Page 37 - HaMizrachi Purim Australia 5781

PURIM READING

Esther, Chapter Two

— ב קרפ ,רתסא תליגמ — Rabbi Yitzchak Blau

Women in Persia and Egypt

chashverosh’s campaign to find that objectifies women and wants Next, Moshe’s sister enables Yoch-
a new wife exemplifies his cor- them subservient to their husbands. eved to nurse the baby and maintain
Arupt value system. Utilizing his If so, Esther’s heroism has an ironi- a relationship with him. Of course,
royal power, he commands every pretty cally appropriate component. Haman, it is this baby Moshe who ultimately
virgin in the kingdom to spend the night a central part of the atmosphere of the brings about the downfall of Pharaoh
with him so he can select a queen (2:3, Persian court that denigrates women, and Egypt. The very women who did
2:14). His deplorable attitude toward is ultimately defeated by a woman. If not frighten Pharaoh are responsible
women was already manifest in the we accept the aggadah identifying for his demise. I believe this Biblical
first chapter, when he calls for Vashti Haman with Memuchan (Megillah pattern in Shemot’s first two chapters
to show off her beauty to the men of 12b), then Haman himself expressed lies behind Chazal crediting righteous
his court (1:11). In this new endeavor, this fear of independent women. After Jewish women with redemption from
women spend six months in oil of myrrh Mordechai dramatically challenges Egyptian bondage (Sotah 11b).
and six months in sweet smelling spices Esther to risk her safety and save In one story, a monarch did not see
(2:12), an outrageous amount of time, Am Yisrael, Esther takes charge and Jewish women as a danger. In the
highlighting the absurd immorality of begins giving directions. She instructs other, a king and his advisors viewed
the Persian court. Women are objects Mordechai to initiate a three-day fast women as pretty objects who should
to be displayed and discarded after use. as she goes to Achashverosh without be kept in their place. Both stories
include heroic women who changed
Prof. Yonatan Grossman employs a permission. She cleverly uses two par- history and defeated evil tyrannical
good example of intertextuality bol- ties to make Achashverosh suspicious men. Chazal say women are obligated
stering this theme. Many note the and ensnare Haman. Those who tried in the four cups of wine on Pesach
abundance of parallels, both thematic to keep women down find themselves night and in reading the Megillah on
and linguistic, between the Esther defeated by a woman. Purim because “women were also
narrative and the story of Yosef in Interestingly enough, this generates part of the miracle” (Pesachim 108b,
Egypt. Among the similarities, the another parallel to the Jews in Egypt. Megillah 4a). While Tosafot under-
phrase י ֵ מְי ּוא ְ ל ְ מִי ן ֵּ כ י ִּ כ appears only Pharaoh apparently does not consider stands that women were simply sub-
in these two episodes. In Egypt, it Jewish females a threat, commanding ject to the identical danger, Rashi and
describes the time it took to embalm that the boys be thrown in the Nile Rashbam interpret this source as indi-
the deceased (Bereishit 50:3). In while the girls can remain alive. Per- cating that women were the central
Persia, it refers to the duration of time haps the Egyptian men want a wider players in the two stories. The story of
women were immersed in oil (2:12). range of available marriage choices. Esther resembles the tale of the Jews
According to Prof. Grossman, this However, in subsequent events, in Egypt and the holiday of Purim
equation emphasizes the dehuman- woman after woman subverts his emulates its older cousin Pesach in
ization of women in the Persian court. plan. First, two midwives refuse to that both reveal the redemptive influ-
carry out the evil murder of innocent
They are treated like mummies. Jewish babies. Then a Jewish mother, ence and exceptional abilities of val-
The king’s advisors seem quite fright- against all odds, places her infant iant women.
ened of female independence. During son in a teiva (sometimes translated Rabbi Yitzchak Blau is a Rosh Yeshiva at
the Vashti episode, Memuchan as basket), holding out hope that he Yeshivat Orayta. He is the author of Fresh
expresses fear that ignoring Vashti’s will somehow survive. Abarbanel Fruit and Vintage Wine: The Ethics and
Wisdom of the Aggada.
insolence will embolden all women to suggests Moshe’s father had already
ignore their husband’s will (1:17) and despaired, but Yocheved retained her
the royal decree they send out explic- commitment, courage and optimism.
itly calls for male hegemony in the Pharaoh’s very daughter sees the baby A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
house (1:22). Thus, we have a culture and decides to save and raise him. mizrachi.org/speakers

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