Why does the Megilah say, "A Jewish man was in the capital of Shushan, and his name was Mordecai", when there were many Jews living in Shushan at that time?

The commentators on the Megillah explain that many Jews fled Shushan for fear of Haman, Mordecai was one of the few who did not. Rabbi Yonasan Eibeschutz disagrees with this interpretation. As we see, later on in the Megilah, Esther instructs Mordecai, "Go and assemble all the Jews," which demonstrates that there were many Jewish people to be found in Shushan.

Therefore, Rabbi Eibeschutz explains that the Jewish people in Shushan were ""hidden Jews", who did not wear their Judaism on their sleeves. Many Jews attempted to conceal their Judaism by integrating and assimilating into non-Jewish society. Unfortunately not much has changed in 2400 years, as today many Jews in Europe and the U.S.A. are assimilating. Mordecai understood the danger of assimilation. He knew that for the sake of the preservation of the Jewish people, one must be proud of what the Torah has to offer.

This is why the Megilah says that Mordecai "was in the capital of Shushan" is to be understood literally. He did not remain insular, rather he entered the market places and society as an observant and religious Jew, demonstrating to his ashamed bretheren the value of Torah true Judaism. Mordecai showed his people that only their allegiance to G-d and His Torah would insure their preservation and survival.

The Megilah refers to Mordecai as "ISH YEHUDI'' – "a man of Yehuda" and "ISH YEMINI", "a man of Binyamin". How could Mordecai have been from both the Tribe of Yehuda and the Tribe of Binyamin? Rabbi Eibeschutz explains this based on the Midrash which says that one can read the word YEHUDI as "YICHUDI" from the word, ECHAD, which means unique and one.

Mordecai was from the Tribe of Binyamin, but the Megilah describes him as "YICHUDI" – "UNIQUE", because he was the one, unique Jew who publicized the Oneness and Uniqueness of G-d.

Mordecai would publicly wear his Tallit and Tefillin, the signs which demonstrate that there is only One True G-d. As the Jewish people attempted to hide their Jewishness by indulging in Achasveros' pagan feast, Mordecai loomed over their conscience by his public display of his Tallit and Tefilin.

Mordecai's steadfast adherence to the symbols of Torah true Judaism saved and sustained the Jewish people then and continues to guarantee our eternal existence, despite the genocidal threats of today's Haman and his fellow Amalekites.

G'd works in mysterious ways. Esther comes from the Tribe of BINYAMIN, and she was G'd agent to save the Jewish people from the Persian Prime Minister Haman. Fast foreward 2400 years to our current situation. Perhaps, BINYAMIN Netanyahu is also G'd agent to save the Jewish People from Persia's (Iran) new Haman, when he speaks to Congress on the day before Purim.