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Most of the Jews preferred the comfortable life of the Persian Empire to an arduous life rebuilding their devastated homeland. According to one tradition, Esther was responsible for Mordecais being seated at the palace gate, since she told Ahasuerus that all the great kings seated a Jewish advisor at the gate (Midrash Abba Gurionloc. The hero of the Book of Esther is a Jewish woman who lived in Susa and became queen when she was chosen to be the wife of King . They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. She and her cousinMordecaipersuaded the king to cancel an order for the extermination of Jews in his realm, plotted by the kings chief minister, Haman. The legal corpus of Jewish laws and observances as prescribed in the Torah and interpreted by rabbinic authorities, beginning with those of the Mishnah and Talmud. She Esther stood in the middle of the fourth department; the guards of the first department could no longer touch her, while those of the last department could not yet approach her. 2:7). The Rabbis perceived this going as having sexual connotations, which therefore had tragic consequences for Esther and for Mordecai(BTMegillah16a; see below: Esther Comes to the Rescue of Her People). [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. 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. Queen Elizabeth II died of old age, her death certificate has revealed. She overtook Queen. The King also issued a proclamation throughout the land to honor Mordecai. Photo Credit: Wikipedia, 'Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther . The Rabbis were concerned about the question of Esthers marital status. She is mentioned several times throughout the Book of Esther. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. When we celebrate Purim, may we laugh with Esther and Mordecai, but also remember Queen Shelamzion Alexandra, praise her example, and wish that Eretz Israel may experience those heavenly rains of peace again in our time. TheTorah.com is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.We rely on the support of readers like you. Abase him before me, for You abase the proud (Esth. Esther standing in the Inner Court. The beginning of the psalm: My God, my God, why have You abandoned me? is what Esther asks when she wants to know why the spirit of divine inspiration has left her: was this because she went to Ahasuerus of her own free will, or because she disparaged him, and called him a dog (following the text of the psalm)(BTMegillah15a)? Esther, heroine and central figure in the Book of Esther of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. According to one tradition, he could not find a wet nurse and he himself miraculously had milk and nursed her(Gen. Rabbah30:8). How Can a Torah Commentary Be Source-Critical and Jewish? Like many Jews today, she had two names, one Hebrew and one Greek. 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). In post-Temple times, a small piece of dough set aside and burnt. 20). According to the view that Esther was Hadassahs second name, the Rabbis explain that she was given this name because she concealed (histirah) her origins. [7] Queen Esther risks her own life when she goes to the kings chambers uninvited: If I must die, so be it, she says (Esther 4:16). Her jar allowed her to find a voice in a situation where she could feel voiceless. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. The Jewish festival of Purim celebrates this event. As a result, the King promoted Mordechai to a high position in the court. The events of Esther took place between 483 and 473 BC, during the first part of King Xerxes's reign when he appointed Esther as his queen. 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. Estimates vary, but she was most likely between 50 and 60 years old when she died. Rabbah8:7; the passage is taken from Josippon). Esther 4:11-16. Have an update or correction? She received her Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University. Rabbah6:4). A few of them, such as Nehemiah, Mordecai and Daniel, rose to positions of prominence under the Babylonian kings.The last of the Prophets of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) were still living.King Cyrus had recently made his famous proclamation (2 Chronicles 36:22-23) allowing the Jews to resettle Judea (Israel), and some had gone up with Zerubavel, but the enemies of the Jews had then slandered them (Ezra ch.4), causing the Babylonian king to put a stop to the rebuilding and resettlement of Judea. She oversaw a peaceful and prosperous period. Nevertheless, this must not have an easy decision for her; just one generation before her, the wife of the Hasmonean King John Hyrcanus was starved to death by her son when she tried to remain queen. Her name was Shelamzion Alexandra. Esther must have been a "teenager" based on the historical and Biblical