All the power rests in one man,
who isn't very bright or insightful,
who's capricious,
whose advisors are jockeying for power, influence and wealth,
who determines the law single-handedly
but can't rescind decrees
and isn't likely to admit mistakes anyway.
His pride makes certain populations vulnerable:
women
ethnic minorities
Chapter 1 puts this on display:
(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.
[objectification, public humiliation]
(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.
Willing to endanger herself to protect her dignity
Her failure to comply is met with rage
(16) Thereupon Memucan declared in the presence of the king and the ministers: “Queen Vashti has committed an offense not only against Your Majesty but also against all the officials and against all the peoples in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. (17) For the queen’s behavior will make all wives despise their husbands, as they reflect that King Ahasuerus himself ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come. (18) This very day the ladies of Persia and Media, who have heard of the queen’s behavior, will cite it to all Your Majesty’s officials, and there will be no end of scorn and provocation! (19) “If it please Your Majesty, let a royal edict be issued by you, and let it be written into the laws of Persia and Media, so that it cannot be abrogated, that Vashti shall never enter the presence of King Ahasuerus. And let Your Majesty bestow her royal state upon another who is more worthy than she.
leads to a panic among the powerful men of the empire
and her banishment
Esther is walking on a tight rope
(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. רַבִּי פִּנְחָס וְרַבִּי חָמָא בַּר גּוּרְיָא בְּשֵׁם רַב אָמַר בִּקְּשָׁה לִכָּנֵס אֲפִלּוּ בְּצִלְצוּל כְּזוֹנָה וְלֹא הִנִּיחוּ אוֹתָהּ, אֲמַר לוֹן וַעֲרֻמָּה, אָמְרָה אֶכָּנֵס בְּלֹא כֶתֶר הֵן אוֹמְרִים שִׁפְחָה הִיא זוֹ, תִּלְבַּשׁ בִּגְדֵי מַלְכוּת וְתִכָּנֵס, אָמַר רַב הוּנָא אֵין הֶדְיוֹט מִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּבִגְדֵי מַלְכוּת.
(יד) וַתְּמָאֵן הַמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּי (אסתר א, יב), שָׁלְחָה וְאָמְרָה לוֹ דְּבָרִים שֶׁהֵן נוֹגְעִין בְּלִבּוֹ, אָמְרָה לוֹ אִם רוֹאִין אוֹתִי נָאָה, הֵן נוֹתְנִין עֵינֵיהֶם לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בִּי וְהוֹרְגִים אוֹתְךָ, וְאִם רוֹאִין אוֹתִי כְּעוּרָה, אַתְּ מִתְגַּנֶּה בִּי. רְמָזַתּוּ וְלֹא נִרְמָז עֲקָצַתּוּ וְלֹא נֶעֱקָץ, שָׁלְחָה וְאָמְרָה לוֹ קוֹמִיס אִיסְטַבְּלָאטִי שֶׁל בֵּית אַבָּא הָיִיתָ וְהָיִיתָ לָמוּד לִהְיוֹת מַכְנִיס לְפָנֶיךָ נָשִׁים זוֹנוֹת עֲרֻמּוֹת, וְעַכְשָׁיו שֶׁנִּכְנַסְתָּ לַמַּלְכוּת לֹא חָזַרְתָּ מִקִּלְקוּלְךָ, רְמָזַתּוּ וְלֹא נִרְמָז עֲקָצַתּוּ וְלֹא נֶעֱקָץ, שָׁלְחָה וְאָמְרָה, אֲפִלּוּ אַנְדִּתִיקוּס שֶׁל בֵּית אַבָּא לֹא נִדּוֹנוּ עֲרֻמִּים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דניאל ג, כא): בֵּאדַיִן גֻּבְרַיָא אִלֵּךְ כְּפִתוּ בְּסַרְבָּלֵיהוֹן פַּטְּשֵׁיהוֹן. רַבִּי יוּדָן אָמַר בְּגוּלֵיהוֹן, וְרַבִּי הוּנָא אָמַר בְּמוֹקְסֵיהוֹן. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא דָּן אֶת הָרְשָׁעִים בַּגֵּיהִנֹּם אֶלָּא עֲרֻמִּים, וּמַה טַּעַם, דִּכְתִיב (תהלים עג, כ): בָּעִיר צַלְמָם תִּבְזֶה. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן הֵן דְּלִיסְטָאוֹת מְקַפֵּחַ תַּמָּן מִצְטְלֵב. אָמַר רַבִּי נָתָן אַף מִצְרִיִּים בְּרִידְתָּן בַּיָּם לֹא נִדּוֹנוּ אֶלָּא עֲרֻמִּים, מַה טַּעַם (שמות טו, ח): וּבְרוּחַ אַפֶּיךָ נֶעֶרְמוּ מַיִם. וְרַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן אָמַר אֵין הָרָשָׁע יוֹצֵא מִן הָעוֹלָם עַד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַרְאֶה קִנִיגִין דִּידֵיהּ הֵיאַךְ הֲוָה מִיתְּצֵיד.
