When the Jews beheld this great procession, and Mordecai honored in the midst of it, they followed after, and in return to the shouts of the troops they called out loudly, "Thus shall be done to the man who serves the King who created heaven and earth, and whom he desireth to honor." When Esther saw her kinsman thus arrayed, she thanked the Lord and praised him.

"With the Psalmist I may say," she exclaimed, “He raiseth up out of the dust the poor, from the dung-hill he lifteth up the needy.' (Ps. cxiii. 7.) That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.'

Mordecai also praised the Lord, and said:

"Thou hast changed my mourning into dancing for me, thou hast loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy; I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not suffered my enemies to rejoice over me.' (Ps. xxx. 12.)

Four distinct services did Haman render Mordecai. First, he was his hairdresser, for he shaved and anointed him. Secondly, he was his valet, for he attended him in the bath. Thirdly, he was his footman, for he led the horse Mordecai rode. Fourthly, he was his trumpeter, for he proclaimed before him: "Thus shall be done to the man whom the King desireth to honor."

"And Haman related to Zeresh his wife," etc.

Haman received but little comfort from his friends. "Thou wilt surely fall," said his wife; "for those who endeavored to burn Chananyah, Mishael and Azaryah in the fiery furnace were themselves consumed in the flames; take heed, for thou wilt surely fall before this Jew."

When the servants of the King saw that Haman was losing prestige, they too turned against him. Charbonyah told the King that Haman had designs against his royal person. "If thou believest not me," said the sycophant, "send to his house and there wilt thou find a gallows fifty cubits high for Mordecai, because he spoke well of thee and saved thy life."

The King said to Mordecai, "Go bring thy enemy Haman

and hang him upon the gallows; do to him whatever is pleasing to thee."

Haman appealed to Mordecai and begged to be put to death by the sword, but Mordecai harkened not to his words. "Who digs a pit for another deserves to fall therein himself," said he; "he who rolls a stone against another must not complain if it turn back and crush himself."

The following is the letter sent under the King's seal to counteract the decree issued against the Jews:

"To the noblemen, princes, and inhabitants of all our provinces, peace. Our government can not prosper unless its people are united; let this find you all living in fraternal harmony. Let all the people of our provinces trade together as one nation; let them have compassion and charity toward all nations and creeds, and honor all peaceful kingdoms of the earth. They who would deceive the King by evil reports concerning any people in our midst, and endeavor to obtain permission to exterminate peaceful, lawabiding persons, deserve death, and should meet with it. Let such as they perish, and the remainder live in harmony, forming a bond of peace never to be broken; aye, of triple thickness, that it may never grow weak. Let no insult be offered to any people.

Esther is pious, worthy, and our Queen, and Mordecai is the wisest of his age; he is without fault, he and his people. Through the advice of Haman, the son of Hamdatha, was our former decree issued, which now is declared null and void. And further we decree that the Jews may arise and protect themselves, aye, and take vengeance on such as raise a bloody hand against them.

"He who created heaven and earth has put these words in our heart and in our mouth, and thus we utter and decree them according to the laws of Persia and Media."

THE TALMUD

THE GEMARA

V

KING SOLOMON, THE WISE

"Seest thou a man that is diligent in his work? Before kings may he place himself; let him not place himself before obscure men." (Prov. xxii. 29.)

In this verse Solomon alludes to himself. He built the holy temple in seven years, while he occupied fourteen years in erecting his palace. Not because his palace was more elegant or more elaborate in its workmanship than was the temple, but because he was diligent in his work to finish God's house, while his own house could wait.

Four cases of comparative righteousness between fathers and children may be noted:

First. A righteous man begets a righteous son. Secondly. A wicked man begets a wicked son. Thirdly. A wicked man begets a righteous son. Fourthly. A righteous man begets a wicked son. To each of these cases we may find a Biblical allusion; to each of them we may apply a parable and a proverb.

In reference to the righteous father and the righteous son, we find the following verse (Psalm xlv. 17): “Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children." And we may apply the parable of the good fig-tree which brought forth luscious fruit.

In reference to the wicked father and the wicked son we have in Numbers xxxii. 14: "And now behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, a new race of sinful men."

Ancient is the proverb, "From the wicked proceedeth wickedness"; and applicable the parable of the serpent bringing forth an asp.

In the third case, the wicked father begets a righteous son, as it is written, "Instead of the thorn shall come up the

fir-tree." And to this can we apply the parable of the rose budding on the bramble-bush.

Lastly, a righteous man has a wicked son, as it is written, "Instead of wheat, thorns come forth." (Job xxi. 40.) And we have also the parable of the attractive peach-tree which brought forth bitter fruit.

Solomon was a king, the son of a king; the wise son of a wise father; a righteous man's righteous child. All the incidents in David's life, all his characteristics, were paralleled in the life of Solomon.

David reigned for forty years, as it is written, "And the days that David governed Israel were forty years."

Of Solomon it is written, "And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.' David expressed himself by "words," as it is written, "And these are the last words of David."

Solomon likewise expressed himself by "words."

"The words of Koheleth the son of David." (Eccles. i. 1.)

David said, "All is vanity"; as it is written, "For vanity only do all men make a noise." (Psalm xxxix. 7.) Solomon expressed himself with the same word, "vanity." "Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth." (Eccles. i. 2.) David wrote books, viz.: the five books of Psalms; and Solomon wrote three books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.

David composed songs: "And David spoke unto the Lord the words of this song." (Samuel xxii. 1.)

Solomon also composed a song: "The song of songs, which is Solomon's."

He was the wise king alluded to in Proverbs xvi. 23, "The heart of the wise maketh his mouth intelligent, and upon his lips increaseth information." Meaning that the heart of the wise is full of knowledge and understanding; but this is shown to the world through the words of his mouth. And, by uttering with his lips the thoughts of his mind (or heart) he increases the information of the people. If a man possessing brilliant diamonds and precious stones keeps his

jewels concealed, no one is aware of their value; but if he allows them to be seen, their worth becomes known, and the pleasure of ownership is enhanced.

Applying this comparison to the case of Solomon, while his wisdom was locked up in his own breast, it was of value to no one; but when he had given to the world his three books, men became acquainted with his great abilities. "The words of his lips increased the information of his people," and so great was his reputation that any one in doubt concerning the meaning of a Biblical passage sought the King for an interpretation.

Not only in sacred lore did he raise the standard of education. He had mastered and taught the sciences of natural philosophy, physiology, botany, agriculture, mathematics in all its branches, astronomy, chemistry, and in fact all useful studies. He also taught rhetoric and the rules of poesy. In alliterative and alphabetical versification he was an adept.

"And in addition to this that Koheleth was wise, he continually taught the people knowledge."

If what others said interested the people, how much more readily did they listen to Solomon; with how much more ease did they comprehend him!

We may illustrate his method of teaching by the following comparison. There was a basket without ears, filled with fine fruit, but the owner was unable to get it to his home on account of the difficulty in carrying it, until a wise man, seeing the predicament, attached handles to the basket, when it could be carried with great ease.

So did Solomon remove difficulties from the path of the student.

"There

Rabbi Huna further illustrates this same thing. was once," he said, " a well of most pure and excellent water; but the well was so deep that the people were not able to reach the water, until a man of wisdom taking a bucket attached to it one rope after another until the whole was long enough to reach to the water. So was it with Solomon's teachings. The Bible is a well of truth, but its teachings are too deep for the understanding of some. Solomon, how