facts above. The BT lists a number of possible reasons: (1) she wanted Haman to be near her (so that she could say what she wanted about him at the appropriate moment); (2) she wanted to set a trap for him; (3) she planned to act toward Haman in a way that would lead Ahasuerus to suspect that she had engaged in an improper relationship with the former and thus cause the king to kill them both. Her bravery earns her a spot among the seven women prophets, and she is remembered as the one responsible for the deliverance of Israel. The events of Esther unfold over an eight- to ten-year period. Esther illuminated Israel like the light of dawn, while this light itself was like darkness for the nations of the world (MidrashTehilim, onPs. The Bible doesn't say how old Esther was when she married him, but if she was 17 this would make her born in 500BC. Rabbah6:5). One tradition states that she was served Jewish food in the harem, while another asserts that she was given chines of pork. A seven-day festival to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt (eight days outside Israel) beginning on the 15. Like the moon, that is born after thirty days, Esther, too, said(Esth. Even after she becomes queen because of the disobedience of Queen Vashti, Esther remains modest and down-to-earth. Please consider supporting TheTorah.com. BC (he would have already been well over 90 years old at this As a result of her mothers death, Mordecai had to care for Esthers nursing. At first, Esther was hesitant to approach the king, as anyone who approached him without his invitation was put to death unless the king extended his top scepter. does not give many details of Esther's life, Persian records do. Mordecai and Esther respond to this that the story in the Book of Esther was already recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Media and Persia(Esth. She was compared to the dawn, for just as the dawn breaks at the end of each night, so, too, Esther [i.e., the miraculous delivery of the Jews] came after there had been no miracles [during the period of exile and darkness](BTYoma29a). In one exegetical expansion, the women in the harem would adorn Esther, for they said to themselves: This one will certainly be married to the king, so it is worth our while to honor her (Midrash Panim Aherim, version B, para. 22:7, 2426). Esther took her turn after 12 months of preparation, and she was chosen as queen: "She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Esther eventually won the heart of the king and his servants, and she was selected to become the new queen of Persia. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'coalitionbrewing_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_10',152,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');Her true identity was kept hidden from everyone, until she was forced to reveal it in order to save her people from the decree of death from Persias ruling king. Later, when Haman planned to hang Mordecai, the king found out that it was Mordecai who had uncovered a plot to assassinate him, so he reversed the orders, hanged Haman instead and gave Mordecai the harem. Rabbah 6:5; BT. The Queen was the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain before she passed away in September 2022, aged 96. Her reign is famous as 'The Golden Age', for its . Esther would have been in her early to mid 60's when the 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. I told her not to tell anyone she was an Israelite, though, because a lot of people still didn't like Israelites and I thought King Xerxes might not pick her to be the new queen if he knew she was an . 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. On March 30, 2002, the Queen Mother died aged 101 years and 238 days old. She overtook Queen Victoria as the longest reigning monarch in 2015 - Victoria had served for 63 years and lived to the age of 81. She was alone, alone with her grief and trauma. Ultimately, Mordecais wife remains an unknown figure in the story, but her role in supporting her husband and protecting the Jewish people demonstrates her dedication and strength. What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? The matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king: Mordecai's attitude wasn't "I'm a Jewish man in exile under a pagan king, so I do not care if he is killed.". old, non-virgin wife. Menstruation; the menstruant woman; ritual status of the menstruant woman. A new decree to save the Jews. Mordechai and Esthers relationship was an important part of the events of the Book of Esther. 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). [3] See discussion in Ilan, Daughters of Israel, Weep for Rabbi Ishmael!: The School of Rabbi Aqiva vs. the School of Rabbi Ishmael,Silencing the Queen: The Literary Histories of Shelamzion and Other Jewish Women(Tbingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2006). Instead, Haman was hanged, and the Jews were given permission to destroy their enemies. 