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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Tanach
- Megillat Esther
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Jewish Holidays
- Purim & The Month of Adar
Translated by Hillel Fendel
The Gemara recounts an interesting exchange between Queen Esther of Purim fame and the Sages. Esther sent a message to the Sages, saying: "Institute me [i.e., the story and commemoration of the Purim miracle] for all generations." The Sages responded: "But you will be thus arousing the gentiles' resentment of the Jews." She sent back: "I'm already written up in the chronicles of the kings of Persia and Media."
Why did she have to make this request? Was it not enough that the Scroll of Esther itself states, "The Jews took upon themselves [these Purim commemorations] that they had already begun to do" (Esther 9,23), and "The Jews ordained and took upon themselves and their descendants… to keep these days every year…" (9,27)? Doesn't that mean that the holiday's place in history is guaranteed?
In addition, why did the Sages fear that this holiday would arouse the resentment of the nations? Didn't they already hate the Jews? After all, when King Achashverosh announced his plan to wipe out all the Jews, did anyone protest? No one made a peep! Was there any jealousy or resentment left to arouse against the Jews?
And yet another question is: Why does this entire exchange revolve around Esther? She said, "Institute me," and they said, "You're arousing jealousy," and she answered, "I'm already written up." It could have gone like this: "Institute Purim!' "No, this will arouse jealousy." "But everything is already written up in the history books." Why was Esther the center of everything?
The explanation is that Esther knew all along that the miracle of Purim would be written and instituted for generations. She feared, however, that her place in the miracle would be omitted or overlooked. She wanted her role to be remembered, and that the book explaining the course of events should be called specifically Megillat Esther. She also wanted to make sure that when we say the Al HaNissim prayer, we don't mention only, "In the days of Mordechai," but, "In the days of Mordechai and Esther."
The Sages answered her: "Don't you realize that if the gentiles are forever reminded that not only did we defeat them, but we did so under the inspiration and leadership of a woman, this will enrage them even more?!" She responded, "My name is already inscribed in their histories! You won't be adding any more jealousy, because they themselves acknowledge my role."
Was Esther motivated by considerations of ego? Heaven forbid! She was motivated by the fact that she represents Clal Yisrael, as opposed to Mordechai, who represented the Sages of Israel (even though some of them parted ways with him afterwards). Esther was the one who, when she endangered her life by going to the king without being summoned, said, "Gather all the Jews… and [all should] fast for me" (Esther 4,16) – for she knew that her mission was for the sake of Clal Yisrael, and that her fate was in Israel's hands and dependent upon their prayers and fasting. At the banquet that she arranged for Haman and the king, she said, "Let my people be given me in my request" (7,3), and later, "How can I endure seeing the destruction of my people?" (8,6).
Let us chiefly note that Esther is the one who wore royal garments when she went, unsummoned, to see the king. She understood that the Kingdom of Israel was dependent on her at that moment. Esther is the one who characterizes and stands for all of Israel; Esther is the "rose of Yaakov!" For Esther in gematriya (Hebrew numerology) is equal to shoshanah (rose), and Israel is compared, in Shir HaShirim, to a "rose among the thorns."
Esther asked that this miracle – the last of the miracles to be written in the Scriptures, the Gemara says – should be commemorated with an extra emphasis on Esther's role thereof. For the last written miracle is also the beginning of the unwritten miracles, those of the terrible Exile that will come upon Israel. And it is then that Israel will strongly require the strength, value, and benefit of the concept of Clal Yisrael, of the entire community of Israel. Given that the last written miracle came about in Clal Yisrael's merit – their fasting and repentance – Esther wanted her role, and the concept of Clal Yisrael that she stood for, to be clearly remembered.
And in fact, as we read at the end of the Scroll of Esther, "the decree of Esther confirmed these matters" (9,32).
HaRav Kook's son, Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook, passed away on Purim exactly 40 years ago. It appears that the above idea expresses one of the main pillars of his spiritual world and philosophy. In Shochein Ad at the end of Psukei D'zimra, where we mention the praises offered by the upright, righteous, pious and holy, we then continue and say, "And [by] the great congregations of the myriads of Your nation Israel…" Rav Tzvi Yehuda explains that while Israel can boast of great tzaddikim, wise scholars, and holy Hassidim who sing and sanctify G-d's greatness, still and all, the summit is the praises offered by the "regular Jews." They are not all pious and righteous, and sometimes even worse – but the gatherings of myriads of Jews in every generation, joining up with the tzaddikim, is what actually glorifies G-d's name above all else.
For the intrinsic value of Israel is even more weighty than all the individuals, no matter how righteous they are – and this is the message of Esther, who asked, "Please institute me for generations."
