Megillat Esther
Yeshivat Har Etzion

Shiur #06: Presentation of Mordekhai and Esther in Chapter 2

By Rav Yonatan Grossman

Aside from the issue of women and their status, there are some other important aspects of chapter 2 that warrant discussion.  First and foremost among them is the presentation of the story's two main characters: Mordekhai and Esther.

Introductory Verses

Following the suggestion by Achashverosh's attendants that a new queen be chosen, the narrative deviates from the chronological continuity of the plot to introduce Mordekhai and Esther through a flashback to the exile of the Kingdom of Judea and the adoption of Esther by Mordekhai (2:5-7).[1] The Jewish division of the chapters places the beginning of a new chapter here; indeed, there are many instances in which a new unit commences with the introduction of new characters.[2] At the same time, the very fact that Mordekhai and Esther are presented after already being told that a new queen is about to be sought, serves to direct the reader towards the awareness that Mordekhai and Esther are going to be the answer to that search.  While some of the natural tension that may have been aroused surrounding the identity of the new queen is thereby lost, the reader's attention is free to focus on the manner in which Esther is chosen.  Specifically this aspect, it seems, holds an important message (for example, Esther's choice not to make use of the wide range of cosmetics at her disposal).[3]

In a statement concerning the molding of biblical narratives, the Midrash notes this phenomenon of delayed presentation, listing another three narratives in which it occurs: "'And the maiden who pleases the king…' – who would be worthy of this description? Mordekhai: 'There was a Jewish man in Shushan, the capital, named Mordekhai….' Similarly, 'God saw Bnei Yisrael, and God knew' (Shemot 2:25) – who would be worthy of this [delivering them]? Moshe: 'Moshe was a shepherd….' Likewise, 'Shemuel said to the people: Let each man return to his city…' (I Shemuel 8:22) – who would be worthy [of being king, as the people had requested]? Shaul; as it is written: 'There was a man of Binyamin named Kish….' And it is written, 'Shaul and all of Israel heard the words of the Philistine, and they were terrified and very afraid' (I Shemuel 17:11).  Who would be worthy [of responding to his challenge]? David: 'David was the son of an Efratite man….'" (Esther Rabba, parasha 5,4).

By bringing these four narratives together – the selection of Moshe, of Shaul, of David and of Mordekhai – the Midrash illuminates a literary phenomenon that relates to the essence of these narratives.  As noted, what is common is that the presentation of each character does not appear in a vacuum.  There is already some expectation on the part of the reader, which has been created prior to the introduction of the character, such that his very appearance has the effect of conveying to the reader the sense that his expectation has been answered; he then turns his attention to the character's actions and behavior, to observe how they match the expectations.

More important than the literary observation offered by the Midrash per se is the perception of Mordekhai within the broader context of these biblical narratives.  In fact, all four of the characters mentioned share a profound connection: each of them appears on the historical stage as a redeemer.  Moshe is destined to redeem Bnei Yisrael from Egypt; Shaul will redeem them from their oppressors, as the nation specifies in its request – "He will go out before us and fight our battles" (I Shemuel 8:20); David, in the context mentioned in the Midrash, will save Israel from Goliath, the Philistine; and Mordekhai will save Israel from the decree of the evil Haman.

But this is not the sum total of the connection between these narratives, and the Midrash seems to be emphasizing another important aspect of our understanding of the way in which Mordekhai is introduced.  A brief review of the respective contexts reveals a great difference between all of the other saviors and Mordekhai in terms of who chooses them.  Moshe is chosen by God at the Burning Bush, where he is given his task: "I have surely seen the suffering of My people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry as a result of their oppressors" (Shemot 3:7).  Shaul, too, is chosen by God, for He reveals to Shemuel even before Shaul's arrival that "at this time tomorrow I shall send to you a man from the land of Binyamin, and you shall anoint him as leader over My people, Israel, and he shall deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have seen My people, for their cry has reached Me" (I Shemuel 9:16); later, all of Israel regard the choice of Shaul as God's will.  David, too, is chosen by God, with an emphasis on the fact that even the prophet is not qualified to make this choice ("For a man sees [only] with his eyes, but God sees into the heart" – I Shemuel 16:7).  Only God can know who is suited to this task: "God said: Arise, anoint him, for he is the one" (Ibid. 12).

