She recognizes that she needs to personally plead the king to save her people but knows this act is a grave transgression. Esther 4:11-16. The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll.Megillah loc. Mordecais wife is an unnamed woman from Susa. Esther remained passive and allowed the King to rape her repeatedly. Esther was a good queen. Esthers jar captures her willingness to stand up and fight against her oppressors, despite being completely alone and without support. What episode does Squidward say the F word. 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. She also exhibits symptoms of agoraphobia, suicidal ideation, and feelings of overwhelming guilt and worthlessness. 22:1: For the leader; onayelet ha-shahar[literally, the hind of the dawn], which the Rabbis apply to Esther. During this historical period, the first group of Jews who had returned to Judah struggled to revive temple worship by Moses' Law. The short answer is that we'll never know. Esther must have been a "teenager" based on the historical and Biblical facts above. 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. At that banquet, she heightened the tension between the two by inviting both men to a second banquet. What is the moral of the story of Esther? The Rabbis then mention an additional argument that is raised by the people, that the writing of the Book of Esther will arouse the enmity of the non-Jewish nations. Alexandra the Maccabee. In Megillat Esther, we encounter another heroine who maneuvers royal protocol to save her people. Corrections? This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. The two were very close and Mordecai was highly regarded and respected by both King Xerxes and the Jewish people. 100-105 and 127-154. May this man have mercy on me, for I fear him. 4:16) and if I am to perish, I shall perish.". She was the last of the house of Hanover and . She was crowned about 55 years after the destruction of the First Temple, and fifteen years before the Second Temple was built. 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. Bibles] who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. Given new belongings (Esther 2:9). 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. Haman, having become incensed thatMordecai, aJew, held him indisdainand refused obeisance, convinced the king that the Jews living under Persian rule were rebellious and should be slaughtered. The Jews, said Haman, must be eliminated for the good of the kingdom. The 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. She greatly feared to appear before Ahasuerus. Other sources say that the the woman "Esther" in the bible, married. 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. Like the moon, that is born after thirty days, Esther, too, said(Esth. 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.". It is most unlikely that there ever was a Queen Esther, in which They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Nonetheless, it is clear that Esthers mental state was severely compromised and debilitating. Her thoughts are characterized by pressured speech, disorganized thought processes, confusion, and paranoia. Elizabeth reigned for almost forty-five years and was the last monarch of the Tudor Dynasty, having died childless. Mordecai stopped at the gate because he wanted to tell the king about a plot to kill him. However, later scribes, as the manuscript evidence suggests, no longer understood it. Esther was a Jewish woman who lived in Persia during the period following the destruction of the First Holy Temple, when many Jews had been taken as slaves to Babylonia, which was subsequently overtaken by Persia. not tell how old she was, is certainly not historical and appears Rabbah6:8), or to arrange for the kashrut of her food. Esther despaired throughout her first six years in the palace. 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. When Esther was taken captive, her emotional world was completely destroyed. Through his actions, along with those of his cousin Esther, the Jews were saved from extermination. We don't know, though tradition teaches that she lived a long life. Princess Margaret, the Queen's younger sister, was born in 1930. How Can a Torah Commentary Be Source-Critical and Jewish? Esther risked her life to save the Jews, thus, she became an example of unselfishness and faithfulness. The Talmud sees Haman's decree as a punishment from Heaven to these Jews. In response, Esther tells him that, like him, she is the offspring of royalty (Midrash Abba Gurion, para. Mordecai was instrumental in thwarting a murderous plot by one of the kings advisers, Haman, to annihilate the Jewish people. 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. Esther was taken to the royal harem despite her being married, which further aggravated her sorry condition. Those were the good old days, the rabbis say, the days of Queen Shelamzion. [1] As shall be discussed further below, much of what we know about Shelamzion Alexandra comes from Josephuss two accounts of her reign inJewish War1.107-119 andJewish Antiquities13.398-432. , 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.. