Post date: Feb 27, 2011 2:47:5 AM
כֹּרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לְהָמָן... וּמָרְדֳּכַי לֹא יִכְרַע וְלֹא יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה
Kor’eem umishtachavim l’Haman…u’Mordechai lo yichrah v’lo yishtachaveh
(3:2)
The only other times we see the phrase “כֹּרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים” in the Torah is in reference to our service of Hashem on Yom Kippur.
Haman wasn’t satisfied with the prospect of people bowing down to him in just the regular manner. He wanted the most prestigious of bowings. He wanted to be bowed to in the same manner that the Jews bowed to their G-d on their most holy of days.
To Mordechai, demonstrating such subservience was something he wasn’t willing to do. Not only that, he wasn’t willing to comply with the decree in even a partial manner. The Pasuk finishes with “וּמָרְדֳּכַי לֹא יִכְרַע וְלֹא יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה,” he would do neither. (3:2) To Mordechai, doing either part of such a sacred act of bowing was unthinkable. It was simply out of the question.
(Artscroll Megillah)
It seems pretty clear from the Pesukim that Mordechai was the only person who refused to bow to Haman. If that was the case, why did Haman’s fury rage against all of the Jews instead of being focused on the singular recalcitrant?
Haman could see from the manner in which Mordechai defied the edict that his problem with disobedience wouldn’t end with just Mordechai. He was able to see into the future that other Jewish leaders would also refuse to bow to him (and the idol emblazoned on his chest).
This is why the Pasuk uses the future tense when stating “לֹא יִכְרַע,” that he wouldn’t bow. The problem wouldn’t end with Mordechai, but would continue in the future with others.
(Days of Joy)