For Parshat Zachor
Not yet available on the Nishma website
1) There is, perhaps, an interesting application of this idea in regard to the Purim story. T.B. Megilla 12b informs us that the people were hesitant in responding to the edict to attack the Jews because they were concerned about the potential for Achashveirosh to change his mind and punish them for following his first intentions after he changed his mind. His edicts were simply not well thought out as evidenced by his edict that the husband should objectively be the head of the household notwithstanding the actual reality of the subjective nature of the individual husband-wife relationship. (See, further, Rashi.) This is the way of the evil person -- to state a truth regardless of its basis in reality -- and this was Achashveirosh. (Perhaps, also, connecting to the classic question of whether he was just a fool or more evil than Haman). In this case, imposing his 'My Truth' actually worked for the benefit of the Jewish People.
2) It was intention that I chose the title 'My Truth", obviously referring to the modern use of this term. This is not to say that the use of this term always reflects evil -- it clearly does not and there are times, in fact, when we should use this term to reflect the proper application of our subjective evaluation of the facts within the parameters of honest objectivity. My use of this term, though, does still indicate that people must be careful not to follow Amalek's lead to define one's behaviour notwithstanding what is absolutely known to be the objective reality.
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