May this man have mercy on me, for I fear him. "scroll." The events of Esther unfold over an eight- to ten-year period. These words persuaded Esther to approach the king and she requested a private dinner for him and Haman. These actions demonstrated the kings respect and admiration for Esther and earned her the loyalty of her people. Seeing the Letter Tet in a Dream: 9th Anniversary, Study the Torah with Academic Scholarship, By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use, Jewish Queens: From the Story of Esther to the History of Shelamzion, https://thetorah.com/article/jewish-queens-from-the-story-of-esther-to-the-history-of-shelamzion. After he had Vashti killed, all the lands rebelled against him; once he married Esther, one hundred and twenty-seven lands came under his rule once again, and when he appointed Mordecai as viceroy, they all returned to him (Midrash Tehilim, onPs. She was the wife of the Persian King Xerxes [aka "Ahasuerus" in many Bibles] who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. 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. 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. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years. 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. A day was set aside for the slaughter, and a decree issued to every corner of the empire. The Queen died in the afternoon of September 8, 2022. She was 96 years old. She was a beautiful Jewish woman, the wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). The Coronation of Queen Esther, from the 1617 Scroll of Esther from Ferrara, Italy. 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. In the midrashic account, Ahasuerus initially ruled the entire world. 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). Rabbah6:5). Esther was the best-looking woman, and Ahasuerus picked her to replace Vashti as Queen. Ahasuerus is moved by her words and instead orders Haman to be hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. According to the Babylonian tradition, she saw menstrual blood (BT Megillah15a). The Babylonian tradition (according to which she was Mordecais wife) understands this apprehension as her awareness that she would thereby lose her status as one compelled [a married woman living with another man against her will] and become a woman who does so freely. Mordechais loyalty and faithfulness to the King were key elements in the unfolding of the events. One advantage to welcoming Shelamzion back into Jewish memory is making space for a role model of diplomacy and peace. 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. "Esther: Midrash and Aggadah." The day before, the 96-year-old queen pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting after her doctors advised her to rest. In their commentary on the Book of Esther, the Rabbis expand upon and add details to the Biblical narrative, relating to her lineage and history and to her relations with the other characters: Ahasuerus, Mordecai, and Haman. In the affair of Bigthan and Teresh, Esther continued to follow Mordecais instructions. Just as the myrtle is sweet-smelling but has a bitter taste, so Esther was sweet to Ahasuerus, but bitter to Haman (Esth. Darius must be 37 years old (62 minus 25) when he got married to Esther. Help JWA continue to lift up Jewish womens stories, this month and every month, by. Abraham, "fell on his face and laughed" while Sarah, "laughed to herself" and even tried to deny it. Sort by: Most popular. The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll.Megillah13a). Mordecai did not bow to Haman because he was a Jew and Haman was an Agagite, the enemies of Gods chosen people. Queen Vashti has been banished and an edict goes out for all qualified young virgins throughout the empire to be taken to the palace as he searches for a new queen. One tradition states that she was served Jewish food in the harem, while another asserts that she was given chines of pork. 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. The short answer is that we'll never know. Josephus tells us that she was loved by the masses of the Jewish people (Jewish Antiquities 13:407). After the immediate danger to her community passed, Queen Esther stayed with Ahasuerus. 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. Read Esther 4:1-17. 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. [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. How old was Esther when she became queen of Persia? 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. 4:16) and if I am to perish, I shall perish.". In the midrashic exposition, Ahasuerus tries to discover Esthers origins, explaining that this would be beneficial for her relatives, since he would appoint them to important positions (Midrash Panim Aherimloc. Esther probably didn't live to see the events of the book of Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). The Jews receive permission to defend themselves against their oppressors, and many of the enemies of the Jews are killed. Others have suggested an earlier date of translation, ca. During the . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered flags at the Capitol to be flown at half-staff following the queen's death. After she tested positive for . As a result, the king reversed his decree and the Jews were saved from death. Am Yisrael Chai He even granted permission for the Jews to arm themselves with weapons and deliver the kings edicts throughout the kingdom. Esther must have been a "teenager" based on the historical and Biblical facts above. Esther was given seven maids to serve her in the harem; the Rabbis comment that she used them in order to count the seven days of the week [to know when the Sabbath fell, so that she could observe it even in the harem]. The Rabbis add that Esther found favor in the eyes of both heaven and humans (Esth. Prince Charles, who is next in line for the throne, was by her side. Please support us. Another view cites the verse (9:27): the Jews undertook and irrevocably obligated themselveswhat they took upon themselves below was confirmed above (BTMegillahloc. Esther was a teenager in You, O Father of orphans, stand at the right hand of this orphan, who trusts in Your compassion. We don't know, though tradition teaches that she lived a long life. cit.). For today's Bible studies, we're going to discuss 10 characteristics of Esther in the Bible. According to the second direction, Esther was her real name, and she is so named throughout the Book of Esther; accordingly, the name Hadassah needs further explanation. Esther eventually won the heart of the king and his servants, and she was selected to become the new queen of Persia. How old was Esther when she became queen? Let us know. She overtook Queen. 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). The Rabbis even find proof that God concurred with the activity of Mordecai and Esther, since it is written(Esth. Queen Elizabeth, who reigned for 70 years as Britain's monarch, died Thursday at Balmoral, her estate in the Scottish Highlands. 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. 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. 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). This last event was around the same time that Esther became Queen. Esther risked her life to save the Jews, thus, she became an example of unselfishness and faithfulness. 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. The Queen was the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain before she passed away in September 2022, aged 96. Esther: Nice Jewish Girl, Married to a Goy? 100-105 and 127-154. Rabbah8:3). What can we learn from Esther about our personal understanding of our true life's mission? 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's Origins and Her Adoption by Mordecai. i. Victoria's funeral began on 2 February 1901. 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. She should know better to try to fool God who said to her, "No, but you did laugh . What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? The monarch of Persia, King Ahasuerus, was wealthy and powerful. What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? For an analysis of these sources and their reliability, see Tal Ilan,Integrating Women into Second Temple History(Tbingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1999), esp. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. 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. Esther is noteworthy for her beauty, intelligence, and courage, along with her humility. Since Nehemiah was a leading figure in Jerusalem by 432 BC, Wake up to the day's most important news.