabbi Yeshaya Horowitz, Shnei Luchot Habrit, Masechet Rosh Hashanah, Torah Ohr (14).
41. Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, Michtav M’Eliyahu, Vol. 2 pp. 123-125; Nachmanides, ibid.