Esther vs. Vashti: Is Either One a Model of Leadership?

In addition, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for women, in the royal palace of King Ahasuerus. On the seventh day, when the king was merry with wine, he ordered Mehuman, Bizzetha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs in attendance on King Ahasuerus, 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. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command conveyed by the eunuchs. The king was greatly incensed, and his fury burned within him.

(13) to bring Queen Vashti before the king wearing a royal diadem: Rabbi Aybo said: Atonement of Israel! When Israel eats and drinks and celebrates, they bless and praise and glorify the Holy One Blessed Be He. But when the nations of the world eat and drink, they occupy themselves with tasteless words. This one says: Median women are fair! And this one says: Persian women are fair! The fool said to them: the vessel (i.e. queen) that this man (i.e. Achashverosh) uses is neither Median nor Persian, rather Chaldean. Do you all desire to see her? They said to him: Yes, but only if she is naked. He said to them: yes, and naked.

(1) Queen Vashti refused. Our Rabbis said because leprosy broke out on her, so that she should refuse and be executed. Because she would force Jewish girls to disrobe and make them do work on Shabbat, it was decreed upon her to be stripped naked on Shabbat.​​​​​​​

The verse continues: “Therefore the king was very wrathful, and his anger burned in him” (Esther 1:12). 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 by way of a messenger: You, son of my father’s stableman. Belshazzar, my father, drank wine against a thousand men and did not become inebriated, as the verse in Daniel (5:1) testifies about him: “Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand”; and that man, referring euphemistically to Ahasuerus himself, has become senseless from his wine. Due to her audacity, immediately “his anger burned in him” (Esther 1:12).

Never to be revoked. This statute from among them; this should be a statute and a law for anyone who shows contempt for her husband.

(7) He was foster father to Hadassah—that is, Esther—his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was shapely and beautiful; and when her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.

As a daughter. Our Rabbis explained, “for a house” [i.e., לְבַת=לְבַיִת,] meaning, as a wife.

And he had brought up Hadassah, She is referred to as “Hadassah” and she is referred to as “Esther.” It is taught Rabbi Meir says: Esther was her name. Why was she called Hadassah? On account of the righteous, who are called myrtles, and so it states: “And he stood among the myrtles” (Zechariah 1:8). Rabbi Yehuda says: Hadassah was her real name. Why then was she called Esther? Because she concealed the truth as it is stated: “Esther had not yet made known her people” (Esther 2:20).

And Esther obtained favor. Rabbi Elazar said: This teaches that she appeared to each and every one as if their nation,

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)

In majesty. Regal clothing. But our Rabbis said that Divine Inspiration enwrapped her, as it is says, “And a spirit enwrapped Amasai.”² I Chronicles 12:19.

During the banquet Esther said to Ahasuerus: “For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to be annihilated. But if we had been sold merely for bondmen and bondwomen, I would have held my tongue, since the affliction would not have been worth the damage to the king” (Esther 7:4). The Gemara explains that she said to him: This adversary is not concerned about the damage that he is constantly causing to the king. First he was jealous of Vashti and killed her, as it has been explained that Memucan, who suggesting killing Vashti, was Haman; now he is jealous of me and desires to kill me.