Esther in rabbinic literature R. Shimon b. Yohai said that it was because, unlike Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they had bowed down to Nebuchadnezzar's idol. However, he explained that since they did not mean to show devotion, but acted only for appearances sake, so God decreed only the apparent destruction of the Jews, but would not permit Haman to carry it out. A second reason draws a distinction between Daniel, who abstained from Nebuchadnezzar's table and the Jews (with the exception of Mordecai), who attended Ahasuerus' banquet in Chapter 1. Mordecai called upon her to pray for her people and then intercede with the
William Shadrach Knox William Shadrach Knox William Shadrach Knox (September 10, 1843 – September 21, 1914) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts who served from 1895 to 1903. Knox was the son of William Shadrach Knox Sr and Rebecca Walker, and the grandson of Samuel Knox and Mary Kimbell and Jimmy Walker and Hannah Richardson. Born in Killingly, Connecticut, he moved with his parents to Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1852; he attended the public schools and Amherst College where he studied the law. He was admitted to the bar in 1866 and commenced practice in Lawrence. In 1874 he became a member of the