Re: Kiddush Levarah, Esther and Mordecai, etc.

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

Joel,

I can't speak to the new moon ceremony, but about Esther, the legends 
about in contradictory and astonishing ways such that one wonders 
whether any were tested for the likelihood of reality. In any event,
Louis Ginzberg, in his wonderful "Legends of the Jews", records, in
IV. 387:

...This lively interest displayed by Mordecai in Esther's physical
and spiritual welfare is not wholly attributable to an uncle's and 
guardian's solicitude in behalf of an orphaned niece. A much closer
bond, the bond between husband and wife, united them, for when Esther
had grown to maidenhood, Mordecai had espoused her.....

The source cited there appears to be the Zohar. Other sources 
indicate that Esther was an old woman. 

But to speak of such legends as though they are accepted by most
people in the community may, indeed, be over the top. Except that,
what is esoteric in Ashkenazic culture, may have greater acceptance
in the culture whence the recordings you cite. What do I know? It
isn't as though we Ashkenazim lack for our own odd corners of belief,
either.

ari
 

>
>One was a description of at "Kiddush levarah" ceremony. I quote the booklet
>verbatim below. Can anyone confirm or deny any or all of the particulars?
>
>>From the booklet:
>
>"Many jews still observe the "kiddush levarah" ("blessing of the moon")
>ceremony in which God is praised at the beginning of the month for having
>created the moond. Included among the ritesw are a ceremonial dance and
>recitation.l The dancers spring three times towards the moon and say to it:
>"Just as I dance towards you, but am unable to reach you, so may my enemies
>be prevented from reaching me to do harm." (After Neil Armstrong and Edwin
>Aldrin successfully landed Apollo II on the moon on July 20, 1969, the
>phrase beginning "unable to" was changed to "but I am not reaching you.")
>Continuing their dance, the dancers then recite, forwards and backwards
>(possibly recalling an ancient magical incantation) "Terror and dread
>descend upon them, through the might of your arm they stay still as stone." 
>
>Second, a booklet asserts that Esther was "still married to her Jewish
>cousin Mordecai" when she went to Ahasuerus. Is there any midrash or fable
>at all to assert that they were cousins, that they were married, and that
>Ahasuerus was her second husband?
>
>And last, it also asserts that the city name Seville is derived from the
>Hebrew "Shevil-Yah" ("line of God") and claims many other Spanish city
>names were derived from the Hebrew. I thought the derivation of Toledo
>(from "Toledoth") had been pretty well debunked; is this another example of
>crypto-etymology? <G>
>
>Looking forward to our discusstion,
>
>Joel
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Joel Bresler
>250 E. Emerson Rd.
>Lexington, MA 02420 USA
>
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>


Ari Davidow
The klezmer shack: http://www.well.com/user/ari/klez/
owner: jewish-music mailing list
e-mail: ari (at) ivritype(dot)com

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