Ksharim - Makom Israel

SourcesI. Accounts of the Diaspora1. And Haman. took the clothes and the horse and he dressed Mordechai and puthim on the horse and led him mounted through the streets of the city calling“Such is done to one who the king wishes to honor!” (Megilat Esther 4/11) ….ForMordechai the Jew was second to the king Achasverosh, great among the Jewsaccepted by the majority of his brothers, seeking the good of his people andspeaking peace to all his descendents (Megilat Esther 10 /3)2. “In Baghdad there are 40,000 Jews and they dwell in security and prosperity andhonor under the great Caliph and amongst them are great sages, the heads ofthe Academies engaged in the study of the Law…..And at the head of them all isDaniel the son of Hisdai who is styled “Our Lord Head of the Exile and theMohammedans call him ‘Saidna ben Daoud” (noble descendent of David) and hehas been invested with authority over all the congregations of Israel at thehands of the emir al Muminin (the caliph of Baghdad). And he granted him a sealof office over all the congregations and ordered everyone, Mohammedan or Jewor belonging to any other nation in his dominion should rise up before theexilarch and salute him…And every Thursday when he goes to pay a visit to thegreat Caliph, horsemen, non-Jews as well as Jews, escort him and heraldsproclaim in advance “Make way before our Lord the son of David”. He ismounted on a horse and is attired in robes of silk and embroidery with a largeturban on his head, and from the turban is suspended a long white clothadorned with a chain upon which the seal of Mohammed is engraved.”(Benjamin of Tudela, approx. 1168)3. Go out and look in Lithuania and Russia…Jews in the tax offices, Jews rentingvillages, cities, states and even entire duchies. Jews collecting the taxes for waysand mines….It is a great insult to the Name of the Savior… Jews holding suchdeeds lord it over Christians and the pious are forced to bow before those whodesecrate the Lord’s name. (Mitchinsky, The Glory of the Polish Monarchy, Krakow1618)4. Court Jews during the middle Ageshttp://www.jewishgates.com/file.asp?File_ID=53http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history_community/Modern/EarlyModern/CourtJews.htm5. Don Isaac Abarbanel:http://www.jewishgates.com/file.asp?File_ID=204http://www.authorama.com/chapters-on-jewish-literature-22.htmlhttp://www.sephardiccouncil.org/sages/harav-don.html43 Ksharim