Ruins of the Massive Palace Complex at Susa (Shushan)

Within the Purim story, we see the paradox of Jewish history in the Diaspora. While Jews achieved great things within gentile society, and often even rose to influential positions within the power structure of the ruling governments, Jewish existence is ultimately fragile. One Haman can suddenly destroy their tentative security.

The Megilla ends by emphasizing that King Ahasuerus's rule was strengthened, and implying that it was a result of Mordechai's capability as prime minister. Within a few years Ahasuerus dies, leaving a son, Darius, as his heir. Darius, the son of Esther, and therefore a Jew, is crowned, but rules with a regent for many years. Certainly influenced by his mother, he authorizes the Jews to return to their land and rebuild their Temple.

Darius Rebuilds the Temple: The Jews Go Home

King Darius

After Darius ordered the Temple rebuilt in 352 BCE (3408), many Jews did not answer the call. Despite the fact that this was a clear confirmation of the prophecies of Jeremiah, and as such might have aroused a messianic excitement, they were firmly entrenched in their exilic communities.

Jews were integrated into high places in society - even the king and queen-mother were Jewish, although not openly observant. The Persian empire had developed a tolerant attitude to the various nations it ruled, and allowed them relatively great independence in cultural and religious autonomy. In the Persian religion, Zoroasterism, the main god tolerates all the other "minor" gods, and so the people did the same. In this atmosphere of relative tolerance, the Jews felt extremely comfortable.

The failure of the Jews to return to Israel from the Diaspora was cited by the rabbis of the Talmud as one of the reasons that the second commonwealth of Israel was doomed. It was considered a sin on their part, but after the fact, produced several benefits.

While the Temple was still standing and until the second mass exile (around 140 CE), the wealthy Jews of the Diaspora continued to contribute money, and helped support the community in Israel. The diaspora Jews still looked to Israel as a spiritual center, while they developed their own great academies of learning in Chutz L'Aretz - outside the land. The relationship was similar in many ways to the situation we find in the Jewish community today.

Postscript: The Babylonian Renaissance
After the second exile, over 400 years after the Second Temple was rebuilt, Jews scattered to find strong Jewish communities already in place. This undoubtedly helped retain many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Jews who would have been instant prey to assimilationist forces. The Torah academies of Babylon standardized a coherent form of Judaism, and produced a Jewish leadership that became the central rallying point for the Jewish nation in exile.