Queen Vashti
Who was she and what role did she play in the Purim story?
How would you describe her character?
PART I: VASHTI'S REFUSAL
גַּ֚ם וַשְׁתִּ֣י הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה עָשְׂתָ֖ה מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה נָשִׁ֑ים בֵּ֚ית הַמַּלְכ֔וּת אֲשֶׁ֖ר לַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֽוֹשׁ׃ (ס) בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י כְּט֥וֹב לֵב־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בַּיָּ֑יִן אָמַ֡ר לִ֠מְהוּמָן בִּזְּתָ֨א חַרְבוֹנָ֜א בִּגְתָ֤א וַאֲבַגְתָא֙ זֵתַ֣ר וְכַרְכַּ֔ס שִׁבְעַת֙ הַסָּ֣רִיסִ֔ים הַמְשָׁ֣רְתִ֔ים אֶת־פְּנֵ֖י הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֽוֹשׁ׃ לְ֠הָבִיא אֶת־וַשְׁתִּ֧י הַמַּלְכָּ֛ה לִפְנֵ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בְּכֶ֣תֶר מַלְכ֑וּת לְהַרְא֨וֹת הָֽעַמִּ֤ים וְהַשָּׂרִים֙ אֶת־יָפְיָ֔הּ כִּֽי־טוֹבַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה הִֽיא׃ וַתְּמָאֵ֞ן הַמַּלְכָּ֣ה וַשְׁתִּ֗י לָבוֹא֙ בִּדְבַ֣ר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּיַ֣ד הַסָּרִיסִ֑ים וַיִּקְצֹ֤ף הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ מְאֹ֔ד וַחֲמָת֖וֹ בָּעֲרָ֥ה בֽוֹ׃
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.
Questions for Discussion:
Why did the King want Queen Vashti to come to his party?
Why did the King feel fury?
Why do you think Queen Vashti refused?
(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. so that she should refuse and be executed. 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, just as she had done, so it was decreed upon her. (Maseches Megillah 12b)
(יג) לְהָבִיא אֶת וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת (אסתר א, יא), אָמַר רַבִּי אַיְּבוּ כַּפָּרָתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל אוֹכְלִין וְשׁוֹתִין וּשְׂמֵחִין, הֵן מְבָרְכִין וּמְשַׁבְּחִין וּמְקַלְּסִין לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּכְשֶׁאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם אוֹכְלִין וְשׁוֹתִין, מִתְעַסְּקִין הֵן בְּדִבְרֵי תִּפְלוּת, זֶה אוֹמֵר מָדִיּוֹת נָאוֹת, וְזֶה אוֹמֵר פַּרְסִיּוֹת נָאוֹת. אָמַר לָהֶם אוֹתוֹ טִפֵּשׁ, כְּלִי שֶׁאוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ מִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בּוֹ אֵינוֹ לֹא מָדִית וְלֹא פַּרְסִית אֶלָּא כַּשְׂדִּית, מְבַקְּשִׁים אַתֶּם לִרְאוֹתוֹ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ הֵן וּבִלְבָד שֶׁתְּהֵא עֲרֻמָּה, אָמַר לְהוֹן הֵן וַעֲרֻמָּה.
(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.
The Gemara comments: Vashti was punished in this humiliating way for it is with the measure that a man measures to others that he himself is measured. In other words, God punishes individuals in line with their transgressions, measure for measure. This teaches that the wicked Vashti would take the daughters of Israel, and strip them naked, and make them work on Shabbat. Therefore, it was decreed that she be brought before the king naked, on Shabbat. This is as it is written: “After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her” (Esther 2:1). That is to say, just as she had done with the young Jewish women, so it was decreed upon her.
PART II: VASHTI'S PUNISHMENT
Why does the King react so vehemently to Queen Vashti's refusal?
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.
The Jewish Study Bible commentary on Esther 1:19
Vashti refused to appear, and now she may never appear again. While the book is silent about what became of Vashti, many midrashim interpret her punishment as execution.
