מגילת אסתר Key Moments in the Megillah Story

ברוך אתה ה׳ אלקינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו לעסוק בדברי תורה.

Blessings to You Adonai Sovereign of the Universe who made us holy with the mitzvoth and instructed us to busy ourselves with studying Torah.

First, let's talk about Vashti, a minor character, but she is the one who instigates events that lead to Esther coming to the palace. Her refusal to appear for superficial reasons is a foil to Esther's decision to go to the King uninvited for very important reasons. What's similar about both is that in both cases there is defiance against the King. Vashti refuses a direct order. Esther risks her life going in uninvited.

אסתר א׳:י׳-י״ב

(י) בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י כְּט֥וֹב לֵב־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בַּיָּ֑יִן אָמַ֡ר לִ֠מְהוּמָן בִּזְּתָ֨א חַרְבוֹנָ֜א בִּגְתָ֤א וַאֲבַגְתָא֙ זֵתַ֣ר וְכַרְכַּ֔ס שִׁבְעַת֙ הַסָּ֣רִיסִ֔ים הַמְשָׁ֣רְתִ֔ים אֶת־פְּנֵ֖י הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֽוֹשׁ׃ (יא) לְ֠הָבִיא אֶת־וַשְׁתִּ֧י הַמַּלְכָּ֛ה לִפְנֵ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בְּכֶ֣תֶר מַלְכ֑וּת לְהַרְא֨וֹת הָֽעַמִּ֤ים וְהַשָּׂרִים֙ אֶת־יָפְיָ֔הּ כִּֽי־טוֹבַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה הִֽיא׃ (יב) וַתְּמָאֵ֞ן הַמַּלְכָּ֣ה וַשְׁתִּ֗י לָבוֹא֙ בִּדְבַ֣ר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּיַ֣ד הַסָּרִיסִ֑ים וַיִּקְצֹ֤ף הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ מְאֹ֔ד וַחֲמָת֖וֹ בָּעֲרָ֥ה בֽוֹ׃

Esther 1:10-12

(10) 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, (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 conveyed by the eunuchs. The king was greatly incensed, and his fury burned within him.

Why does Vashti refuse to come?

רש"י על אסתר א׳:י״ב:א׳

(א) וַתְּמָאֵן הַמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּי. רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ: לְפִי שֶׁפָּרְחָה בָהּ צָרַעַת כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּמָאֵן וְתֵהָרֵג. לְפִי שֶׁהָיְתָה מַפְשֶׁטֶת בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲרֻמּוֹת וְעוֹשָׂה בָהֶן מְלָאכָה בַּשַּׁבָּת, נִגְזַר עָלֶיהָ שֶׁתִּפָּשֵׁט עֲרֻמָּה בַּשַּׁבָּת:

Rashi on Esther 1:12:1

(1) Queen Vashti refused. Our Rabbis said because leprosy broke out on her,²⁴Ibid. Vashti did not refuse out of modesty. She was as lewd as her husband and would have attended had she not broken out with leprosy. Another opinion is that the angel Gavriel caused her to grow a tail.

She was not well, she had a skin condition -- We worry about how people see us, sometimes too much, we all look different, we should all be happy with who we are.

Sometimes it's ok not to go somewhere if we're uncomfortable, and sometimes it's important to go even if we are uncomfortable or nervous about it. The best way to handle these difficult questions is to ask parents, family members, teachers for help.

אסתר ב׳:י׳

(י) לֹא־הִגִּ֣ידָה אֶסְתֵּ֔ר אֶת־עַמָּ֖הּ וְאֶת־מֽוֹלַדְתָּ֑הּ כִּ֧י מָרְדֳּכַ֛י צִוָּ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תַגִּֽיד׃

Esther 2:10

(10) Esther did not reveal her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had told her not to reveal it.

Why doesn't Esther say she is Jewish and where she's from?

How do we share that we're Jewish and it's important to us?

What is our favorite Jewish symbol? (Maybe create our own symbol...)

Why does Mordecai refuse to bow to Haman?

אסתר ג׳:ב׳-ד׳

(ב) וְכָל־עַבְדֵ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־בְּשַׁ֣עַר הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ כֹּרְעִ֤ים וּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִים֙ לְהָמָ֔ן כִּי־כֵ֖ן צִוָּה־ל֣וֹ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וּמָ֨רְדֳּכַ֔י לֹ֥א יִכְרַ֖ע וְלֹ֥א יִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶֽה׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֨אמְר֜וּ עַבְדֵ֥י הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־בְּשַׁ֥עַר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לְמָרְדֳּכָ֑י מַדּ֙וּעַ֙ אַתָּ֣ה עוֹבֵ֔ר אֵ֖ת מִצְוַ֥ת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (ד) וַיְהִ֗י באמרם [כְּאָמְרָ֤ם] אֵלָיו֙ י֣וֹם וָי֔וֹם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לְהָמָ֗ן לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲיַֽעַמְדוּ֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י מָרְדֳּכַ֔י כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥יד לָהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא יְהוּדִֽי׃

Esther 3:2-4

(2) All the king’s courtiers in the palace gate knelt and bowed low to Haman, for such was the king’s order concerning him; but Mordecai would not kneel or bow low. (3) Then the king’s courtiers who were in the palace gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s order?” (4) When they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s resolve would prevail; for he had explained to them that he was a Jew.