But who chooses Mordekhai (and Esther); who appointed him to this task as savior? There is no prophetic declaration, nor any ceremony of dedication explaining this choice.  Moreover, the naked truth is that they are actually chosen by none other than Achashverosh! It is he who Esther pleases, and his heart that she captures.

In fact, the issue of chosenness of a person (hinted at in the delayed presentation) in question is qualitatively different in Esther than in the other narratives mentioned in the Midrash.  Mordekhai and – more specifically - Esther, at this stage of the narrative, are set to "save" Achashverosh from his loneliness; only later on will it become clear that this private salvation paves the way for a broader, national salvation.  By juxtaposing the delayed introduction of Mordekhai with the delayed introduction of the other saviors, the Midrash seems to be implying that the difference between them is only superficial.  A person perceives only what his eyes can see, but God sees all the way into a person's heart, and influences it – even the heart of Achashverosh, for as it is written, "…The heart of a king [is] in the hand of the Lord, to direct it wherever He wishes" (Mishlei 21:11).  The Midrash is hinting that the selection of Mordekhai, too, should be viewed as a Divine choice; even if it is achieved in a different manner, in a way that is concealed, it nevertheless represents the realization of the Divine will.[4] As we shall see later on (when we discuss chapter 4), one of the deeper themes running through Esther is the delicate relationship between human initiative and Divine decree.  At least according to the above mentioned Midrash, hints to this relationship are to be found already in the way in which Mordekhai is presented, so as to match the literary model that appears with other saviors.[5]

            Let us review the presentation of Mordekhai in these verses:

"There was a Jewish man in Shushan, the capital, named Mordekhai, son of Yair, son of Shim'i, son of Kish, a man of Binyamin, who had been exiled from Jerusalem with the exile that led away with Yekhonya, king of Yehuda, who was exiled by Nevukhadnetzar, king of Babylon.  He had raised Hadassa, who was Esther – his uncle's daughter – for she had no father or mother; and the girl was of beautiful appearance and of good form, and when her father and mother died, Mordekhai took her as his own daughter."

Mordekhai's genealogy is traced to the third generation: "son of Yair, son of Shim'i, son of Kish." This represents something of a deviation from the way in which characters are usually presented in Tanakh.  In general, a character is presented by name along with the name of the father; in rare cases, the genealogy is traced back a few generations – but only where there is some significance to the identity of the patriarch who is mentioned.  In presenting Mordekhai, the text takes the trouble to enumerate three generations of ancestors, but it is difficult to find any special significance that may be attached to Kish.[6] Apparently, the intention here is to emphasize Mordekhai's Jewish lineage ("A Jewish man" is mentioned even prior to his name!)[7] – his belonging to the tribe of Binyamin ("yemini"), and his (indirect) link to King Shaul ("son of Kish").[8] In other words, the narrative details Mordekhai's lineage in order to link him back to Kish – the father of Shaul.  It is reasonable to assume that if Mordekhai were a direct descendant of Shaul, this would be mentioned in Esther.  Apparently, then, he was a member of Shaul's family, but not one of his direct descendants; therefore the genealogy is traced back only as far as Kish, with the assumption that this will suffice to arouse a clear association with the first Israelite king.

