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
Old Friends and New This is likely inspired by Jewett's childhood diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Old Friends and New Old Friends and New is a series of short stories written by Sarah Orne Jewett. It was published in The Atlantic Monthly in seven installments – one short story in each volume – in 1878. In 1879, the short stories were compiled and published by Houghton, Osgood and Company. The stories from "Old Friends and New" are clear examples of the local color movement, with descriptions of the peaceful, rural settings. They all take place in New England in the late nineteenth century. Miss Horatia