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. Why did she stay with him, rather than restart her life? After she tested positive for . Another tradition has her becoming pregnant by Ahasuerus, but miscarrying (Esth. During the . Scripture is silent on when and how Queen Esther died, and history is also silent on her life, as well. In Jacobs blessing to his sons, he blesses Benjamin(Gen. 49:27): Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he consumes the foe, and in the evening he divides the spoil, which the Rabbis applied to Mordecai and Esther. But to approach the king without being summoned was not only illegal, but it could very well result in death for impertinence. Esther is then remembered and celebrated in the annual festival of Purim. TheA type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules).Midrash adds that Esthers father died during her mothers pregnancy, and the latter died during childbirth (Esth. Mordechais loyalty and faithfulness to the King were key elements in the unfolding of the events. "Esther: Midrash and Aggadah." Institution: National Library of Israel, Jerusalem. Mordecai, the leader of the Jewish community in the city of Susa, heard the news of the decree and went to Queen Esther, his cousin, to plead with her to plead to the king on their behalf and to save them from the impending danger. Even though Esther and Mordecai werent directly related, their close relationship was very strong and continued throughout their lives. Another angel pushed Haman onto Esthers couch (BTMegillahloc. What happened to Queen Esther in the Bible? This also leads to a different understanding of Mordecais involvement, as he walks about in the royal courtyard out of concern for his wife. 6:6), or the definite statement, that could be known only to God: but they did not lay hands on the spoil (9:10). Esther 7:1-6, 9-10. Thisdevarbuilds on Ilans work: her oeuvre is well known to academics but is not as well known as it could be tothe reading public. them clearly. Esther had been made queen to save her people. Some may have stumbled upon the street named after her in downtown Jerusalem, but otherwise, she is generally only briefly mentioned, marginalized, and almost written out of the historical record. She had one son with Additionally, he decreed that anyone hostile to the Jews would be punished. In order to recognize Mordecais efforts, the king made him his minister and gave him a royal robe and princely apparel. Instead, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai, and the Jews were given permission to destroy their enemies. We may assume, therefore, that she was about 14 years of age when she succeeded to the throne. Similarly, Shelamzion had to succeed against all odds to maintain her queenship. What did this queen do? Mordechai later adopted Esther as his daughter after her parents died. See Ilana Pardes,Countertraditions in the Bible: A Feminist Approach(Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992), 126 ff. One school of thought takes the numerical value ofHadassah= 74 (or 75, including the name itself as a unit) to determine Esthers age(Gen. Rabbah39:13; see below: Esthers Age). Once upon a time a Jewish queen ruled the land. "order." Esther was taken from her home and came to live in the palace along with many other girls of the harem. After recently suffering with a bad. and Nehemiah may have known each other personally. She and her cousin Mordecai persuaded the king to cancel an order for the extermination of Jews in his realm, plotted by the king's chief minister, Haman. When Esther's parents died, I adopted Esther and took care of her like she was my daughter. [1] In preparation for Purim and the reading of Megillat Esther, the story of this forgotten Jewish queen is worth recounting. This understanding of the Book of Esther is linked to the perception of Esther as a prophet: she is included in the list of seven women prophets(BTMegillah14a; Seder Olam Rabbah21). A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). [6], Typical of his time period, Josephus was uncomfortable with the idea of a woman in charge of political affairs but admits that. One advantage to welcoming Shelamzion back into Jewish memory is making space for a role model of diplomacy and peace. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. The Rabbis viewed Esther as one who was compelled to marry Ahasuerus against her will. Mordecai is mentioned inEsth. The story of the underdog, of the weaker winning against the stronger, is the quintessential biblical and Jewish theme, but it is not often that Israel is figuredliterarily or in realityas a woman and still praised as pious, divinely appointed, and beloved.