We read about it in the Book of Ezra, but sometimes the dry historical account leaves us wanting more. What were the struggles? The enemies they faced? Well, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating collection of aggadic midrashim – stories that elaborate on the Torah – fills in some of those gaps, giving us a glimpse into the challenges of that era.
The text picks up as Ezra, along with Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, son of Jehozadak, get to work. Finally! The rebuilding of the Temple of the Lord is underway. As Ezra 5:2 tells us, "Then rose up Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God." A moment of hope and renewal, right?
But of course, the story doesn't end there. Because almost immediately, opposition arose. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer tells us that the Samaritans came to fight them with 180,000 men! Now, here's where it gets interesting. The text pauses and asks: Were they really Samaritans? Weren’t they actually Cutheans? The answer given is that they were called Samaritans because of the city of Samaria. This is a crucial point. The people who lived in the area of Samaria weren't the descendants of the ancient Israelites; they were a group brought in by the Assyrian empire after the Northern Kingdom of Israel was exiled. This distinction highlights the complex ethnic and religious tensions simmering at the time.
And the animosity didn't stop with just threats of war. According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, these adversaries even sought to kill Nehemiah. We see hints of this in the Book of Nehemiah itself. Nehemiah 6:2 recounts a plot: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages,… but they thought to do me mischief." This adds a layer of personal danger to the already difficult task of rebuilding.
The result of all this opposition? The work on the Temple ground to a halt. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, echoing Ezra 4:24, states: "Moreover, they made the work of the Lord to cease for two years. ‘Then ceased the work of the house of God, which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia.’" Two years! Imagine the frustration, the disappointment, the feeling of being so close, yet so far. It underscores the immense challenges faced by those returning to rebuild their lives and their faith in the face of both external hostility and internal divisions.
What does this all tell us? It reminds us that even the most sacred endeavors can face fierce opposition. That building something new, especially after destruction and exile, is never easy. It requires resilience, faith, and the ability to overcome both external enemies and internal doubts. And perhaps most importantly, it shows us the importance of understanding the nuances of history, of looking beyond the simple labels to see the complex human stories that lie beneath.