In order to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox every week, subscribe to the Israel National Torah newsletter here.
The Gemara recounts an interesting exchange between Queen Esther of Purim fame and the Sages. Esther sent a message to the Sages, saying: "Institute me [i.e., the story and commemoration of the Purim miracle] for all generations." The Sages responded: "But you will be thus arousing the gentiles' resentment of the Jews." She sent back: "I'm already written up in the chronicles of the kings of Persia and Media."
Why did she have to make this request? Was it not enough that the Scroll of Esther itself states, "The Jews took upon themselves [these Purim commemorations] that they had already begun to do" (Esther 9,23), and "The Jews ordained and took upon themselves and their descendants… to keep these days every year…" (9,27)? Doesn't that mean that the holiday's place in history is guaranteed?
In addition, why did the Sages fear that this holiday would arouse the resentment of the nations? Didn't they already hate the Jews? After all, when King Achashverosh announced his plan to wipe out all the Jews, did anyone protest? No one made a peep! Was there any jealousy or resentment left to arouse against the Jews?
And yet another question is: Why does this entire exchange revolve around Esther? She said, "Institute me," and they said, "You're arousing jealousy," and she answered, "I'm already written up." It could have gone like this: "Institute Purim!' "No, this will arouse jealousy." "But everything is already written up in the history books." Why was Esther the center of everything?
The explanation is that Esther knew all along that the miracle of Purim would be written and instituted for generations. She feared, however, that her place in the miracle would be omitted or overlooked. She wanted her role to be remembered, and that the book explaining the course of events should be called specifically Megillat Esther. She also wanted to make sure that when we say the Al HaNissim prayer, we don't mention only, "In the days of Mordechai," but, "In the days of Mordechai and Esther."
The Sages answered her: "Don't you realize that if the gentiles are forever reminded that not only did we defeat them, but we did so under the inspiration and leadership of a woman, this will enrage them even more?!" She responded, "My name is already inscribed in their histories! You won't be adding any more jealousy, because they themselves acknowledge my role."
Was Esther motivated by considerations of ego? Heaven forbid! She was motivated by the fact that she represents Clal Yisrael, as opposed to Mordechai, who represented the Sages of Israel (even though some of them parted ways with him afterwards). Esther was the one who, when she endangered her life by going to the king without being summoned, said, "Gather all the Jews… and [all should] fast for me" (Esther 4,16) – for she knew that her mission was for the sake of Clal Yisrael, and that her fate was in Israel's hands and dependent upon their prayers and fasting. At the banquet that she arranged for Haman and the king, she said, "Let my people be given me in my request" (7,3), and later, "How can I endure seeing the destruction of my people?" (8,6).
Let us chiefly note that Esther is the one who wore royal garments when she went, unsummoned, to see the king. She understood that the Kingdom of Israel was dependent on her at that moment. Esther is the one who characterizes and stands for all of Israel; Esther is the "rose of Yaakov!" For Esther in gematriya (Hebrew numerology) is equal to shoshanah (rose), and Israel is compared, in Shir HaShirim, to a "rose among the thorns."
Esther asked that this miracle – the last of the miracles to be written in the Scriptures, the Gemara says – should be commemorated with an extra emphasis on Esther's role thereof. For the last written miracle is also the beginning of the unwritten miracles, those of the terrible Exile that will come upon Israel. And it is then that Israel will strongly require the strength, value, and benefit of the concept of Clal Yisrael, of the entire community of Israel. Given that the last written miracle came about in Clal Yisrael's merit – their fasting and repentance – Esther wanted her role, and the concept of Clal Yisrael that she stood for, to be clearly remembered.
And in fact, as we read at the end of the Scroll of Esther, "the decree of Esther confirmed these matters" (9,32).
HaRav Kook's son, Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook, passed away on Purim exactly 40 years ago. It appears that the above idea expresses one of the main pillars of his spiritual world and philosophy. In Shochein Ad at the end of Psukei D'zimra, where we mention the praises offered by the upright, righteous, pious and holy, we then continue and say, "And [by] the great congregations of the myriads of Your nation Israel…" Rav Tzvi Yehuda explains that while Israel can boast of great tzaddikim, wise scholars, and holy Hassidim who sing and sanctify G-d's greatness, still and all, the summit is the praises offered by the "regular Jews." They are not all pious and righteous, and sometimes even worse – but the gatherings of myriads of Jews in every generation, joining up with the tzaddikim, is what actually glorifies G-d's name above all else.
For the intrinsic value of Israel is even more weighty than all the individuals, no matter how righteous they are – and this is the message of Esther, who asked, "Please institute me for generations."
In order to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox every week, subscribe to the Israel National Torah newsletter here.
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