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A bear - what do we know about bears?
רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ פָּתַח לַהּ פִּתְחָא לְהָא פָּרַשְׁתָּא מֵהָכָא: ״אֲרִי נוֹהֵם וְדוֹב שׁוֹקֵק מוֹשֵׁל רָשָׁע עַל עַם דָּל״, ״אֲרִי נוֹהֵם״ — זֶה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר הָרָשָׁע, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ: ״עָלָה אַרְיֵה מִסּוּבְּכוֹ״. ״דּוֹב שׁוֹקֵק״ — זֶה אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ: ״וַאֲרוּ חֵיוָה אׇחֳרִי תִנְיָינָה דָּמְיָה לְדוֹב״, וְתָנֵי רַב יוֹסֵף: אֵלּוּ פַּרְסִיִּים, שֶׁאוֹכְלִין וְשׁוֹתִין כְּדוֹב, וּמְסוּרְבָּלִין בָּשָׂר כְּדוֹב, וּמְגַדְּלִין שֵׂעָר כְּדוֹב, וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנוּחָה כְּדוֹב.
Reish Lakish introduced this passage with an introduction from here: “As a roaring lion, and a ravenous bear, so is a wicked ruler over a poor people” (Proverbs 28:15). “A roaring lion”; this is the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, as it is written about him: “The lion has come up from his thicket” (Jeremiah 4:7). “A hungry bear”; this is Ahasuerus, as it is written about him: “And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear” (Daniel 7:5). And Rav Yosef taught that these who are referred to as a bear in the verse are the Persians. They are compared to a bear, as they eat and drink in large quantities like a bear; and they are coated with flesh like a bear; and they grow their hair long like a bear; and they never rest like a bear, whose manner it is to move about from place to place.
"for somebody to come along and take him home."
Corduroy is in exile.
What do we know about corduroy?
This is a kind of fabric. It ends with syllable "roy" which, in French, means "king." It sounds a little like "corridor," something like a path or a road in a building. Could "corduroy" refer to the 'king's road'? No, it cannot. But today is Purim. Corduroy reminds me of a special kingly road, one of the most famous roads of all time.
"The Royal Road is an ancient highway reorganized and rebuilt for trade in the 5th century BC Achaemenid Empire. The road was built to facilitate rapid communication on the western part of the large empire from Susa to Sardis and was probably perfected under Darius I. Mounted couriers of the Angarium were supposed to travel 1,677 miles (2,699 km) from Susa to Sardis in nine days; the journey took ninety days on foot." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Road.
Her mother did not want to buy the bear for her daugher: "he doesn't look new. He's lost the button to one of his shoulder straps."
What do we know about buttons?
A button can connect two pieces of fabric together - like the sides of a shirt. A button can be pressed - like on an elevator. A button can have a certain shape, like a button-nose.
In the בית המקדש, buttons played a special role. In Hebrew, a button is כפתור.
The Menorah, the beautiful golden lampstand in the Temple, was ornamented with כפתורים, buttons!
Corduroy has a strong connection with the Temple.
Corduroy is in a palace, just the wrong one. He is in the palace of the king of Persia. He yearns to go home, to Jerusalem.
