Four Righteous Men Who Were Given a Hint

"And place it in the ears of Joshua" (Exodus 17:14). This teaches that on that very day Joshua was anointed. These are the words of Rabbi Joshua. Rabbi Eleazar of Modi'in says: this is one of four righteous men who were given a hint - two of them were concerned by it and two were not. Moses was given a hint and was not concerned; Jacob was given a hint and was not concerned; David and Mordecai were given a hint and were concerned. How do we know of Moses? "And place it in the ears of Joshua" - He told him that Joshua would give Israel the land as their inheritance, yet in the end Moses stood and pleaded, as it is said (Deuteronomy 3:23), "And I pleaded with the LORD." Jacob was given a hint and was not concerned, as it is said (Genesis 28:15), "And behold, I am with you and will guard you wherever you go," yet in the end he was afraid and trembled, as it is said, "And Jacob was greatly afraid" (Genesis 32:8). A man whom the Holy One, blessed be He, had reassured was trembling? Only that he said: perhaps sin will cause it [to be revoked]. David was given a hint and was concerned, as it is said (1 Samuel 17:36), "Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear." David said: who am I to count for anything, that I struck down these wild beasts? Rather, he said, perhaps something is destined to befall Israel and they are destined to be saved through me. Mordecai was given a hint and was concerned, as it is said (Esther 2:11), "And every single day Mordecai would walk about." Rather, Mordecai said: is it possible that this devout one [Esther] should be married to this wicked uncircumcised man? Rather, perhaps something is destined to befall Israel and they are destined to be saved through her. "For I will utterly blot out" - "blot out" in this world, "I will blot out" in the world to come. "Remembrance" - this is Haman. "Amalek" - according to its plain meaning.