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'coalitionbrewing_com-leader-2','ezslot_12',154,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-leader-2-0');Throughout the course of the story, Esther suffers from a major depressive episode, possibly accompanied by severe anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. As a result of his heroic actions, Mordecai was honored by King Ahasuerus for his bravery, and he was made Prime Minister with great authority. We read that: "The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 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. Saul, a Benjaminite, did not reveal to his uncle that he had been anointed to be king; likewise, Esther did not disclose her identity(Gen. Rabbah71:35). Vintage colour lithograph from 1882 of Esther standing in the Inner Court of the King's House. They did not have the riches that Esther had. Another tradition compares Esther, who ruled one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, toSarah, who died at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven(Gen. Rabbah58:3). assumed in to the next King's harem (also possiblealthough a Queen Esther and Mordecai were given Haman's estate. She had one. Then the king made a great feast of Esther, for all his . That day, Esther told the king about Haman's plan to massacre all Jews in his kingdom, and she acknowledged her own Jewish ethnicity. Yet another tradition maintains that she was eighty years of age(Gen. Rabbah39:13;MidrashAbba Gurion, para. Estimates vary, but she was most likely between 50 and 60 years old when she died. Mordecai was an important figure in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. For an analysis of these sources and their reliability, see Tal Ilan,Integrating Women into Second Temple History(Tbingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1999), esp. The matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king: Mordecai's attitude wasn't "I'm a Jewish man in exile under a pagan king, so I do not care if he is killed.". The plea was turned down by her. 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. He even granted permission for the Jews to arm themselves with weapons and deliver the kings edicts throughout the kingdom. Esther was a young Jewish girl taken into the palace of the king of Persia, King Ahasuerus. cit.). The Jewish festival of Purim celebrates this event. After Esthers coronation, the king continues to gather virgins in his palace, which the Rabbis understand as an activity meant to reveal Esthers identity. Like many Jews today, she had two names, one Hebrew and one Greek. Her jar represented her strength and her resilience and gives a powerful message of hope to all those facing oppression. How old was King Xerxes when he married Esther? What is error code E01-5 on Toyota forklift. a. Later, when Haman planned to hang Mordecai, the king found out that it was Mordecai who had uncovered a plot to assassinate him, so he reversed the orders, hanged Haman instead and gave Mordecai the harem. 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. [12] Queen Shelamzion Alexandra certainly stood to benefit from Esthers precedent. The ministering angels took action to inflame Ahasueruss wrath: they appeared as people cutting the trees in his garden, and when the king asked why they were doing this, they said that they were acting on Hamans orders. Fear strikes in the hearts of many, including Mordecai, as he realizes Hadassah will be taken. The midrash compares Esther to a hind and to the dawn, based onPs. Princess Elizabeth ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI. . What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? When Esther pointed and declared(Esth. 2:7). Updates? Hi, I'm Mordecai, Esther's older cousin. In the midrashic expansion, on her way to the king Esther encountered various obstacles and she had to pass through seven departments in the palace. 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. She was expressing her inner strength and her ability to survive and even to thrive in difficult circumstances. Esther may or may not have reflected the historical reality of the Persian period, but her story provided a model for a new reality in Shelamzions lifetime. When she became orphaned, she was adopted by her cousin Mordecai. King Xerxes: King Xerxes married Esther when he was 41 years old. Until Esther was chosen, no woman could compare with Vashti in beauty. Notably, Shelamzion maintained peace through defensive measures and diplomatic outreach rather than outright acts of aggression. She ordered her uncle: "Go, gather together all the Jews and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day." Mordecai held a position inside of the king's palace, and he went their every day to perform his duties. As a result of her mother's death . And You, O Lord, bring success to this, Your poor handmaiden. Decades ago, the historian Elias Bickerman drew attention to a marvelous coincidence: a postscript in the Greek translation of Esther tells us that in 78 or 77 BCE, just one year before Queen Shelamzion began to rule by herself, Megillat Esther was translated into Greek and sent to the Jewish communities of ancient Alexandria. (Viewed on March 4, 2023) . The Talmud reveals that Esther's relationship with Ahasuerus wasn't a romantic one. When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. The Rabbis describe at length Esthers activities after she learned of Hamans decree against the Jews. 