The Book of Esther, which does Mordecai was Esthers cousin and guardian, having adopted her as his daughter when her parents died. We rely on the support of readers like you. Rabbah 6:5; BT. Have an update or correction? The Feast of Purim was instituted to help the Jews remember their deliverance from Haman. The Babylonian tradition (according to which she was Mordecais wife) understands this apprehension as her awareness that she would thereby lose her status as one compelled [a married woman living with another man against her will] and become a woman who does so freely. And You, O Lord, bring success to this, Your poor handmaiden. Esther was ready to endanger herself and even to give her life to save her people, who therefore are called her people (4:8): to plead with him for her people(Ex. Elizabeth I is one of England's most well-known monarchs. When she became orphaned, she was adopted by her cousin Mordecai. I'm also 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. The Talmud reveals that Esther's relationship with Ahasuerus wasn't a romantic one. I told her not to tell anyone she was an Israelite, though, because a lot of people still didn't like Israelites and I thought King Xerxes might not pick her to be the new queen if he knew she was an . Esther before she died (I'm guessing she died in 464 BC) and maybe The actual origins of the Purim festival, which was already long established by the 2nd centurybce, remain unknown. How old was Queen Elizabeth II when she died? Another tradition has her becoming pregnant by Ahasuerus, but miscarrying (Esth. A seven-day festival to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt (eight days outside Israel) beginning on the 15. someone died doesn't mean they didn't exist. She oversaw a peaceful and prosperous period. Lesson 106: Esther - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Queen Elizabeth II died of old age, death certificate shows Esther standing in the Inner Court. Omissions? Save the flock of Your pasture from these foes who have arisen against us, for nothing prevents You from winning a victory by many or by few. Rabbah6:4). 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. The Queen was the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain before she passed away in September 2022, aged 96. Three ministering angels were appointed to aid her at that moment: one made her head erect, one endowed her with charm, and one stretched out the scepter(BTMegillah15b). We may assume, therefore, that she was about 14 years of age when she succeeded to the throne. The Babylonian tradition maintains that Esther was Mordecais wife. She was 96 years old. 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. In addition, she serves as an example of how to effectively use your voice and influence to make a difference. her death is not known. Since Nehemiah was a leading figure in Jerusalem by 432 BC, Lesson: Queen Esther - For Such a Time as This - Ministry-To-Children Esthers first husband was Mordecai. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? Honor the king. The more prevalent Rabbinic opinion is that Hadassah was Esthers second name, with a plethora of interpretations built on the similarity of the myrtle (hadas) to Esther: Esther was so called because she was righteous, and the righteous are called myrtles; she was of average height, like a myrtle, which is neither short nor long; she had a greenish (sallow) complexion, like a myrtle (BTMegillahloc. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while. Esthers Origins and Her Adoption by Mordecai, Esther Delivers Up Haman and Reveals Her Identity. 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). Her jar allowed her to find a voice in a situation where she could feel voiceless. He even granted permission for the Jews to arm themselves with weapons and deliver the kings edicts throughout the kingdom. An orphan raised by her uncle, young Esther was taken against her will as a beautiful virgin to Persian King Ahasuerus's harem. This prayer also mentioned her situation, which contrasted with that of Sarah andRebekah: they were taken for a single night to the court of a foreign king and miracles were performed for them. Shelamzion became sole heir to the Hasmonean kingdom when her husband, King Alexander Janneaus (King Yannai in rabbinic sources), who reigned from 10376 BCE, died. Queen Esther and Mordecai were given Haman's estate. As a result, the king reversed his decree and the Jews were saved from death. Mordecai is mentioned inEsth. 10:2). "order." Esther was taken to the royal harem despite her being married, which further aggravated her sorry condition. [6], Typical of his time period, Josephus was uncomfortable with the idea of a woman in charge of political affairs but admits that. Hearing the horror of the planned genocide, the light went on: Esther connected with her inner self and understood why she had been made queen. Esther was the heroine and central figure in the Biblical book of Esther. Their grandfather was Alexander Jannaeus, the second eldest son of John Hyrcanus. In the midrashic account, Ahasuerus initially ruled the entire world. Their relationship was instrumental in saving the Jews from extermination and is one of the main themes of the Book of Esther. They married in 478 BC after the former queen, Vashti, was banished for being unable to fulfill her husband's demands. ; Frymer-Kensky,In the Wake of the Goddesses, 137-38. cit.). Esther is noteworthy for her beauty, intelligence, and courage, along with her humility. 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]". Fortunately, the king was able to get to the bottom of the plot and expose the would-be assassins before any harm came to Mordecai or the king. Queen Esther - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Esther had been made queen to save her people. The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). 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). The Rabbis also relate to Esthers sexuality: if Ahasuerus wanted to find in her the taste of a virgin, he found it; if the taste of a non-virgin, he found it(BTMegillah13a;Esth. 20). During the . Sort by: Most popular. Something went wrong while submitting the form. Mordecai was instrumental in thwarting a murderous plot by one of the kings advisers, Haman, to annihilate the Jewish people. For the name of Esther, a number of etymologies are possible.1) Esther comes from the Persian "setareh," meaning "star".2) Esther comes from the Aramaic "istahar," meaning "moon." This, then, is the meaning of(Esth. Her thoughts are characterized by pressured speech, disorganized thought processes, confusion, and paranoia. It is a remarkable moment in Jewish history, in which we can see one of the times when Jews were connecting to each other from Jerusalem to the Diaspora and establishing the holidays that we take for granted today. 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. Esther was a teenager in assassinated with her husband (which was likely), or if she was 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. Esther took her turn after 12 months of preparation, and she was chosen as queen: "She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. By merit of this, Mordecai(Esth. Rabbah8:3). For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Elizabeth reigned for almost forty-five years and was the last monarch of the Tudor Dynasty, having died childless. Sadly, Queen Elizabeth II passed away, aged 96, on September 8, 2022. 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? Ahasuerus is moved by her words and instead orders Haman to be hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. cit.). During Jacob's stay, he fell in love with Rachel . case we can not say how old she was. 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. Like the moon, that is born after thirty days, Esther, too, said(Esth. According to the tradition that she was previously unmarried, she was now married to and lived with a non-Jewish king. Some may have stumbled upon the street named after her in downtown Jerusalem, but otherwise, she is generally only briefly mentioned, marginalized, and almost written out of the historical record. Her reign lasted less than a decade but still longer than a two-term presidency.