This hypothesis – that the text means to hint at Shaul through the lineage of Mordekhai – is a reasonable one, in view of the allusions to Shaul's reign that we have already encountered.  Suffice it for the time being to mention the connection between "The king shall give her royal estate to another, who is better than her" (2:19) and "God has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and given it to another who is better than you" (I Shemuel 15:28).[9] In any event, Mordekhai is presented against the background of his connection to the family of Shaul, for he is destined once again to take up the reigns of Jewish rule – albeit in a foreign land – in the battle against Haman – Amalek.[10]

The second fact mentioned in connection with Mordekhai is that he was exiled from his land, in the exile of "Yekhonya king of Judea." Ignoring the chronological problem that this presents,[11] from the literary perspective it serves to glorify his status, since those led away in this exile were of the uppermost stratum of society.  Indeed, Josephus asserts that Mordekhai was "among the leaders of the Jews." The term "exile" (galut) is mentioned no less than four times in the verse, leaving a powerful impression.[12] This datum, too, is of great importance for our understanding of Esther as an exilic narrative, and the understanding of God's Presence concealed behind the events that take place in reality - seemingly natural events that are brought about as the result of local political maneuvering.

Esther – Did Not Tell, Did Not Ask

In the previous shiur we discussed the literary connection (arising from the structure of the unit) between the two descriptions of Esther in chapter 2: "Esther did not mention her nation and her descent" (10), and "She asked nothing but what Hegai, the king's chamberlain, specified" (15).  In both cases, Esther is portrayed in a passive light.  There may be an internal connection between these two situations – at least according to certain commentators, as we shall discuss below.  One of the unanswered questions in Esther is why Esther chose not to mention her nation and her descent.  Actually, the question might be formulated more accurately with reference to Mordekhai, since the text attributes the decision to him and not to Esther (10).  Why did he command Esther not to reveal her national identity? The question is even more puzzling when we consider that Mordekhai himself reveals the fact that he is a Jew: "For he had told them that he was a Jew" (3:4).  This being so, why did he command Esther not to reveal her Jewish identity to those who would ask?

Among the medieval commentators there are two quite different approaches to the question, both of which touch upon a fundamental question: was Esther interested in being chosen as queen?[13] Rashi (ad loc.) explains: "So that they would assume that she was from a lowly family and send her away, for if they would know that she was from the family of King Shaul, they would hold onto her." The assumption here is that Mordekhai and Esther did not want Esther to be chosen as queen.  In contrast, the Ibn Ezra, at the beginning of his commentary, brings two explanations that adopt a different assumption: "Some say that Mordekhai acted improperly in commanding Esther not to mention her people, for he feared that the king would not take her as a wife if he were to know that she was from the exile.  Others said: through prophecy or a dream he knew that redemption would come through her to Israel." According to both of these explanations, Mordekhai wanted Esther to be chosen by the king! The hiding of Esther's national identity was meant to facilitate her selection.

These opposing approaches are continued among contemporary scholars.  Moore, on one hand, maintains: "Esther wanted to become queen" (27).  Berlin, on the other hand, argues, "Esther was taken not of her own will, and even against her will" (83).

It would seem that this decisive question may be resolved if we look at the description of the way in which Esther was taken to the king.  It is not coincidental that in both passages in which she is taken, the narrator adopts the passive case: "Esther was taken to the king's house" (8); "Esther was taken to King Achashverosh" (16).  This language projects a sense of coercion: Esther is taken to the palace, as the Midrash puts it, "against her will and not for her benefit" (Aggadat Esther, parasha 2).  This is further confirmed in light of the other passive datum mentioned in the chapter: Esther makes no attempt to anoint herself with ointments – precisely because she does not want to beautify herself, such that she will end up victorious in the competition for the heart (and eyes) of the king.

Why, then, does Esther avoid revealing her ethnic identity? I believe that Bush's suggestion is correct: the simplest explanation for Esther's avoidance of revealing her national identity is related to the basic experience shared by many people when they find themselves in a foreign country.  The immediate inclination of a foreigner – especially if we are speaking of a Jew living in an anti-Semitic country – is to hide one's Jewish identity.  Mordekhai, concerned for the welfare of his adopted daughter, asks her not to reveal that she is Jewish, to try to act like a local girl.[14] This sows the seeds for the background to the national struggle that is going to develop upon publication of the decrees of the anti-Semitic Haman.

