(Viewed on March 4, 2023) . She was Jewish but never revealed her nationality or family background as Mordecai had. She was living there as part of the harem of the king, but was singled out by the King who was so taken with her beauty that he chose her to be his queen. The Book ofEsther (2:7)relates that Esther had two names: He was foster father to Hadassahthat is, Esther. The Rabbis take two interpretive directions as regards these names. With great courage, Esther fasts for three days, arranges a banquet with the king and Haman, then pleads with the king to save the Jews. Shelamzion became sole heir to the Hasmonean kingdom when her husband, King Alexander Janneaus (King Yannai in rabbinic sources), who reigned from 10376 BCE, died. Esther must have been a "teenager" based on the historical and Biblical facts above. Mordecais wife is never directly named, but it is presumed that she was originally from Susa, based on her residence in the city at the time of the story. ; Frymer-Kensky,In the Wake of the Goddesses, 137-38. Esther may or may not have reflected the historical reality of the Persian period, but her story provided a model for a new reality in Shelamzions lifetime. Horev], chap. It can also be assumed from the story that Mordecai was well aware that bowing to Haman may compromise his loyalty to the Jews and God, and thus put him in a dangerous situation. Esther is noteworthy for her beauty, intelligence, and courage, along with her humility. Midrash adds that Esther's father died during her mother's pregnancy, and the latter died during childbirth (Esth. She was able to use the jar to communicate her innermost thoughts and feelings to those around hershowcasing her strength, resilience and defiance in the face of her oppression. I'm also Updates? In response, Esther tells him that, like him, she is the offspring of royalty (Midrash Abba Gurion, para. assumed in to the next King's harem (also possiblealthough a While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while? Esthers extreme courage and her willingness to risk her own life for the safety of her people serves as an inspiration to this day. When she became orphaned, she was adopted by her cousin Mordecai. Fear strikes in the hearts of many, including Mordecai, as he realizes Hadassah will be taken. At the meal she pleaded for the Jews, thus revealing herself as Jewish, and accused thiswickedHaman of plotting the annihilation of her people. Through his actions, along with those of his cousin Esther, the Jews were saved from extermination. This status completely changed when Esther went to Ahasuerus of her own free will, in order to persuade him to cancel Hamans decree(Esth. The Rabbis compare Esther to the son of the uncle who redeems an ancestral landholding(Lev. She should know better to try to fool God who said to her, "No, but you did laugh . TheTorah.com is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.We rely on the support of readers like you. According to the tradition that she was previously unmarried, she was now married to and lived with a non-Jewish king. She understood that she had a mission and that she could shape reality rather than passively suffer through it. He asked what she wanted. According to one tradition, he could not find a wet nurse and he himself miraculously had milk and nursed her(Gen. Rabbah30:8). [5] Ilan discusses variants of the same traditions inSilencing the Queen, 35-42, drawing attention to how later rabbinic sources gradually eliminate Shelamzion from this tradition and replace her with her contemporary Shimon ben Shetach. assassinated 20 years earlier (he was probably bout 20-25 years old, non-virgin wife. And lest you think I am making an argument about gendered skills (i.e., what women do vs. what men do), the following from the late biblical scholar Tikva Frymer-Kensky is noteworthy: With these two queens, the Torah and Jewish history model another way of being successful in the world, both for men and women. was the wife of the Persian King Xerxes [aka "Ahasuerus" in many She was 96 years old. What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? A new decree to save the Jews. Haman, having become incensed thatMordecai, aJew, held him indisdainand refused obeisance, convinced the king that the Jews living under Persian rule were rebellious and should be slaughtered. Esther had been made queen to save her people; her mission and her faith shaped her character and inspired her to act and succeed. Esther was taken from her home and came to live in the palace along with many other girls of the harem. She stayed with Ahasuerus and sacrificed her personal happiness to complete her ultimate mission to enable the building of the Second Temple and the return to Zion. Saul, a Benjaminite, did not reveal to his uncle that he had been anointed