Who was Esther?

THE SCROLL OF ESTHER opens with the strangest of scenes. Reading chapter one alone, you would never know this is a Jewish book or that it has anything to do with Judaism or Jewish history. True, there is the striking absence of    G-d’s name mentioned throughout the scroll, or megillah, but upon studying the text there are opportunities to sense and feel G-d’s guiding presence. But chapter one? It reads more like a modern-day Mardi Gras party, or upon careful study, a party with more licentious motives.

Why open the megillah painting such a scene? It could have simply started off with the fact that there was no queen and that a search for a new queen was about to commence, and then proceed with the selection of Queen Esther.

What’s the point of all the party detail? Chapter one gives the megillah, and more specifically Esther’s challenging circumstances, a context.

Reading chapter one we immediately feel immersed in the Persian culture of the time. We receive a keen understanding of a woman’s position in that society. A woman, especially a queen, doesn’t ever say no. Saying no or refusing the king’s request means death. Additionally, at a party the king throws in order to show off his wealth and grandeur, another accessory to be shown off is the woman, the queen. That is her purpose. This was ancient Persia. This was King Ahasuerus.

Another insight gleaned from this chapter is an understanding that in this society there are segregated parties for different echelons of society. It is not a society where everyone parties together. On the contrary.

Above all, we glimpse a society where partying and playfulness are prized and common.

Esther’s name is not mentioned at all.

If we turn to the final, mini-chapter of the megillah, again, it speaks of King Ahasuerus, and this time of his vice minister too, as it praises Mordechai. It speaks of their lives of majesty and power. This is the society in which Esther finds herself. A society of powerful men, as shown by the beginning and conclusion of the megillah.

If the megillah would be read by those who tend to read beginnings of novels, and then go right to the conclusion to get a sneak peak of what happens, they would not even know Esther existed. They would think of the megillah as the Scroll of Ahasuerus or the Scroll of Mordechai.

So what is it about Esther’s character that unfolds in the center of this book, between the beginning and the end, that is so memorable and remarkable?

THERE IS a parallel in the character of Queen Vashti and Mordechai. Each of them refuse to do something (without any rational explanation provided): Vashti refuses to comply with King Ahasuerus’ command and Mordechai refuses to bow to Haman (which is surprising, since throughout the Hebrew Bible we often see Jewish personalities bowing, e.g., Abraham, King David).

In each instance of refusal, the consequence or punishment for both Vashti and Mordechai is not limited to themselves, but broadened to include the community. In Vashti’s case, not only will she be dismissed as queen and killed, but all women will be subjugated to their husbands. In Mordechai’s case, not only will he be hung, but his entire nation will be destroyed! The refusal of both Mordechai and Vashti is met with rage.

In contrast to the similar personalities of Vashti and Mordechai, Esther’s character is without parallel, though a closer look reveals that she is not alone.

Esther is the microcosm representing what happens to the Jewish people. On an individual scale, the trials Esther experiences personally is what the Jewish people experience on a national or macro level. Esther must contend with the King, the Persian authority. And the Jewish People must contend with the Persian culture and its authoritarian decrees.

It’s interesting that in Talmudic literature the Jewish people, when exiled and in trouble, is often compared to a woman, the primary example being in Lamentations. Jerusalem is often compared to an abandoned, pained woman — here, Esther personifies this. Her personal journey is interwoven with that of the destiny of the Jewish people. What happens to her, happens to her people.

ESTHER’S HEROISM in the megillah can be understood through two very different prisms. Either interpretation of her persona is a lesson in leadership, and both unfold against this background.

The context for appreciating the greatness of Esther’s courage, regality and leadership, is chapter one. Remember the lack of moral restraint of this society. Along comes Esther and she majestically represents a sharp contrast to all that vacuous behavior and immorality.

When we meet Esther for the first time, we learn she does not have a husband, and not even parents. She is orphaned, adopted by the kindness of her uncle, Mordechai. In other words, Esther is at the bottom of society. Marginalized. What does she have? She has her beauty. And from here the story proceeds.

Esther until this point is the quiet, obedient girl she was raised to be. Add to that her unfortunate circumstances and those qualities were probably amplified within her, magnifying her vulnerability.

Prodded by Mordechai to go to the palace, Esther’s first response is resistance. She is not looking to get to the king’s court, in contrast to Vashti, who asserted herself and says no to her husband, the king. Esther is restrained, more submissive, one who “doesn’t reveal who her people are.”

All of this informs that critical moment, the night she is summoned by the king.

At this point Esther is just another accessory in the arsenal of the king. She has been in the palace for years, and tonight is the night her presence is sought by the king. She can ask for anything, anything at all. A lot weighs on what the wisdom of this question will be. And when it is Esther’s turn to speak for the first time, when she has a chance to make a request to save her people, what does she ask? Will Ahasuerus come to a party. A party!

Esther withholds what she was supposed to say at this critical opportunity, as instructed by Mordechai — to cry and beg on behalf of her people so genocide is not committed.