The Megillah explains Mordecai does not bow 'because he is a Jew', and so in our tradition the thinking is that either Haman considers himself a 'god' or Haman is wearing an idol, or another possibility - Haman descends from Amalek, enemies of Israel, and so Mordecai will not bow to someone who comes from the enemy.

Teaching on this:

What happens when we have a fight or disagreement with a friend? Do we stop playing with that person? Stop talking to him/her? How do we tell someone what they did was wrong and hurtful?

אסתר ג׳:ה׳-ו׳

(ה) וַיַּ֣רְא הָמָ֔ן כִּי־אֵ֣ין מָרְדֳּכַ֔י כֹּרֵ֥עַ וּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה ל֑וֹ וַיִּמָּלֵ֥א הָמָ֖ן חֵמָֽה׃ (ו) וַיִּ֣בֶז בְּעֵינָ֗יו לִשְׁלֹ֤ח יָד֙ בְּמָרְדֳּכַ֣י לְבַדּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥ידוּ ל֖וֹ אֶת־עַ֣ם מָרְדֳּכָ֑י וַיְבַקֵּ֣שׁ הָמָ֗ן לְהַשְׁמִ֧יד אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר בְּכָל־מַלְכ֥וּת אֲחַשְׁוֵר֖וֹשׁ עַ֥ם מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃

Esther 3:5-6

(5) When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel or bow low to him, Haman was filled with rage. (6) But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone; having been told who Mordecai’s people were, Haman plotted to do away with all the Jews, Mordecai’s people, throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Haman gets angry at Mordecai and decides to take out his anger not only on Mordecai, but on all Mordecai's people.

Teaching on this:

If we're upset or angry with one person, does that mean we have to be angry at everyone they're friends with or related to?

What are other ways to behave when we're angry or upset? How can we still try to make the world a better place in those moments?

Mordecai tells Esther what's going to happen and encourages her to go the King to protect the Jewish people.

אסתר ד׳:י״ג-י״ד

(יג) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מָרְדֳּכַ֖י לְהָשִׁ֣יב אֶל־אֶסְתֵּ֑ר אַל־תְּדַמִּ֣י בְנַפְשֵׁ֔ךְ לְהִמָּלֵ֥ט בֵּית־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מִכָּל־הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃ (יד) כִּ֣י אִם־הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי֮ בָּעֵ֣ת הַזֹּאת֒ רֶ֣וַח וְהַצָּלָ֞ה יַעֲמ֤וֹד לַיְּהוּדִים֙ מִמָּק֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וְאַ֥תְּ וּבֵית־אָבִ֖יךְ תֹּאבֵ֑דוּ וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ אִם־לְעֵ֣ת כָּזֹ֔את הִגַּ֖עַתְּ לַמַּלְכֽוּת׃

Esther 4:13-14

(13) Mordecai had this message delivered to Esther: “Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life by being in the king’s palace. (14) On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.”

Only Esther can have a big influence on the King, but she's not invited to come, and so it's dangerous for her to go.

Teaching on this: Have you ever been afraid or nervous to say what you're thinking? Did you ever wonder if anyone was listening and you feel frustrated? How can we ask for help? Asking for help means we ARE strong and we can help ourselves and other people, too. The Jewish people are like a family, and we're like a team - we look out for each other.

Mordecai says to Esther, if you don't do something, help will come from 'another place', the word makom for place is one of many names for God.

יוסף אבן יחיא על אסתר ד׳:י״ד

(א) אם החרש תחרישי בעת הזאת ברחמי שמים. ריוח והצלה יעמוד ליהודי׳ ממקום אחר כי הרבה אמצעיים למקום. ואת אשר בידך למחות ולא תמחי. ובית אביך הראשון שאול אשר חמל על אגג אשר ממנו יבא המן הצפעוני הלז תאבדו. ומי יודע אם לשנה הבאה לעת כזאת הגעת למלכות עבר במקום עתיד. והלא ושתי בת מלכי קדם לא חס עינו עליה עם כי לא פשעה חטא משפט מות וכל שכן את בת שבויים ועם שסוי.

Joseph ibn Yahya on Esther 4:14

...Relief and deliverance will come from another place...God has many ways (methods, means) of acting.

Teaching on this:

When we say our prayers, we ask God for help! We all pray together to remind ourselves we're not alone. Even if the exact help we need doesn't always comer to us, it's important to let God know how we're feeling and know God is listening.

What are ways we can be good listeners? What does it feel like when someone is not listening to us?

How can we help other people, especially during these times when we can't go to see all our friends and family when we want to?