to be king; likewise, Esther did not disclose her identity(Gen. Rabbah71:35). Esther 4:11-16. How can we explain Esther's abrupt change in behavior from deep despair to determined action and from passiveness to leadership? There is support for this too in the Talmud (Yoma 29a).4) Esther comes from the Median "astra," meaning "myrtle." Answer (1 of 5): I don't about my husband Ahaserus, but I, Haddasha aka Esther never died, for here I Am. Theritualobservance of Purim begins with a day of fasting,Taanit Esther(Fast of Esther) on Adar 13, the day preceding the actual holiday, in honour of the fast Mordecai and the other Jews held on Esthers behalf when she went uninvited to the king. even met her a few times when He was a young boy. Rachel was silent when she saw that Jacob married her sister instead of herself. The BT presents this in the opposite way: the king first talked with her by means of an interpreter, but when she told him that she was descended from King Saul, he spoke with her directly, out of respect (Lev. Warrior-kings tend to figure largely as models of leadership in the Western imagination. On the third day, Queen Esther put on her royal robes and presented herself to King Xerxes, even though her husband had not requested her presence in over a month. The Queen was the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain before she passed away in September 2022, aged 96. How old was King Xerxes when he married Esther? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. . Another tradition has Esther reciting this psalm during the three days of fasting that preceded her going to Ahasuerus: My God on the first day, my God on the second day, and why have You abandoned me? on the third. Esther asked Mordecai to fast for three days, even though the third day was the first day of the holiday ofA seven-day festival to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt (eight days outside Israel) beginning on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan. The midrash compares Esther to a hind and to the dawn, based onPs. As early as 1215, Rabbi Menachem Ha-Hevroni wrote that while visiting the Galilee, he came across the tomb of Queen Esther, "who, during her lifetime, had instructed her son Cyrus to bring her there [for burial]". Ahasueruss intimates attempted sorcery, so that her hands and feet would look like leather hides, but a miracle was performed for her and they began to shine like sapphires (Midrash Tehilim, onPs. He wished Queen Vashti to be brought to the feast so that he may flaunt her wonderful beauty. Abraham, "fell on his face and laughed" while Sarah, "laughed to herself" and even tried to deny it. As a result of her mother's death . What Did God Write on the Tablets of Stone? Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? In reference to her lineage, the Rabbis state that she continued the way of the members of her tribe: Rachel, Benjamin, and Saul(Gen. Rabbah71:35; see below: Esther Does Not Reveal Her Origins). We see, however, that this was a stratagem on Mordecais part, so that Esther would not be frequently summoned to the king. Her bravery earns her a spot among the seven women prophets, and she is remembered as the one responsible for the deliverance of Israel. Narrator: After Haman died, King Ahasuerus gave a second decree to preserve the Jews and give them power to destroy their enemies within the kingdom. [2] But Shelamzion remained queen and lived up to her name, maintaining the peace of Zion with a strong army, careful diplomacy, and the support of the Jews of ancient Israel and beyond. Ahasuerus first tried to turn his face so that he would not look upon Esther, but the ministering angels forcibly turned his head, until he cried out. Victoria, in full Alexandrina Victoria, (born May 24, 1819, Kensington Palace, London, Englanddied January 22, 1901, Osborne, near Cowes, Isle of Wight), queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837-1901) and empress of India (1876-1901). Esther before she died (I'm guessing she died in 464 BC) and maybe Theodor-Albeck], MS. Vatican, para. The moral of the story of Esther is to stay true to yourself and never give up on your beliefs. Mordecai is mentioned inEsth. Esther was born about 492BC and was 14 when she became Queen. Esther, the orphaned cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, won the kings devotion and was chosen to be the new queen; Mordecai had instructed her to not reveal that she was Jewish. Esther wanted to speak with Xerxes about Haman's hatred toward the Jews. He had a war against Greece in 480-470BC, when he was 39-49. a. On returning, he found Haman falling on the couch where Esther was. The king mistook Hamans frantic pleas for mercy as an attack upon the queen. Haman, too, was troubled by the question of Esthers origins. 