By many measures, Ezra’s journey is a resounding success. With God’s help, he earns the support of the king and hee convinces Jewish leaders to accompany him. His fast and prayer are apparently effective, and his group arrives safely in Jerusalem. After carefully appointing the priests as stewards of the gold, silver, and other materials, those items are delivered safely and precisely accounted for in the Temple.
Despite his successes, though, Ezra confronts significant challenges along the way. The Levites at first are a no-show. Later on in our chapter, Ezra notes that he was required to pray for safety on his trip because he was embarrassed to ask the king for protection. Almost immediately after arriving, Ezra learns that intermarriage is rampant among the Jews
Ultimately, the fact that Ezra was compelled to face a series of challenges extending him beyond his scholarly expertise serves to highlight the extent of his self-sacrifice. It is his willingness to abandon the comforts of his diaspora home to teach Torah to a far-flung, ignorant community – in short, his shelichut – that is the mark of his heroism.