(13) "To bring Queen Vashti before the king wearing a royal diadem (Esther 1:11)": 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 that this man 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"". Rabbi Pinchas and Rabbi Hama bar Guria said in the name of Rab: "She requested to enter even wearing bells like a prostitute, but they did not allow her. He said to them: "and naked". She said: "I will enter without my crown". They [will] say she is a maidservant. Put on royal garments and enter! [=Even in royal garments, they will say that a maidservant can masquerade as a queen.]" Rav Huna said: "A commoner does not make use of royal garments".
(14) "But Queen Vashti refused (Esther 1:12)": She sent and said to him words that touched his heart. 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 denigrated through me". She was speaking subtly to him but he did not understand her subtlety; she was pricking him but he was not pricked. She sent and said to him: "You were the comes estabularius, the stable master of my father's house and you were experienced in leading before yourself prostitutes naked and now that you have come into kingship you have not changed from your debauchery". She was speaking subtly to him but he did not understand her subtlety; she was pricking him but he was not pricked. She sent and said to him: "The ekdikus, one found guilty in court, of my father's house were not judged naked. See! It is written: "So these men, in their shirts, trousers, hats, and other garments (Daniel 3:21)"". Rabbi Yudan said: "In their robes", and Rabbi Huna said: "In their official uniforms". Rabbi Shimon son of Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: "The Holy One, blessed be He, does not judge the wicked regarding Gehinnom except naked. And how do we know that? It is written: "When You are aroused You despise their image (Psalm 73:20)"". Rabbi Samuel son of Nachman said: "Those of bandits are executed where he lies in ambush". Rabbi Nathan said: "But Egyptians in their descent into the sea they were not judged except naked. How do we know this? "At the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up (Exodus 15:8)"". And Rabbi Samuel son of Nachman in the name of Rabbi Yonatan said: "The wicked does not go out of the world until the Holy One, blessed be He, reveals the net in which he is going to be snared".
comparing the beauty of women from different ethnicities
Then imagines the message Vashti could have sent to assuage his ego -->
still unsuccessful b/c king doesn't understand subtlety
What do you do as a member of a vulnerable group
when power is concentrated in the hands
of such a blunt instrument?
King whose ego is so easily bruised
and can so easily be persuaded to issue ridiculous decrees
Esther 2:3-4
Esther 2:12
Genesis 50:3]
Orphan, Beautiful (2:7)
Very passive!
"Taken" x3, 2:7, 8, 16
(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.
(ח) וַיְהִ֗י בְּהִשָּׁמַ֤ע דְּבַר־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְדָת֔וֹ וּֽבְהִקָּבֵ֞ץ נְעָר֥וֹת רַבּ֛וֹת אֶל־שׁוּשַׁ֥ן הַבִּירָ֖ה אֶל־יַ֣ד הֵגָ֑י וַתִּלָּקַ֤ח אֶסְתֵּר֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֶל־יַ֥ד הֵגַ֖י שֹׁמֵ֥ר הַנָּשִֽׁים׃
(8) When the king’s order and edict was proclaimed, and when many girls were assembled in the fortress Shushan under the supervision of Hegai, Esther too was taken into the king’s palace under the supervision of Hegai, guardian of the women.
(טז) וַתִּלָּקַ֨ח אֶסְתֵּ֜ר אֶל־הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית מַלְכוּת֔וֹ בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִ֖י הוּא־חֹ֣דֶשׁ טֵבֵ֑ת בִּשְׁנַת־שֶׁ֖בַע לְמַלְכוּתֽוֹ׃
(16) Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, in his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Encouraged not to demonstrate who she is
(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.
והא אסתר פרהסיא הואי אמר אביי אסתר קרקע עולם היתה
But wasn’t Esther a public [sin]? Abaye says: Esther was merely like the ground.
and similarly how courageous her shift toward activity is:
- approaching king
- planning parties
- revealing herself
- outing Haman
- making her request...
- War; declarations sent throughout the empire; establishing a new holiday with new mitzvot