49). According to other traditions, her bowels were loosened (BTMegillahloc. [1] As shall be discussed further below, much of what we know about Shelamzion Alexandra comes from Josephuss two accounts of her reign inJewish War1.107-119 andJewish Antiquities13.398-432. However, later scribes, as the manuscript evidence suggests, no longer understood it. She was 96. She knew King Xerxes's love for merrymakingthat's how he first got in trouble with Queen Vashti (Es 1:10, 11, 12), how he celebrated Queen Esther's rise to the throne (Es 2:17, 18), and how he ended his day with Haman after issuing the edict for genocide (Es 3:15). Mordecai would walk about in front of the harem in order to rule for Esther regarding menstrual spotting; another exegetical exposition has Esther showing the spotting from her menstruation to theTorah she-bi-khetav: Lit. She she fasts for three days, she goes to the king, enduring many obstacles while traveling through the palace but protected by angels. When the king saw his queen, Xerxes lowered his golden scepter to invite Esther into his presence. Esther becoming queen was a massive step up in the world, but that was probably because her husband was The King You Didn't Mess With. It is known that Esther was the daughter of Abihail, and she had married King Xerxes of Persia around the age of 18. Part of HuffPost Religion. According to another tradition, he accompanied her to ensure that she did not suffer from sorcery (Esth. Beautiful as the moon (Talmud, Megillah 13a).3) Esther comes from the Semitic root ath-tar, "morning star." if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'coalitionbrewing_com-leader-2','ezslot_12',154,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-leader-2-0');Throughout the course of the story, Esther suffers from a major depressive episode, possibly accompanied by severe anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her name was Shelamzion Alexandra. She was crowned about 55 years after the destruction of the First Temple, and fifteen years before the Second Temple was built. 17:14): Inscribe this in a document as a reminder (since Haman was of Amalekite stock). Ahasuerus is moved by her words and instead orders Haman to be hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where. Esther replaced Queen Vashti, who had been sentenced to death because she had refused to display her beauty to the King's feast attendants. Codification of basic Jewish Oral Law; edited and arranged by R. Judah ha-Nasi c. 200 C.E. This also leads to a different understanding of Mordecais involvement, as he walks about in the royal courtyard out of concern for his wife. She appears to be a loyal wife to Mordecai, as she supports him throughout his efforts to save the Jewish people from Hamans plot. Also called the "Festival of Mazzot"; the "Festival of Spring"; Pesah.Passover. Esther remained passive and allowed the King to rape her repeatedly. Esther is then remembered and celebrated in the annual festival of Purim. It is also thought that Mordecai may have had additional children, as it is not explicitly mentioned that Esther is his only child. Bibles] who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. His father was Kish, who descended from the House of Benjamin. Queen Esther and Mordecai were given Haman's estate. In Megillat Esther, we encounter another heroine who maneuvers royal protocol to save her people. script>. Bruce Feiler says in Where God was Born that Queen Amestris was Xerxes' only known wife, and that she remained queen long after the third year of his reign, when Vashti was supposedly deposed by Xerxes.The story of Queen Esther is demonstrably non-historical, but she is portrayed as saving the Jews of the Persian Empire from destruction. Hi, I'm Mordecai, Esther's older cousin. Like many Jews today, she had two names, one Hebrew and one Greek. Esther then initiated a covert plan to defeat Haman using her grace and beauty. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. To hide her identity as a Jew, he tells her to go by the name of Esther. When Esther was taken captive, her emotional world was completely destroyed. The Book of Esther, which does Their relationship was instrumental in saving the Jews from extermination and is one of the main themes of the Book of Esther. What is a reason a mathematical model can fail? 22:16). Esther gained even greater favour with Ahasuerus after she helped thwart an assassination plot against him that Mordecai overheard at the palace gate. Rabbah6:9). Rachel is first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 29 when Jacob happens upon her as she is about to water her father's flock. It was only when Esther came that Ahasuerus removed the likeness of Vashti and replaced it with that of Esther (Esth. Consequently, Esther was not considered