Did Mordechai have children?

Question

Megillas Esther ends by saying: וְדֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכָל־זַרְעוֹ - and speaking peace to all his seed. I realize Rashi applies this to the previous clause, of all the nation, but perhaps there are interpretations that are not in accordance with this.

Did Mordechai have children? With whom? What information, if any, is available about them?

You're asking about Mordochay's children only according to views that the final pasuk of Ester is referring to such children? — msh210, Jan 21 '13 at 04:31
So -- just to be clear -- if Rashi talks about Mordochay's children somewhere, you don't want to know about it. Right? — msh210, Jan 21 '13 at 04:35
@msh210 +1 on your top comment just because I enjoyed seeing "Mordochay." — Fred, Jan 21 '13 at 04:44
@msh210 Rashi's different explanations are not necessarily interdependent. — Double AA, Jan 21 '13 at 05:04
@Fred Odd, because msh210 claims here (now deleted) that he does not read מרדכי with a kamatz under the dalet. — Double AA, Jan 21 '13 at 06:20
@msh210 sorry, I misunderstood, if Rashi elsewhere (not on Esther 10:3) implies that Mordechai had children I would definitely like to know about it — not-allowed to change my name, Jan 21 '13 at 13:58

score 9 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 21 '13 at 04:57

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Megilla 13b says that Ester would "rise from the bosom of Achashverosh and immerse herself and sit in the bosom of Mordechai". Tosfos Harosh asks how this was permitted due to the law of "havchana" (the requirement for a women to abstain from relations for three months between husbands to identify the father), and explains that she utilized anti-contraceptive techniques to avert the problem. He then asks if so, how was Koresh born, and (according to one answer) explains that Koresh was in fact Mordechai's biological son, and was only referred to as Achashverosh'es son because he grew up in his house.

answered Jan 21 '13 at 04:57

Michoel

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Nice, but it would still be good to have a direct source for לְכָל; it can't mean all of his one child. – Fred Jan 21 '13 at 05:02
@michoel see http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/13095/was-darius-jewish By the way, I think it's daryavesh and not koresh – response Jan 21 '13 at 06:57
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@response I was just quoting Tosfos Harosh who says Koresh. But see Rosh Hashana 3b that Koresh and Daryavesh are the same person. – Michoel Jan 21 '13 at 07:22

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 24 '13 at 02:45

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Chazal say (and the medrash brings this pasuk as a proof) that a person's students can be considered like his children. Thus וְדֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכָל־זַרְעוֹ is referring to his students who are viewed as his children.

answered Feb 24 '13 at 02:45

not-allowed to change my name

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score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 22 '13 at 14:24

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If you want to discount Rashi you can simply say that זַרְעוֹ refers to Mordechai's descendants through Esther (whom the Megillah calls his daughter). She had a son, Daryavesh who would be Mordechai's grandson.

answered Jan 22 '13 at 14:24

Esther was Mordechai's daughter?? – Double AA Jan 22 '13 at 14:59
@DoubleAA that is what the words say וּבְמוֹת אָבִיהָ וְאִמָּהּ, לְקָחָהּ מָרְדֳּכַי לוֹ לְבַת – Jan 22 '13 at 15:20
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So she's his adopted daughter... – Double AA Jan 22 '13 at 16:32

Did Mordechai have children?

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