The critical catalyst for the story of Purim is Mordekhai's refusal, as a member of Ahashverosh's court, to show obeisance to Haman. The text never explicates the rationale behind this decision, in spite of its centrality to the plot. We survey some common answers given and suggest possible challenges to each - and then propose a new answer which impacts on our reading of the entire story, up to and including the climactic war that takes place 11 months after Haman's decree is formulated.
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