The Book of Esther By Stacey Zisook Robinson
That blush on my cheek?
It's paint.
And I have glittered my eyes
and robed myself in the finery
of silk and gossamer,
lapis and gold—
and whored myself for your salvation.
You asked for no thoughts.
You merely offered my body
to the king—
my life forfeit
if my beauty failed.
You asked for no ideas
and I gave you none,
though I had a thousand,
and ten thousand more.
Diplomacy was played on the field of my body,
the battle won in the curve of my hip
and the satin of my skin,
fevered dreams of lust
and redemption.
That blush on my cheeks?
It is the stain of my victory
and my shame.
PART III: INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER
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.
(ז) וַיְהִ֨י אֹמֵ֜ן אֶת־הֲדַסָּ֗ה הִ֤יא אֶסְתֵּר֙ בַּת־דֹּד֔וֹ כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ אָ֣ב וָאֵ֑ם וְהַנַּעֲרָ֤ה יְפַת־תֹּ֙אַר֙ וְטוֹבַ֣ת מַרְאֶ֔ה וּבְמ֤וֹת אָבִ֙יהָ֙ וְאִמָּ֔הּ לְקָחָ֧הּ מָרְדֳּכַ֛י ל֖וֹ לְבַֽת׃
(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.
Some say daughter, other commentaries suggest that Esther married Mordechai
..אסתר ירקרוקת היתה וחוט של חסד משוך עליה
...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)
When the turn came for Esther daughter of Abihail—the uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his own daughter—to go to the king, she did not ask for anything but what Hegai, the king’s eunuch, guardian of the women, advised. Yet Esther won the admiration of all who saw her. Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, in his royal palace. The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she won his grace and favor more than all the virgins. So he set a royal diadem on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
What are the similarities and differences between Esther and Vashti up until this point in the story?
PART IV: ESTHER MUST MAKE A CHOICE
(12) When Mordecai was told what Esther had said, (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.” (15) Then Esther sent back this answer to Mordecai: (16) “Go, assemble all the Jews who live in Shushan, and fast in my behalf; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens will observe the same fast. 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.
How does this deviate from the previous version of Esther?
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.
The Jewish Study Bible on Esther 7:3
My life...my people. Esther equates her life (self) with her people, but does not name them as the Jews.
PART V: COMPARING VASHTI AND ESTHER
|
Vashti |
Esther |
Esther Part II |
|
|
Beautiful |
Constantly “taken”. by Mordechai as a foster daughter, “taken” to the king’s harem, and “taken” before the king |
She takes matters into her own hands and stands up to both sources of authority. |
|
|
Headstrong/ independent |
She requests nothing |
Esther assumes control of Mordechai’s plan, changing and amending as she sees fit. |
|
|
Throws a good party |
Hides her identity |
she will appear before the king only when she decides that the time is right |
|
|
Refuses to let her husband demand how she should dress for his own desire |
Follows directions |
she hrows a series of parties |
|
|
docile |
Esther is more calculated, more subtle |
||
|
Result |
She is banished/killed for her disobedience |
The King listens to her |
|
|
New rule: “every man must rule in his household.” |
Haman is hung and Israel is saved |
||
PART VI: MODERN MIDRASH - A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
Selections from “Taking Back Purim” by Rabbi Tamara Cohen
We are also challenging ourselves to move beyond the dichotomy of bad queen/good queen (and good feminist/bad feminist) and embrace a wider spectrum of possibility for women's leadership. For much of Jewish interpretive tradition, Vashti was the bad queen and Esther the good one. Then, in the early days of Jewish feminism, Vashti was resurrected and celebrated for her open defiance of the king and her powerful defense of her body and sexuality. Not surprisingly, as Vashti's popularity grew, Esther fell out of favor. Feminists were not sure they could accept two different models of powerful women. For some, Esther suddenly became a negative symbol for all women who use their sexuality, enjoy their beauty, fear confrontation, and remain married to power. These interpretations of Esther minimized her courage in directly confronting both Ahasuerus and Haman, and in "coming out" as a Jew after years of hiding her identity. They also ignore Esther's powerful role as an innovator of communal ritual action in her calling for a public fast.
