Rabbah 6:5; BT. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered flags at the Capitol to be flown at half-staff following the queen's death. The moral of the story of Esther is to stay true to yourself and never give up on your beliefs. Esther showed tremendous courage in standing up for what she believed was right, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable opposition. The Book of Esther does not say how old Esther was when she was taken to Ahasueruss palace; different midrashic traditions address this question. 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. 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. Like the moon, that is born after thirty days, Esther, too, said(Esth. Modesty and Sexuality in Halakhic Literature, What Queen Esther can teach us about intermarriage. The Talmud sees Haman's decree as a punishment from Heaven to these Jews. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Corrections? Mordecai had discovered the evil plan of two palace administrators, Bigthan and Teresh, and he wanted to make sure the king was aware of the danger and could take proper precautions to protect himself. Esther before she died (I'm guessing she died in 464 BC) and maybe Have an update or correction? She had two grown sons (Aristobulus and Hyrcanus II), but she decided not to step aside for them; perhaps she foresaw that the rivalry between the younger and older son would not end well. Jacob had traveled a great distance to find Laban. The Book of Esther relates that Esther told no one of her Jewish origins, as Mordecai had ordered her. It seems unlikely that Esther was ever Queen of Persia, so we can not say at what age Xerxes married her. [10] Frymer-Kensky,In the Wake of the Goddesses: Women, Culture, and the Biblical Transformation of Pagan Myth(Free Press, 1992), 130. [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. The Funeral of Queen Victoria by Wiliam Lionel Wylie (c) National Maritime Museum. 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. She was 96. He married Esther in 479BC (Esther 2:16), when he was 40. 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). 28 BC) was the daughter of Hyrcanus II (died 30 BC), who was the son of Alexander Jannaeus. 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. Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? Throughout the book of Esther, Queen Esthers bravery and courage is seen as an example of how God can deliver and uses those who are willing to obey and trust Him. How old was King Xerxes when he married Esther? 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. Esther and Mordecai then obtained a royal edict allowing Jews throughout the empire to defend themselves on the day set for their extermination. Josephus tells us that she was loved by the masses of the Jewish people (Jewish Antiquities 13:407). Esther had been made queen to save her people. [7] See Elsie Sterns reading of Megillat Esther as a cautionary tale for Jews living in the Diaspora in her TABS essay, Megillat Esther: A Godless and Assimilated Diaspora.. He wished Queen Vashti to be brought to the feast so that he may flaunt her wonderful beauty. 31 December 1999. Rabbah26:8;Lam. Vashti (Hebrew: , romanized: Vat; Koin Greek: , romanized: Astn; Modern Persian: , romanized: Vti) was a queen of Persia and the first wife of Persian king Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, a book included within the Tanakh and the Old Testament which is read on the Jewish holiday of Purim.She was either executed or banished for her . Abraham, "fell on his face and laughed" while Sarah, "laughed to herself" and even tried to deny it. It is most unlikely that there ever was a Queen Esther, in which 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. Like many Jews today, she had two names, one Hebrew and one Greek. She was compared to a hind, for just as a hind has a narrow womb and is as desirable to her mate at all times as at the first time, so, too, was Esther as desirable to Ahasuerus at all times as at the first time. Esther was ready to endanger herself and even to give her life to save her people, who therefore are called her people (4:8): to plead with him for her people(Ex. The jar symbolizes Esthers grief, fear, and pain, which stems from her captivity in King Xerxes harem. 17:14): Inscribe this in a document as a reminder (since Haman was of Amalekite stock). Queen Elizabeth, who reigned for 70 years as Britain's monarch, died Thursday at Balmoral, her estate in the Scottish Highlands. her death is not known. The courtiers hoped that she would be executed like Vashti and that they would be able to apportion her clothing and jewelry among themselves; those close to Ahasuerus encircled her and harassed her on her way to the king, while Hamans sons awaited her downfall. 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. We don't know, though tradition teaches that she lived a long life. Esther turns in prayer to God and compares the situation of the Jews of Persia to that of the Jews in Egypt: in Egypt the Jews cried out and were answered; and in Persia, they fasted, prayed and cried out over their tribulation and the decree that was harsher than that during the time of the Egyptian servitude. 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). Yes, Mordechai was indeed Esthers cousin. The Jews receive permission to defend themselves against their oppressors, and many of the enemies of the Jews are killed. There is not one correct rendering of her name in any rabbinic manuscript (260). When Esther is chosen as the queen, unknown to her, Mordecai discovers a plan by the kings wicked advisor, Haman, to kill all the Jews. Her bravery earns her a spot among the seven women prophets, and she is remembered as the one responsible for the deliverance of Israel. Their legal marriage age suggests that they prefer young people below 18 (prime of the youth). She was Jewish but never revealed her nationality or family background as Mordecai had. They were in no way penalized for being ruled over by a queen rather than a king.