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]. 10:2). Sort by: Most popular. 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. Similarly, Shelamzion had to succeed against all odds to maintain her queenship. The Jews were in the Babylonian exile. Esthers story culminates when the beloved queen is faced with the decision to either continue to disguise her Jewish heritage and maintain her safety or jeopardize everything to advocate for her people. The Book ofEsther (2:7)relates that Esther had two names: He was foster father to Hadassahthat is, Esther. The Rabbis take two interpretive directions as regards these names. 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. 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. Also called the "Festival of Mazzot"; the "Festival of Spring"; Pesah.Passover. Before she went to Ahasuerus, Esther uttered the prayer: O Lord, the God of Israel, who has reigned from days of yore and created the universe, help, please, Your handmaiden who has remained an orphan without father and mother, and who is compared to a pauper who begs from door to door. Mordecais wife is never directly named, but it is presumed that she was originally from Susa, based on her residence in the city at the time of the story. It is also thought that Mordecai may have had additional children, as it is not explicitly mentioned that Esther is his only child. "scroll." 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? Her death is believed to have been around the age of 57. In the Erez Israel tradition, she miscarried the fetus she bore in her womb (the offspring of Ahasuerus) (Esth. The Rabbis viewed Esther as one who was compelled to marry Ahasuerus against her will. Lit. Esther, heroine and central figure in the Book of Esther of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. Furthermore, because of her passivity, her life with Ahasuerus was not thought to entail illicit sexual intercourse (a grave sin, for which one should be killed rather than transgress")(BTSanhedrin74b). [3] He suggested that she might be Jewish, which implied some sort of relationship between them, since he was from the offspring of Amalek, the grandson of Esau (Jacobs brother) (Esth. Rachel was silent when she saw that Jacob married her sister instead of herself. The historical reality of this biblical episode, and whether or not Esther actually existed, has often been questioned. Verily, I seek Your mercy from window to window in the house of Ahasuerus. Anyway, there's no record of whether Esther was Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. There is not one correct rendering of her name in any rabbinic manuscript (260). Other problems that also call into question the story's reliability include Mordecai being identified as sent into exile by Nebuchadnezzar - an event that must have place over a century before Xerxes assumed power. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. When we celebrate Purim, may we laugh with Esther and Mordecai, but also remember Queen Shelamzion Alexandra, praise her example, and wish that Eretz Israel may experience those heavenly rains of peace again in our time. It was Mordecai who helped Esther win the favor of the King, who then chose her to be his queen. What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? Esther eventually won the heart of the king and his servants, and she was selected to become the new queen of Persia. Esther was the heroine and central figure in the Biblical book of Esther. In order to recognize Mordecais efforts, the king made him his minister and gave him a royal robe and princely apparel. 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. The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll.Megillah13a). Rabbah28:6). Elizabeth I is one of England's most well-known monarchs. Torah and history converge in a remarkable way in the life of Shelamzion. The Jewish festival ofPurimcelebrates this event. The spelling of her name is confirmed by its appearance in the Qumran material; see4QCalendrical Document C(Florentino Garcia Martinez and Elbert J. C. Tigchelaar, eds.,Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition[Brill Academic Publishers, 2000], 694). You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. brought him up to be favorable to the Jews and he later rebuilt the Answer (1 of 5): I don't about my husband Ahaserus, but I, Haddasha aka