Esther's Relations with Achashverosh/1
Esther's Relations with Achashverosh
Introduction
Queen by Choice or Force?
Chapter Two of the Megillah describes how Esther was chosen to replace Vashti as Achashverosh's wife:
(טז) וַתִּלָּקַח אֶסְתֵּר אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ אֶל בֵּית מַלְכוּתוֹ בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי הוּא חֹדֶשׁ טֵבֵת בִּשְׁנַת שֶׁבַע לְמַלְכוּתוֹ. (יז) וַיֶּאֱהַב הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת אֶסְתֵּר מִכׇּל הַנָּשִׁים וַתִּשָּׂא חֵן וָחֶסֶד לְפָנָיו מִכׇּל הַבְּתוּלוֹת וַיָּשֶׂם כֶּתֶר מַלְכוּת בְּרֹאשָׁהּ וַיַּמְלִיכֶהָ תַּחַת וַשְׁתִּי.
This crowning of Esther is a central element of the Megillah's plot, key to Esther's later salvation of the nation. However, the very fact of the marriage is troubling to the reader. How could Esther marry an idolater? Why did neither she nor Mordechai protest her being taken? Does the textual silence indicate that Esther actually went to the king willingly? Were she and Mordechai happy or horrified when Esther was chosen?
Intermarriage in the Torah
The prohibition against intermarriage is found in Devarim Chapter 7:
(א) כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ י"י אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָא שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ וְנָשַׁל גּוֹיִם רַבִּים מִפָּנֶיךָ הַחִתִּי וְהַגִּרְגָּשִׁי וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי שִׁבְעָה גוֹיִם רַבִּים וַעֲצוּמִים מִמֶּךָּ....
(ג) וְלֹא תִתְחַתֵּן בָּם בִּתְּךָ לֹא תִתֵּן לִבְנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ לֹא תִקַּח לִבְנֶךָ. (ד) כִּי יָסִיר אֶת בִּנְךָ מֵאַחֲרַי וְעָבְדוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְחָרָה אַף י"י בָּכֶם וְהִשְׁמִידְךָ מַהֵר.
And you shall not marry into them, your daughter you shall not give to his son, and his daughter you shall not take for your son.
The verses speak only about marrying members of the Seven Nations of Canaan, saying nothing about Gentiles as a whole. Perhaps surprisingly, no where else in Torah either is the nation warned against marrying an idolater! How does the Torah view such a marriage? Considering that the reasoning for the prohibition of Devarim relates to the spouse's ability to sway one towards idolatry, it might be logical to conclude that the marriage to other idolaters must also be prohibited. However, it might also be possible that not all intermarriages are viewed equally negatively. How does this bear on Esther's marriage and relations with Achashverosh? Was she transgressing a Torah law, or a less severe prohibition?
Related Issues
Several other issues might shed light on the topic as well:
- Why Conceal Esther's Nationality? – When Esther is taken, the only piece of advice that Mordechai gives her is to hide her national background. Was this as an attempt to prevent her marriage or promote it? Or was there a different motivation all together?
- Esther's Religious Identity and Mordechai's Religious Identity – How observant were Mordechai and Esther? Would transgressing Torah laws have even bothered them?