Based on what we have seen so far of Esther’s personality, a meek person who probably never asked anyone of anything before, it’s fair to say she was terrified. And the first thing that entered Esther’s mind was a request for a party, perhaps to buy some time and rehearse her request just one more time.

Curiously enough, when she has her chance again to speak to Ahasuerus, she issues another invitation for yet another party. Since her initial invitation to a party succeeded, the king acquiesces to her request. So a second invitation is issued with hopes for similar success.

The rest of the story unfolds as we know it, with Esther finally mustering the gumption to plead for her people after Mordechai warns her that she is facing the opportunity to become the savior of the Jewish people; but that if she passes it up someone else will step in and achieve the goal, while she will be lost to Jewish history.

In this reading we see that Esther had to overcome her natural, inborn shyness or meekness. It was a true inner struggle and battle for Esther to rise to the occasion of pleading for her people.

Remember also, this is a king who sentences his women to death when he does not like what they say. So aside from Esther’s personality, her fears were grounded in reality. That is what is so remarkable about Esther, the courage she found to dig deep within herself and go against her nature for the benefit of her people, while risking her life.

ANOTHER READING of Esther’s character can be just the opposite of a meek and submissive person whose historic circumstances forced her to make the choices she did, but rather of a woman who is clever, who knows how to get what she wants and needs.

In this interpretation, yes, Esther is restrained and quiet, she “doesn’t reveal who she is,” but this is a restraint stemming from strength and calculation. Esther knows the worth and power of her beauty and charm and uses it to advance her cause, for she knows the worth of beauty in this society.

Interestingly, Esther can seem submissive when in chapter two she says she will obey Hegai and do exactly as he says. Yet a closer look reveals her smarts.

Who was Hegai? He was Ahasuerus’ liaison. For years, nightly, he is the one who brings a different woman to Ahasuerus. Hegai sees which woman makes it and which doesn’t. Hegai is the one who knows Ahasuerus’ tastes, fetishes and moods. He sees it all. So Esther’s acquiescence to Hegai can be seen as wise. She says she will do as Hegai suggests, not from a place of weakness but rather because she understands his intimate link to the king.

Seeing Esther through this prism can be applied to her request for a party as well. It can be seen as a cunning, calculated move to achieve her goal. True, Mordechai asked Esther to cry, beg and plead on behalf of her people, but Esther understands that is not going to get her the result she desires as she is competing with a decree from Haman.

WHO IS Haman? He is the king’s trusted assistant. It takes years to cultivate such a relationship. A person in such a position is not replaced so easily. In contrast, in this king’s court, women are replaced at whim. The power of a woman in Ahasuerus’ court does not rival that of a Haman.

Intuitively, Esther understands this and crafts her plan accordingly. Esther is a master planner. Her goal is to weaken the bond between Ahasuerus and Haman, to shatter the trust between them, so that the dynamic is no longer Esther’s word against Haman, but Esther’s position being the one that carries the weight.

Thus, a dinner party invitation is issued. Not because Esther is scared and trying to bide time. Not in order to rehearse and role play what Mordechai asked of her just one more time. But to unravel Ahasuerus’ kinship with Haman and render Esther the sole petitioner, so that when she pleads on behalf of her people she is not competing with Haman’s decree of genocide for the Jewish people.

By inviting Ahasuerus to a party she plants a seed in his mind. Why does Esther want to have me to a party? And why together with Haman? Then, when the three of them are at her party and Ahasuerus thinks he will finally get to hear Esther’s request, she goes and repeats herself, inviting him and Haman to another party.

Now he is really intrigued, wondering what is up with this triangulation of Esther, Haman and himself? He is thinking, What is going on? His curiosity is piqued.

Esther has got Ahasuerus thinking to himself: Esther is not coming out with what’s on her mind and what she wants . . . why is that? Clearly she wants to ask something, but is being held back. Why?

Ahasuerus understands something is transpiring, but he can’t put his finger on it. And this is making him go mad. It is literally keeping him up at night.

Meanwhile, all this is numbing Haman’s sense of awareness. Knowing Haman’s personality, Esther understands that being invited to parties with her and the king is only shutting down Haman’s sense of suspicion, while simultaneously increasing Ahasuerus’ suspicion.

In this interpretation, the story unfolds from Esther’s brilliant psychological plan to create the variables necessary for her request to Ahasuerus to be heard and achieved.

WITH EITHER interpretation of Esther, she is a study in brave and brilliant leadership. She either saves her people by overcoming her core nature and essence, by having to act in a radically contradictory way to everything she has thus far stood for and believed in — and at risk to her life.

Or, if you go with the second interpretation of Esther’s character, her brilliance topples the second most powerful person in the government of her time, a world power no less, clearing the way for her to articulate and plead on behalf of her people, capturing the attentive, listening ear of a king who previously would have sentenced her to death.

This is the regal Esther whom we all love and emulate, the hero we think of and fast for each and every year, the queen every pre-schooler wants to dress up as, the woman who captured the king’s heart and the soul of a nation.

A joyous and festive Purim to you all!

This column was inspired by the thoughts and teachings of Orit Avneri, a former colleague on ATID.

Copyright © 2015 by the Intermountain Jewish News