But even after we have considered the various different solutions proposed to answer this question (and there are more, in addition to those mentioned above),[15] it is clear that the text itself offers no clue as to the meaning of the concealment of Esther's national identity.  The reader hears nothing, either from Mordekhai or from the narrator, and it seems that the concealment of the motive plays an important role in the molding of the reader's experience in this scene.  The very fact that Esther's identity is hidden is important for the story, from two different perspectives.  First, this fact will play a role in the development of the plot, when it turns out that Haman and his advisors have no idea that Esther is Jewish.  Secondly, Esther, in this context, represents a mirror image of the situation of the Jewish nation as a whole.  At the beginning of the story they hide their Jewish identity, participating in the feasts of the Persian king ("For all the people who were in Shushan, the capital" – 1:5) and even going by Persian names (Mordekhai, Esther).[16] During the course of the narrative Esther will reveal her Hebrew identity when she stands before the king to plead for her people; reflecting back on the nation, they too will return to their identity when they decree a fast for themselves and afflict themselves.[17] In this context, the narrative emphasizes the hiding of Esther's Jewish identity not because of its reason or purpose, but rather as the point of departure for a narrative in which the issue of Jewish identity in exile is one of the key themes to be explored throughout the text.

In the wider context of our discussion it should be noted that Esther, in this scene, also serves as a mirror image of the narrator himself.  In other words, just as Esther hides her identity, so the narrator hides his theological world and its messages.  The reader, encountering a key character in the story who hides her identity, enters an atmosphere of secrecy, and this itself encourages him to pay attention to Jewish hints murmuring beneath the surface of the text – even if they are garbed with the majestic cloak of the Persian palace.

"When the virgins were gathered a second time"

At the end of chapter 2, the reader is surprised to find a description of the king once again gathering virgins to the palace, even though Esther has already been chosen: "And when virgins were gathered for a second time, Mordekhai was sitting at the king's gate.  Esther was not revealing her descent or her people, as Mordekhai had commanded her, and Esther obeyed Mordekhai's word as she had when she was in his care" (2:19-20).  The second round of gathering virgins is most instructive as to the personality of Achashverosh who, even after Vashti's replacement has been chosen, continues to have beautiful virgins brought to his palace.  But these verses, concluding the scene of Esther's selection, do not appear to be meant to provide further details about Achashverosh; rather, they seem to be emphasizing the relationship between Esther and Mordekhai.

Seemingly, the scene of Esther's selection would conclude with a distancing of Mordekhai from Esther – a distancing which, logically, would grow ever greater, now that Esther was at Achashverosh's side.  In these verses, though, the narrative seeks to balance this impression on both sides.  On one hand, Achashverosh is busying himself not with Esther, but rather with other fair maidens who visit his room each night in turn.[18] At the same time, Mordekhai is sitting at the king's gate.  This physical proximity also leads to updates of the goings on within the palace precincts, since "sitting at the "king's gate" implies the assumption of some institutionalized public role.  What exactly Mordekhai's role is not revealed to the reader; apparently, his title is not important.  What is important is that Mordekhai is able to continue monitoring Esther, and indeed "Esther obeyed Mordekhai's word as she had when she was in his care." Despite Achashverosh, who has taken Esther from Mordekhai who took her as his own daughter, Esther continues to regard Mordekhai as the main authority in her life.

Thus, the narrative creates something of a distance between Achashverosh and Esther, while at the same time creating a sense of reuniting those who have been separated – Esther and Mordekhai.  The realization of this complex triad will rise to the surface in the following verses, when Mordekhai tells Esther about the attempt to assassinate the king.[19] We shall address this further in the next shiur.

Translated by Kaeren Fish