Vashti or Esther: Who’s the best role model for a Jewish Woman?

(7) He adopted Hadassah—that is, Esther...for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was shapely and beautiful...8) ...Esther too was taken into the king’s palace under the supervision of Hegai.. (9) The girl pleased him and won his favor, ... and he treated her and her maids with special kindness in the harem. (10) Esther did not reveal her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had told her not to reveal it.

(20) But Esther still did not reveal her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had instructed her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai’s bidding, as she had done when she was under his tutelage.

(15) When the turn came for Esther...to go to the king, she did not ask for anything... Yet Esther won the admiration of all who saw her... (17) The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she won his grace and favor more than all the virgins. So ...made her queen instead of Vashti.

(9) In addition, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for women... (10) On the seventh day, when the king was merry with wine, he ordered...(11) to bring Queen Vashti before the king wearing a royal diadem, to display her beauty to the peoples and the officials; for she was a beautiful woman. (12) But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command...

(1) Queen Vashti refused. Our Rabbis said because leprosy broke out on her,²⁴Ibid. Vashti did not refuse out of modesty. She was as vulgar as her husband and would have attended had she not broken out with leprosy...

Because she would force Jewish girls to disrobe and make them do work on Shabbos, it was decreed upon her to be stripped naked on Shabbos.²⁵This punishment was in the form of מדה כנגד מדה

(14) But Queen Vashti refused: She said to him: If they see that I am fair, they will try to make use of me and kill you. But if they see that I am ugly, you will be belittled through me.

“Therefore the king was very wrathful..." The Gemara asks: Why did his anger burn in him so greatly merely because she did not wish to come? Rava said: Vashti not only refused to come, but she also sent him a message... You, son of my father’s stableman . Belshazzar, my father, drank wine against a thousand men and did not become drunk... and Achasuerus, has become senseless from his wine. (He's a drunkard!)

The Sages taught: There were four women of extraordinary beauty in the world: Sarah, and Avigail, Rachab, and Esther. Some say Esther was greenish in colour, lacking natural beauty... Remove Esther from the list and insert Vashti in her place, for she was indeed beautiful.

...Esther was called Hadassah because she was greenish, having a pale complexion like a myrtle (Hadas tree), but a cord of grace was strung around her (making her truly beautiful)

(15) Then Esther sent back this answer to Mordecai: (16) “Go, assemble all the Jews... Then I shall go to the king, though it is contrary to the law; and if I am to perish, I shall perish!” (17) So Mordecai went about [the city] and did just as Esther had commanded him.

(1) On the third day, Esther put on majestic clothes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, facing the king’s palace, while the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room facing the entrance of the palace.