How could mordechai endanger the entire jewish people?
It is clear from the gemara in megilah that the am yisrael did not appreciate mordechai endangering the whole jewish people over a family dispute. Just because hamen was wearing a idol doesn't mean that one can't bow down to him, as one it is clear one is bowing down to the man and not the idol and the issur of bowing down to idols is in the thoughts of the bower, not the action. That he didn't wish to give kavod to a slave or whatever, still does not justify endagering the entire jewish nation. In any event, neither midrash is the peshat.

Cheers,

Aryeh Shore

You're not allowed to bow down in front of an idle to pick up money or to drink, even if it's a Sakuna.

I really enjoyed the question about why Mordecai refused to bow, seemingly endangering the entire Jewish people over a personal issue.

I think the answer lies is the fact that Gemara Megillah points to idol worship as the underlying spiritual reason forHaman's decree.
Thus Mordecai, by taking an extreme stance against idol worship, RECTIFIED the situation, and actually thereby saved everyone!

Endangering the Jewish people from whom?

As we see as the story unfolds, it was not Haman who was the real culprit, but rather the Jewish people themselves who merited the death penalty from Hashem by attending Achashverosh's party utilizing the Temple vessels celebrating the end of Hashem's rein on earth.

It was in fact, Haman who inadvertently caused our salvation by being the catalyst that galvanized the entire Jewish people behind Queen Esther.

....Which is one of the reasons we're supposed to drink so much on Purim so as not to be able to tell the difference between the Blessed Mordecai and the wicked Haman. Both were from Hashem, and both had a hand in our salvation and final acceptance of the Oral Torah.

Kol tuv,
Robby

The peshat that is the meaning of text without midrashic overlay could be:

1. Mordechai did not think he was endagering all the Jews, just himself and his family.
2. In persian customs, bowing down to a superior in the royal hiearchy was equivalent to acknowleging him as your god, which Mordechai could not do for his ancestral enemy (Rav Karman).
3. Like all questions of this sort e.g. how could Sarah send Hagar and Ishmael away, the people involved in the saga had a higher sense of history or vision. They knew that what they were doing may be considered incorrect by some, but they felt their were serving a higher purpose above normal life decisions.

Aryeh Shore