to be a married woman who willingly engaged in adultery, and she was therefore permitted to Mordecai; indeed, the Rabbis maintain that she continued to live with the latter, at the same time that she was married to Ahasuerus (BT Megillah 13b). Continue Learning about Religious Studies. As a result of his heroic actions, Mordecai was honored by King Ahasuerus for his bravery, and he was made Prime Minister with great authority. Yet another tradition maintains that she was eighty years of age(Gen. Rabbah39:13;MidrashAbba Gurion, para. // Javascript URL redirection Hearing the horror of the planned genocide, the light went on: Esther connected with her inner self and understood why she had been made queen. As a result, the king reversed his decree and the Jews were saved from death. The day before, the 96-year-old queen pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting after her doctors advised her to rest. Oops! The midrash relates that Esther asked theTorahscholars to Write of me for all time. The Rabbis replied that it is forbidden to add to what is written in the Torah, and it is not possible to include another book in Scripture, or to establish a new holiday. What can we learn from Esther about our personal understanding of our true life's mission? When, several years later, Nehemiah asked the Persian King for permission to return to Zion and rebuild Jerusalem, "the Queen is seating by him" (Nehemia 2:6), and she influenced the King's decision to approve Nehamia's request. 20). 10:3) was able to have interceded for the welfare of all his kindred (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, chap. Let us know. Why did she stay with him, rather than restart her life? Another tradition has her eating only seeds in the harem, similar to Daniel and his fellows, in order to observe the laws ofThe Jewish dietary laws delineating the permissible types of food and methods of their preparation.kashrut (BT Megillahloc. The grave of Mordecai and Esther still stands in Hamadan; and the Jews of Iran, to this day, are referred to as "the children of Esther.". In Shelamzions period, there were no precedents for powerful queens in Judeanot unless one counts Jezebel, the most notorious queen in Israelite history, or her daughter Athaliah. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. In the affair of Bigthan and Teresh, Esther continued to follow Mordecais instructions. An additional stratagem employed by Esther against Haman was connected with his leading Mordecai on the horse. [6] Josephus writes: Alongside Queen Alexandra, and gaining power with her, were the Pharisees, an important sector of the Jewish community who were considered more religious than the rest of the nation and stricter in the observance and interpretation of the Laws (trans. She was placed with her adoptive family, the Kings, on the orders of Queen Esther of Persia, who held a grudge against all Jews. When she relayed Mordecais information to the king, she attributed it to Mordecai(Esth. Rabbah8:3). It is a remarkable moment in Jewish history, in which we can see one of the times when Jews were connecting to each other from Jerusalem to the Diaspora and establishing the holidays that we take for granted today. They were honored with royal garments and a decree was written to protect all Jews. Queen Esther died in 473 BCE, so she was likely in her late fifties or early sixties at the time of her death. Rabbah8:3). book of Nehemiah began, although her husband, King Xerxes was Darius must be 37 years old (62 minus 25) when he got married to Esther. In the Book of Esther, Mordecai plays a major role in the events leading up to the deliverance of the Jewish people from their enemies. The Rabbis relate to Esther as the one responsible for the deliverance of Israel and compare her to the moon, which shone for Israel in the darkness of night. The document, published by National Records of Scotland on Thursday, says the late British monarch died at 3:10 p.m. UK time . The recitation of Megillat Esther during the topsy-turvy holiday of Purim can distract us from the serious side of this story and Queen Esthers example. She became the new wife of the king when his . Rabbah 6:5; BT Megillah 13a). A seven-day festival to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt (eight days outside Israel) beginning on the 15. cit.). someone died doesn't mean they didn't exist. He also appointed her as queen of the Persian Empire and gave her a royal medal of honor. He was blinded, but when he looked in her direction his vision was restored and he extended his scepter (Midrash Panim Aherim, version B, para. One tradition asserts that Esther used a resorbent, that is, she employed a contraceptive device to prevent any pregnancy by Ahasuerus.
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