It is time for us to make room in our myths and in our communities for more than one model of leadership. It is time for us to learn from both Esther and Vashti, from both the Jewish women in our texts and the non-Jewish women (and men). It is time to celebrate women's power and to question the ways we have wielded it over others.
Selections from "Vashti and Esther: A Feminist Perspective" by Wendy Amsellem
Although Vashti and Esther never meet, the relationship between them is integral to understanding the events of the Book of Esther. Vashti disappears by the end of the first chapter, but she casts a long shadow over the rest of the book.
As we encounter Vashti in chapter one, we learn the following about her: She is beautiful and headstrong. She throws a good party. She refuses to have her appearances before the king regulated solely by his desires. For this last offense, Vashti pays dearly, losing her crown and incurring perpetual banishment from the king’s presence. At the close of chapter one it is clear that a woman in Ahasuerus’s court would do well to be dutiful and to come before the king as he commands. The essentiality of female obedience is further confirmed by the final verse of the chapter in which a missive is sent to all of Ahasuerus’s subjects reminding them in no uncertain terms that “every man must rule in his household.”
By contrast, Esther is presented at first as the perfect foil to Vashti. Whereas Vashti was willful and independent, Esther is passive and submissive. The reflexive use of the Hebrew word “LaKaKH” is constantly applied to her. She is “taken” in by Mordechai as a foster daughter, “taken” to the king’s harem, and “taken” before the king. She does not reveal her identity at the palace, “for Mordechai had commanded her not to tell.” She requests nothing at the harem, only accepting whatever Hagai, the king’s eunuch, chooses to give her. Even after she is crowned queen, we are told that Esther continues to obey the commands of Mordechai as she had done under his care. It is no surprise that Ahasuerus loves Esther. She is the model of docility, an exact antidote to Vashti.
Esther understands very well her role as Ahasuerus’s queen. When Mordechai commands her to appear before the king and intercede on behalf of the Jews, Esther responds that everyone knows that those who appear before the king unbidden are condemned to die. She has learned from her predecessor’s fate that the queen’s job is to come when she is called. Mordechai insists to Esther that it is her responsibility to plead for her nation.
This is a moment of crisis for Esther. She is caught between conflicting obediences to her foster father and husband. In addition, to come before the king unsummoned is an abnegation of her role as Vashti’s replacement. She was chosen to be queen since she represented the antithesis of Vashti’s persona. Esther’s position, her identity and quite possibly her life are all closely tied to her obedience to the king.
In this moment of fate, Esther looks into her mirror and discovers that she does not look quite so different from Vashti after all. She takes matters into her own hands and stands up to both sources of authority. Esther assumes control of Mordechai’s plan, changing and amending as she sees fit. Like Vashti, she will appear before the king only when she decides that the time is right–in this case after three days of fasting. Instead of following Mordechai’s suggestion and simply making her petition, she will throw a series of parties as Vashti did. In order to succeed, Esther realizes that she must take on aspects of the repudiated former queen.
As Orthodox feminists, we are constantly confronted with taboo images of dangerous women from whom we are told to distance ourselves. A is too radical, B has gone too far, C has made too many enemies. We struggle to draw our borders, to be open and yet traditional, free and yet constrained within halacha. Purim is a holiday in which we explore and challenge our boundaries. We dress up as other people. Some of us drink to the point where differences become blurred. In the spirit of this holiday and following the legacy of our ancestor Esther, I encourage us to reexamine whom we emulate and from whom we shy away. We may discover as Esther did that we are not so different from those whom we fear and that the most important lessons can be learned from the unlikeliest of teachers.
Coming Out As Who You Are By Judy Lutz
Throw off your mask
Throw off your facade
I am with you to help you have the courage to be who you are
May you be like Esther and not be afraid to reveal who you are
May you be like Vashti and not be afraid to speak out
May you defeat all of your Hamans
May you be blessed in your coming out and in being who you are meant to be.