The Rabbis on Megillat Esther
March 8, 2011
Achashverosh
The Midrash states that Achashverosh wanted to keep his population, especially the most powerful members of it, including the army, its officers and all the princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses, etc., happy. For, the Midrash tells us, Achashverosh was not of “royal blood.” Rather, he came to power through a revolution. Therefore, he was never totally sure of himself in his role as King.
So according to the first chapter of Esther, how does Achashverosh go about making everyone happy?
Esther
From the story, does Esther sound like she’s 40? Believe it or not, there are other opinions that she was 75 or even 80!
Furthermore, The Talmud says another very strange thing about Esther:
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha said, “Esther was called Hadassah, which means myrtle leaf, because her skin was green-ish in color, but she was given a touch of Divine Grace, which made her beautiful to people.”
Would Achashverosh really want to marry an eighty-year old green woman?
What do you think the rabbis were trying to teach us with these weird stories?
Haman
What did Amalek do to the Jews? Read about it (Verses 8-16)
http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9878/jewish/Chapter-17.htm
Why is Haman considered to be Amalek? See the story in the Book of Samuel, especially verse 8. (Who was supposed to kill the King of Amalek? File that information away for a later question!)
http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15844
Now look at how Haman is referred to in Chapter 3, Verse 1.
http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15844
Mordechai
Who is Moredchai descended from? (This is where you unfile that piece of information from Haman!) Why is fitting that the fight in the Book of Esther is between Mordechai and Haman?
Vashti
Rashi (Chapter 1 v. 19) “that Vashti shall not come before King Achashverosh” – therefore he killed her.
Why did Rashi think she was killed (and not just sent away)? Look at Chapter 2, verses 1-4.
http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16475/jewish/Chapter-2.htm