Esther never died, for here I Am. Additionally, he decreed that anyone hostile to the Jews would be punished. Because of Haman's law, she and all the Jews in the kingdom would be killed. According to one, Hadassah, which appears first in the verse, was Esthers real name, and the reason why she was called Esther requires clarification. As early as 1215, Rabbi Menachem Ha-Hevroni wrote that while visiting the Galilee, he came across the tomb of Queen Esther, "who, during her lifetime, had instructed her son Cyrus to bring her there [for burial]". Ahasueruss intimates attempted sorcery, so that her hands and feet would look like leather hides, but a miracle was performed for her and they began to shine like sapphires (Midrash Tehilim, onPs. Esther remained passive and allowed the King to rape her repeatedly. Her reign is famous as 'The Golden Age', for its . In various sources the Rabbis relate to the question of the Book of Esthers acceptance as Scripture and to the establishment of the holiday ofPurim. [4] Tal Ilan devotes a chapter to discussing the name Shelamzion inSilencing the Queen, 259ff. She trusted in the goodness and power of God, and in the end He delivered her and her people, the Jewish people, from destruction. The Rabbis accordingly relate her to the MatriarchRachel, the mother of the tribe of Benjamin. Queen Esther is an orphan raised by her uncle Mordecai and is eventually married to King Ahasuerus. Esther was the heroine and central figure in the Book of Esther, which is now recognised by Biblical scholars to have been a second-century-BCE Jewish novel. Rabbah6:9). Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The Book of Esther relates that Esther told no one of her Jewish origins, as Mordecai had ordered her. 49). The best. How old was Queen Elizabeth II when she died? The Jews were well acquainted with the command of God, which stated that they must not bow down to false gods nor to those enemies of God who idolized them. She was compared to the dawn, for just as the dawn breaks at the end of each night, so, too, Esther [i.e., the miraculous delivery of the Jews] came after there had been no miracles [during the period of exile and darkness](BTYoma29a). The Queen Mother lived to the grand age of 101 years and 238 days old. Mordecai was Esthers cousin and guardian, having adopted her as his daughter when her parents died. script>. All Her . In the affair of Bigthan and Teresh, Esther continued to follow Mordecais instructions. Esther had We rely on the support of readers like you. The king agreed, not knowing that Esther, his beloved queen, and Mordecai, the man to whom he owed his life, were both Jews. 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. BC (he would have already been well over 90 years old at this The enraged King ordered Haman's hanging, elevated Mordecai to prime minister and gave Jews the right to defend themselves against any enemy. Esthers secret was that she was a Jew, which she was able to hide from her adoptive family and community. Josephus final words about Shelamzion are that despite her deviation from proper feminine behavior, she had kept the nation at peace (Jewish Antiquities 13:432). During the . The day before, the 96-year-old queen pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting after her doctors advised her to rest. His father was Kish, who descended from the House of Benjamin. The. How can we explain Esther's abrupt change in behavior from deep despair to determined action and from passiveness to leadership? 20). . Solomon. She and her cousin Mordecai persuaded the king to cancel an order for the extermination of Jews in his realm, plotted by the king's chief minister, Haman. Narrator: After Haman died, King Ahasuerus gave a second decree to preserve the Jews and give them power to destroy their enemies within the kingdom. Theritualobservance of Purim begins with a day of fasting,Taanit Esther(Fast of Esther) on Adar 13, the day preceding the actual holiday, in honour of the fast Mordecai and the other Jews held on Esthers behalf when she went uninvited to the king. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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 loyalty to her people is admirable, as is . She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin. Instead, Haman was hanged, and the Jews were given permission to destroy their enemies. Seeking a new queen, the king appointed commissioners to bring all the beautiful young virgins from every province into his harem for a year of cosmetic treatments so that he might select a new bride. During the Temple period, the dough set aside to be given to the priests. Esther then initiated a covert plan to defeat Haman using her grace and beauty. Although the Bible According to one tradition, he could not find a wet nurse and he himself miraculously had milk and nursed her(Gen. Rabbah30:8). An orphan raised by her uncle, young Esther was taken against her will as a beautiful virgin to Persian King Ahasuerus's harem. One day he overheard a conspiracy between two of the king's guards who wanted to assassinate Xerxes. 