She invited both Haman and Ahasuerus to a private banquet, stirring up jealousy in the King's mind. Mordecai did not bow to Haman because he was a Jew and Haman was an Agagite, the enemies of Gods chosen people. Esthers jar is a visual representation of her emotional turmoil and her suffering. I'm also No, Esther and Mordecai were not married. After Esther was crowned queen, Mordecai held an important position at the palace and worked closely with the Queen in all matters. , Rabbi Nathan states, In its season from Shabbat night to Shabbat night, the way [rains] fell in the days of Queen Shelamzion., Megillat Esther: A Godless and Assimilated Diaspora.. Mordecai was instrumental in thwarting a murderous plot by one of the kings advisers, Haman, to annihilate the Jewish people. She oversaw a peaceful and prosperous period. Midrash adds that Esther's father died during her mother's pregnancy, and the latter died during childbirth (Esth. According to one tradition, she was forty years old, while another places her age at seventy-four, which is the numerical value of the name Hadassah (Esthers second name), or, according to another calculation of this numerical value, seventy-five (see above). An additional stratagem employed by Esther against Haman was connected with his leading Mordecai on the horse. [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). The day before, the 96-year-old queen pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting after her doctors advised her to rest. 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. ; Frymer-Kensky,In the Wake of the Goddesses, 137-38. Ahasuerus is moved by her words and instead orders Haman to be hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. 2:7 ). 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. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'coalitionbrewing_com-leader-3','ezslot_14',155,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-leader-3-0');Furthermore, Esthers actions become increasingly irrational and her behavior can be classified as psychotic. Queen Esther is an orphan raised by her uncle Mordecai and is eventually married to King Ahasuerus. She never forgot her cousin Mordecai and she never forgot that she was one of God's children. You, O Father of orphans, stand at the right hand of this orphan, who trusts in Your compassion. She had one. Persians are modern day Iranians and they are not Jews. This tradition results from the desire to equate Esthers age with that of Abraham when he left his native land forThe Land of IsraelErez Israel upon Gods command. We just don't know. Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? Nehemiah probably knew of Queen "scroll." 2). Esther illuminated Israel like the light of dawn, while this light itself was like darkness for the nations of the world (MidrashTehilim, onPs. 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. Esther must have been a "teenager" based on the historical and Biblical facts above. Prince Charles, who is next in line for the throne, was by her side. Queen Shelamzion Alexandra reigned as queen of Judea from 76 to 67 BCE. Esther also spoke of her merit for observing the womens commandments of the taking ofDuring the Temple period, the dough set aside to be given to the priests. cit.). 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. Josephus tells us that she was loved by the masses of the Jewish people (Jewish Antiquities 13:407). Upon realizing this, Mordecai subdued the enemy and turned the wickedness of Haman back onto himself and his family. However, just because you don't know when She appears to be a loyal wife to Mordecai, as she supports him throughout his efforts to save the Jewish people from Hamans plot. 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. I'm going to guess that Esther probably died with her husband in Queen Esther died in 473 BCE, so she was likely in her late fifties or early sixties at the time of her death. "order." Esther retorted, "Without Jews, who needs Passover?". Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Omissions? In the midrashic reenactment, Esther sent a message to Mordecai in which she asked him whether Israel had transgressed one of the commandments of the Torah. Jacob had traveled a great distance to find Laban. 