[5]. She was 96 years old. She was a beautiful Jewish woman, the wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). In conclusion, yes, Mordechai was indeed Esthers cousin. i. Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years. cit. She understood that she had a mission and that she could shape reality rather than passively suffer through it. Prof. Mika Ahuvia is Associate Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Washington and currently holds the Marsha and Jay Glazer Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies. Her name was Shelamzion Alexandra. 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. After she came to the fourth department, Ahasueruss ire was aroused and he remembered Vashti, who did not come into him despite his repeated requests, while Esther came into him without permission, like a harlot. 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). Instead, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai, and the Jews were given permission to destroy their enemies. Rabbah 6:5; BT Megillah 13a). The Rabbis also relate to Esthers sexuality: if Ahasuerus wanted to find in her the taste of a virgin, he found it; if the taste of a non-virgin, he found it(BTMegillah13a;Esth. Queen Esther is the reluctant heroine of the Purim story. Queen Elizabeth II died of old age, her death certificate has revealed. Fear strikes in the hearts of many, including Mordecai, as he realizes Hadassah will be taken. Answer (1 of 5): I don't about my husband Ahaserus, but I, Haddasha aka Esther never died, for here I Am. point). The Book of Esther was probably written in the 2nd centurybce. 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. According to other traditions, her bowels were loosened (BTMegillahloc. As a result, the King promoted Mordechai to a high position in the court. 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. It is believed that Mordecai was married before the events of the book, as the King of Persia issues a decree for all unmarried women to come to the palace for beautification treatments. The Rabbis view this as self-sacrifice on Esthers part, since she was willing to die herself, provided that Haman would also perish; (4) Esther sought to turn Haman into her ally, so that he would not rebel against Ahasuerus the king (and thereby become even more dangerous); (5) Esther wanted to obscure her identity and prevent any suspicion of her being a Jew (since Haman was an antisemite); (6) Esther desired to arouse the Jews to pray and cry out to God, so they would not think that her presence in the royal palace sufficed to neutralize Hamans activity; (7) Esther sought to arouse Gods compassion, to show that the Jews did not oppose Haman, that no one stood in Hamans way, and therefore only He could deliver Israel; (8) Esther hoped that Ahasuerus, who was a capricious king, would change his opinion of Haman (BTMegillahloc. Even though Esther and Mordecai werent directly related, their close relationship was very strong and continued throughout their lives. point. She notes that Josephus only knew this queen by her Greek name, Alexandra, while the Rabbis only knew her by her Semitic name. 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. She was the daughter of the infamous King Henry VIII and his second wife the illustrious Queen Anne Boleyn, who was executed when Elizabeth was just two years old. The night of their union, Ahasuerus loved Esther "above all women" and made her the Persian Empire's Queen. The book of Esther (2:7) states that she had both names, Esther and Myrtle (Hadassah in Hebrew). "order." Ilan relies upon Bickermans dating, as does Aaron KollersEsther in Ancient Jewish Thought(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014). In this article: Her Name Early Life Palace Life Esther and Mordechai Save the King's Life 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 also exhibits symptoms of agoraphobia, suicidal ideation, and feelings of overwhelming guilt and worthlessness. That being said, 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Mordecai was elevated to second-in-command in the kingdom. She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where. And You, O Lord, bring success to this, Your poor handmaiden. She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin. 12:2], 5:11). Rabbah30:4). Esther was taken from her home and came to live in the palace along with many other girls of the harem. Esther retorted, "Without Jews, who needs Passover?". This makes Esther 60 years younger than her cousin Mordecai. Menstruation; the menstruant woman; ritual status of the menstruant woman. Rabbah6:5). During Jacob's stay, he fell in love with Rachel . The regimen of rituals, songs and textual readings performed in a specific order on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first night) of Passover. Upon realizing this, Mordecai subdued the enemy and turned the wickedness of Haman back onto himself and his family. One day he overheard a conspiracy between two of the king's guards who wanted to assassinate Xerxes. probably lived at the same time. Another tradition has her becoming pregnant by Ahasuerus, but miscarrying (Esth. The Rabbis accordingly relate her to the MatriarchRachel, the mother of the tribe of Benjamin. old or so, Estheryuckthat's not what they showed in the Given things for purification (Esther 2:9). Oops! Read Esther 4:1-17. Another question that concerned the Rabbis was that of the children from the union of Esther and Ahasuerus. Mordecai is promoted to the second highest ranking position in the empire, and Esther is given control of the household of Haman. Mordecais wife is an unnamed woman from Susa. cit.). Additionally, Hamans royal throne and belongings were given to Mordecai, and he was honored by the people of the city. 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).
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