[13]. Their grandfather was Alexander Jannaeus, the second eldest son of John Hyrcanus. He also appointed her as queen of the Persian Empire and gave her a royal medal of honor. Her thoughts are characterized by pressured speech, disorganized thought processes, confusion, and paranoia. Her story is one of faith, courage, and resilience, and her bravery serves as an inspiration to others to never give up fighting for what you believe in. 2:7states: Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter [literally: took herle-vat], which the midrash understands as: Mordecai took herle-bayit, that is, as a wife (BTMegillahloc. 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. Her loyalty to her people is admirable, as is . When Esther pointed and declared(Esth. The best. Esther was born about 492BC and was 14 when she became Queen. In the biblical book named after her, Esther is a young Jewish woman living in the Persian diaspora who finds favor with the king, becomes queen, and risks her life to save the Jewish people from destruction when the court official Haman persuades the king to authorize a pogrom against all the Jews of the empire. Ilan relies upon Bickermans dating, as does Aaron KollersEsther in Ancient Jewish Thought(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014). We just don't know. Rabbah8:3). King Ahasuerus, named Darius, who became King Darius II. 22:16). 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. It was Mordecai who helped Esther win the favor of the King, who then chose her to be his queen. The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah scholars. missed each other by at least 50 years. Rabbah10:13). All Her . With the kings consent, Haman set a date for the execution (the 13th day of the month of Adar) by casting lots and built a gallows specifically for Mordecai. Sadly, Queen Elizabeth II passed away, aged 96, on September 8, 2022. Bibles] who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. Three ministering angels were appointed to aid her at that moment: one made her head erect, one endowed her with charm, and one stretched out the scepter(BTMegillah15b). What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? What can we learn from Esther about our personal understanding of our true life's mission? The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll.Megillah13a). older than her (do the math a 37 year old king marrying a 14 year Yes, Mordechai was indeed Esthers cousin. She greatly feared to appear before Ahasuerus. case we can not say how old she was. 726. An additional stratagem employed by Esther against Haman was connected with his leading Mordecai on the horse. 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. As the Queen died on the Isle of Wight, her body was carried on board the HMY Alberta with several yachts taking the mourners and King Edward VII to Gosport in Hampshire and then by train to Victoria station in London. Additional traditions maintain that not only did Esther become pregnant by Ahasuerus, but she was also the mother of the last Darius (idem) or of Cyrus (Kallah Rabbati2:15). In Esther Chapter 2, royal eunuchs advised Ahasuerus to look for a new queen. Another question that concerned the Rabbis was that of the children from the union of Esther and Ahasuerus. The Talmud sees Haman's decree as a punishment from Heaven to these Jews. Jewish and Persian She she fasts for three days, she goes to the king, enduring many obstacles while traveling through the palace but protected by angels. Their legal marriage age suggests that they prefer young people below 18 (prime of the youth). Queen Esther died in 473 BCE, so she was likely in her late fifties or early sixties at the time of her death. point). Ultimately, the jar became a symbol of Esthers courage and determination. Plath famously battled depression and other mental illnesses, and the same is true of Esthers condition in the novel. According to the tradition that she was previously unmarried, she was now married to and lived with a non-Jewish king. Theodor-Albeck], MS. Vatican, para. Do you, or does someone you know, demonstrate the same total commitment to a mission, even at the cost of sacrificing personal happiness? i. Launched Shavuot 5773 / 2013 | Copyright Project TABS, All Rights Reserved, script type="text/javascript"> How old was Queen Elizabeth II when she died? The Coronation of Queen Esther, from the 1617 Scroll of Esther from Ferrara, Italy. When her secret was revealed, the whole of Persia, who had had no knowledge of the Jewish people or their plight, was amazed and moved by Esthers courage and selflessness. Dont miss the latest essays from TheTorah.com. It is believed that Esther's life There was no King Ahasuerus of Persia, but many Bible commentaries observe that Ahasuerus is likely the Hebraicised version of King Xerxes, the Achaemenid leader who ruled from 486 to 465 BCE.Historians say that Queen Amestris was Xerxes' only known wife and was definitely still queen at the time the biblical account says that Xerxes married Esther, casting doubt on the biblical story.