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. "scroll." It is believed that Esther's life Horev], chap. She was Jewish but never revealed her nationality or family background as Mordecai had. Commenting on Deuteronomy 11:13-14, which describes rain falling in its season as a reward for keeping the commandments, Sifre Deuteronomy writes (42): In other words, Rabbi Nathan observes that in the days of Queen Shelamzion, the people actually obeyed the commandmentsthey were all good for a change!and God rewarded the Israelites with plentiful rain from heaven. [12] Ilan, Esther, Judith and Susanna as Propaganda for Shelamzions Queenship,Integrating Women, 135. Then the queen gave Haman's estate to Mordecai and prayed the king to deliver the nation of the Jews from the fear for their lives, and she showed him what the letter that had been sent throughout the country by Haman, the son of Ammedatha; for, she said, if her country were destroyed and her countrymen were to perish, she could herself bear to . Wake up to the day's most important news. 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). 22:5). [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. 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. Esthers jar is a visual representation of her emotional turmoil and her suffering. The moral of the story of Esther is to stay true to yourself and never give up on your beliefs. She is mentioned several times throughout the Book of Esther. Esthers first husband was Mordecai. Esther's Origins and Her Adoption by Mordecai. ), or her strength wanedPirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer[ed. You, O Father of orphans, stand at the right hand of this orphan, who trusts in Your compassion. What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? 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. The Bible does not specify how old she was when her parents died. The Midrash adds that Esther's father died during her mother's pregnancy, and the latter died during childbirth ( Esth. Her bravery earns her a spot among the seven women prophets, and she is remembered as the one responsible for the deliverance of Israel. 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. Rabbah15:6). The answer she gave was that anasmakhta(Scriptural support) for the writing of the Book of Esther is to be found in the verses mandating that the memory of Amalek be blotted out, with the explicit command(Ex. The beginning of the psalm: My God, my God, why have You abandoned me? is what Esther asks when she wants to know why the spirit of divine inspiration has left her: was this because she went to Ahasuerus of her own free will, or because she disparaged him, and called him a dog (following the text of the psalm)(BTMegillah15a)? With the kings consent, Haman set a date for the execution (the 13th day of the month of Adar) by casting lots and built a gallows specifically for Mordecai. A day was set aside for the slaughter, and a decree issued to every corner of the empire. The bleeding jar in Esthers story is significant because of the deep symbolism behind it. In another exposition, she was given this name by the Gentiles, after the celestial body Istahar (BTLit. Queen Esther and Bella Abzug: Costumes, Leadership, and Identity, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. These words persuaded Esther to approach the king and she requested a private dinner for him and Haman. 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. Esther showed tremendous courage in standing up for what she believed was right, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable opposition. Perhaps there is room for a role model of the leader who advocates peace, piety, and diplomacy as well. even met her a few times when He was a young boy. Something went wrong while submitting the form. Haman, too, was troubled by the question of Esthers origins. 2:7states: Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter [literally: took herle-vat], which the midrash understands as: Mordecai took herle-bayit, that is, as a wife (BTMegillahloc. 22:16). Others have suggested an earlier date of translation, ca. "order." It seems unlikely that Esther was ever Queen of Persia, so we can not say at what age Xerxes married her. He had a war against Greece in 480-470BC, when he was 39-49. Plath famously battled depression and other mental illnesses, and the same is true of Esthers condition in the novel. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). 16 September 2012. When Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman at the gate, Haman was extremely offended and sought to have Mordecai killed. The Babylonian tradition maintains that Esther was Mordecais wife. Haman (the bad guy) represented the Jews' first enemy Ernest Normand/Wikipedia Esther's story is full of symbolism, which really helped the case for being accepted into the Bible.
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