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. In spite of its origins it soon became the basis of the Jewish festival of Purim.According to the book, Vashti, Esther's predecessor as queen of Persia, was divorced by her husband, King Xerxes (Ahasuerus), who then sought a suitable virgin for his wife, finally choosing Esther. She Then the king made a great feast of Esther, for all his . Her name was Shelamzion Alexandra. In Shelamzions period, there were no precedents for powerful queens in Judeanot unless one counts Jezebel, the most notorious queen in Israelite history, or her daughter Athaliah. i. 25:49) because she was the niece of Mordecai and Israel was delivered through her (Esth. Themidrashrelates that Esther hid from Ahasueruss agents who sought women for the king. The Rabbis viewed Esther as one who was compelled to marry Ahasuerus against her will. 49). When Esther sought to deliver up Haman, she revealed her identity as a Jew in the act. The book of Nehemiah begins in 444 BC, so they probably Kings David and Solomon had many wives, some more influential than others, but they are never represented as ruling in their husbands stead. She was a beautiful Jewish woman, the wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). They married in 478 BC after the former queen, Vashti, was banished for being unable to fulfill her husband's demands. She was the wife of the Persian King Xerxes [aka "Ahasuerus" in many Bibles] who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. Lit. In conclusion, yes, Mordechai was indeed Esthers cousin. In a risky move, Esther reveals her Jewish heritage to Ahasuerus and pleads with him to spare her people, despite the risk of death. Even though Esther and Mordecai werent directly related, their close relationship was very strong and continued throughout their lives. The Book ofEsther (2:11)relates that Mordecai would walk about in front of the court of the harem, to learn how Esther was faring. The Rabbis understood Mordecais escorting of Esther as his providing her withThe 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.halakhic guidance, for he would rule for her in questions ofMenstruation; the menstruant woman; ritual status of the menstruant woman.niddah (the laws governing menstrual purity, and, more generally, family purity; see below: Esthers Personal Status"). The best. Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? Immediately upon her death, her sons fought over the throne, eventually inviting in Rome, and Judea never regained full independence until the modern state of Israel. The answer is yes. The Babylonian tradition maintains that Esther was Mordecais wife. The Jews, said Haman, must be eliminated for the good of the kingdom. Mordechai and Esthers relationship was an important part of the events of the Book of Esther. 9:23): The Jews accordingly assumed an obligation [ve-kibel] that which they had begun to practice.Ve-kibelis written in the singular, thus alluding to God(Ruth Rabbah4:1; BT Megillah 7a). older than her (do the math a 37 year old king marrying a 14 year Rabbah 6:5; BT Megillah 13a). Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who gazed upon her; every person thought that she was one of the women of his nation, whom he found comely. Rabbah8:6). 100-105 and 127-154. Theodor-Albeck], MS. Vatican, para. Mordecais wife is an unnamed woman from Susa. In Esther Chapter 2, royal eunuchs advised Ahasuerus to look for a new queen. Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? Whereas her husband had persecuted the Pharisees, in her reign as solitary queen, Shelamzion was particularly supportive of the Pharisees, promoting their vision of Judaism and perhaps ensuring their popularity for generations to come (Josephus, Jewish War 1:110). When she came into the palace, was she left on her own, or was she given whatever she needed to please the king and to become the queen? Fortunately, the king was able to get to the bottom of the plot and expose the would-be assassins before any harm came to Mordecai or the king. 31 December 1999. [4] Tal Ilan devotes a chapter to discussing the name Shelamzion inSilencing the Queen, 259ff. The grave of Mordecai and Esther still stands in Hamadan; and the Jews of Iran, to this day, are referred to as "the children of Esther.". Read a brief summary of this topic. What is the moral of the story of Esther? Later, when Queen Vashti refused to appear before Ahasuerus (in Esther ch.1), Memuchan, a Persian royal adviser, advised King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) to remove Vashti from being Queen of Persia, and King Ahasuerus agreed to his advice. Mordecai is mentioned inEsth. ), or her strength wanedPirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer[ed. 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. Along with Queen Shelamzion Alexandra, Queen Esther shows that skills at the negotiating table should be just as valued as skills in the field of war. The verse (5:1) Esther put on royal apparel is interpreted as her assuming the spirit of prophecy (BTMegillahloc. [11] According to the colophon to Greek Esther, a delegation of Jews from Jerusalem went to Egypt with the translation of the story of Megillat Esther and asked the Jews of Alexandria to begin celebrating the festival of Purim. Esther 5:2-3; 7:4-6 Image Despite the close bond they had, they remained uncle and niece and were not married. Nehemiah, unless she survived the assassination, in which case she
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