Advocate for Peace

Esther 10:3

Did Esther’s story ever happen? History has no facts for solid ground, and yet, for centuries, millions of pilgrims traveled to the Tomb of Mordechai and Esther, situated in Hamedan in Iran. For Iranian Jews, the tomb was of particular importance on the days of Purim. Like many other pilgrimage sites and sacred texts - facts often get in the way.

Chapter 9 ends with a rare recognition of its textual origin, giving the credit to Esther, the Queen, who is also its original author!

וּמַאֲמַר אֶסְתֵּר קִיַּם דִּבְרֵי הַפֻּרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְנִכְתָּב בַּסֵּפֶר׃

And Esther’s ordinance validating these observances of Purim was recorded in a scroll.

Esther 9:32

But she does not get the final word.

In a man’s world - that would be Mordechai, and this is how the scroll named for Esther actually ends:

כִּי  מׇרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי מִשְׁנֶה לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ וְגָדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים וְרָצוּי לְרֹב אֶחָיו דֹּרֵשׁ טוֹב לְעַמּוֹ וְדֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכׇל־זַרְעוֹ׃

For Mordecai the Jew ranked next to King Ahasuerus and was highly regarded by the Jews and popular with most of his brethren; he sought the good of his people and interceded for the peace of all his kindred.

Esther 10:3

According to this verse, Mordechai becomes the king’s top advisor, lobbying for his tribe’s welfare and - important to notice here with the text’s surprising honesty -- highly regarded by most - but not all - of his people.

There were other Jews who probably preferred to find their future in the newly built Jerusalem, and yet others who preferred to walk away from the Jewish project altogether and assimilate into Persian society.

And yet, these days, it’s good to read about a Jewish leader whose attributes include his being an advocate of peace for the people - and not just one’s own.

Perhaps what follows the first Purim are decades of repair, reconciliation and peace under Esther and Mordechai’s rule? One can only imagine, and tell the version of the tale that brings about better outcomes - for all.

This brief 3-verses-long closing chapter also invites us to ask the question -
Who is the intended star of this story? Mordecai? Esther? Both? Mordecai is the one to uncover the plot against the king; informing Esther of the plot against the Jews and orchestrating the retribution, coming out on horseback as the king’s new right hand man.

Yet it’s Esther for whom the scroll is named - not just a beautiful queen and perfect hostess of two parties with a purpose, but also the courageous strategist who pulled it off. Whoever added these final verses likely wanted us to favor Mordechai - but at least keeps the debate going.

And it still goes on today. What do we do with this tale of redemption and revenge, an upside down invention that is still so loved and loathed, so much fun and so much terror?

Once again we give a beloved poet the final word.

Yehuda Amichai helps us wrap up Esther, reflective and hopeful, to get ready for Daniel - our next book, as we try to piece together and make sense of our legacies:

סיננתי מתוך מגילת אסתר את משקע

השמחה הגסה, ומתוך ירמיהו

את יללת הכאב במעיים. ומתוך

שיר השירים את חיפוש האין סופי

אחר האהבה ומספר בראשית את

החלומות ואת קין ומתוך קוהלת את

הייאוש ומתוך ספר איוב את איוב.

והדבקתי לי מן השאריות ספר תנ”ך חדש.

אני חי מצונזר ומודבק ומוגבל ובשלוה.

I’ve filtered out of the Book of Esther the residue

of vulgar joy and out of the Book of Jeremiah

the howl of pain in the guts. And out of the

Song of Songs the endless search for love,

and out of the Book of Genesis, the dreams

and Cain and out of Ecclesiastes

the despair and out of the Book of Job—Job.

And from what was left over I pasted for myself a new Bible.

Now I live censored and pasted and limited and in peace.

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