Esther's Relations with Achashverosh/2

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Esther's Relations with Achashverosh

Exegetical Approaches

This topic is still being developed and updated

Under Duress

Esther was not culpable since the relations were forced by Achashverosh, and she was not a willing or active participant.

What prohibition was being transgressed?
  • Adultery (ביאת אשת איש) – According to Bavli Megilah13a13b15aAbout the Bavli,1 Esther was married to Mordechai.2 If so, sleeping with Achashevrosh would constitute adultery, and falls into the category of illicit relations for which one is obligated to forfeit one's life rather than transgress.
  • Relations with an Idolater (ביאת עכו"ם) – Most of the other commentators assume that Esther was not married, and was thus only transgressing the lesser prohibition of having relations with an idolater.3
    • Bavli Sanhedrin suggests that under normal circumstances this action would not obligate one to forfeit one's life,4 but when done publicly, it does.5 
    • R. Saadia appears to maintain that even had the marriage not been public, such relations nonetheless fall under the category of "גילוי עריות" for which one must be killed rather than transgress.
Why is "duress" an excuse?
  • Abayye asserts that the obligation to give one's life rather than transgress only applies if one does an action.6  Since Esther was totally passive (קרקע עולם) she was not required to forfeit her life, despite the public nature of the marriage.
  • Rava maintains, instead,  that one need not give one's life when the prohibition is being violated solely for the pleasure of the Gentile.7
"לֹא הִגִּידָה אֶסְתֵּר אֶת עַמָּהּ וְאֶת מוֹלַדְתָּהּ" – According to Rashi, the Akeidat Yitzchak, and R. Meir Arama, in not revealing her identity, Esther was trying to avoid being forced into prohibited relations, or at least lessen the gravity of the transgression.8
  • Rashi and R. Meir Arama claim that Esther hoped to avoid becoming queen all together.  She thought that if Achashverosh knew of her royal lineage,9 he would find her an appealing candidate,10 and thus she tried to conceal her family status.
  • The Akeidat Yitzchak maintains that Esther concealed her nationality to make sure that Achashverosh would be forcing her to have relations only for reasons of his personal pleasure, rather than to intentionally cause her to violate her religion publicly.11  For elaboration and other explanations, see Why Conceal Esther's Nationality.
Mordechai's obligations – These commentators disagree regarding the level of Mordechai's obligations to prevent Esther from being taken.  If he handed her to the officers, would she still be considered "under duress"?
  • Active participation allowed – The Second Targum maintains that Mordechai actively took Esther out of hiding once they were threatened with death, suggesting that this was allowed and did not affect Esther's status as "forced."
  • No need for active resistance – According to R. Saadia, it seems that Mordechai would not have been allowed to actively hand Esther over, but once she was taken by force, he was not obligated to actively resist either.
  • Resist at all costs – R. Avraham Saba implies that Mordechai should have even killed Esther (if nothing else would have availed) so as to prevent her from being given to an idolater.  He compares the episode to events in his own time, during the forced conversion of Portuguese Jewry, many of the Jews of Portugal preferred to die and even kill their own children rather than have them baptised.12
Did Mordechai resist? In line with their positions above, the exegetes differ in their understanding of what Mordechai actually did or did not do to protect Esther:
  • Resistance – R. Saadia raises the possibility that Mordechai did indeed actively resist the taking of Esther, but was simply overpowered and failed.  Nonetheless, he prefers to say that his resistance was passive in nature since otherwise Esther's Jewish identity would have become apparent.
  • Hiding – According to Seder Olam Rabbah29About Seder Olam Rabbah, the Second Targum, and the commentary attributed to Rambam, Esther had gone into hiding.  The second Targum claims that only when it became life-threatening did Mordechai feel forced to take her out.
  • No opportunity to save – According to R. Avraham Saba,13 in contrast, since Esther and Mordechai lived in or near the palace, she was immediately seized and Mordechai never had opportunity hide or protect her.14  Otherwise, he would have even risked his life to prevent her being taken.
  • Looked to Save - See also R. Avigdor Kohen Tzedek who proposes that Mordechai was " יֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ", hoping to find a way to steal Esther from the palace.
"וַתִּלָּקַח" – Ibn Ezra and R. Meir Arama assert that the word "וַתִּלָּקַח", in both 2:8 and 2:16, implies Esther's being taken by force and against her will.
"לֹא בִקְשָׁה דָּבָר" – The Akeidat Yitzchak and R. Meir Arama15  suggest that the emphasis on the fact that Esther did not request any jewelry or fragrances is further evidence that she was forced to go before Achashverosh, and did not do anything of her own will before being taken..
"וַאֲנִי לֹא נִקְרֵאתִי לָבוֹא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ זֶה שְׁלוֹשִׁים יוֹם" – The Second Targum understands the word "לָבוֹא" (to come) in its sexual sense, and reads the verse to mean that Esther had been praying for thirty days that Achashverosh would not ask for her to have relations again.
"וּבְכֵן אָבוֹא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר לֹא כַדָּת וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָבַדְתִּי אָבָדְתִּי"
  • R. Abba in Bavli Megillah16 understands the word "אָבוֹא" to have sexual connotations, suggesting that Esther intended to seduce Achashverosh into saving the Jews. Though until that point she had been under duress, from this point on she went willingly, and as such, violated the Torah's prohibitions on improper sexual relations.  Thus, she says that she is coming "אֲשֶׁר לֹא כַדָּת" , against Torah laws (and not the Persian law against entering the King's throne room). Similarly, when Esther laments "וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָבַדְתִּי אָבָדְתִּי", she refers not to her potential death but to the Torah requirement that she leave her husband, Mordechai, after having relations with another man.17
  • The commentary attributed to Rambam also seems to understand that Esther intended to seduce Achashverosh, but according to him, this was not a sin, as she was going not to satisfy her own desires but to save Israel.
Mordechai and Esther's religious identity – According to this approach, Esther and Mordechai were fully observant Jews.

Ends Justify the Means

Esther was permitted to act as she did since her transgression was necessary to save the Jewish people.

What prohibition was being transgressed? These sources maintain that Esther was not married, and as such limit the transgression to that of having relations with an idolater.  It is not clear, however, how severe a sin they view this act.  From Ralbag's description of it as a  "גנות מועט" (small disgrace), he does not appear to consider it one of the cardinal sins for which one would have to forfeit one's life.18 
Why do the ends justify the means? R. Yosef Chayyun compares Esther's actions to the law that one is allowed to violate Shabbat once in order to enable a person to observe many Shabbatot.19  Thus, too, Esther was allowed to violate a Torah law to ensure that the nation as a whole would be able to keep their religion intact, and observe many Torah laws.  Ralbag similarly expresses that the benefits that the nation would gain from Esther's misdeed by far outweighed any of the negatives of the act.
"וַתִּלָּקַח" – R. Chayyun asserts that not only was Esther not taken by force, but Mordechai actively placed her in public, hoping that she would be taken. 20  He could explain that the passive language of "וַתִּלָּקַח" simply means that all candidates were taken to the palace by the king's officers, but not necessarily against their will.
"לֹא הִגִּידָה אֶסְתֵּר אֶת עַמָּהּ וְאֶת מוֹלַדְתָּהּ" – These sources assert that Esther concealed her nationality in order that she would be chosen as queen.  If Achashverosh had known her lowly origins, he might have rejected her out of hand.  See Why Conceal Esther's Nationality for more.
"לֹא בִקְשָׁה דָּבָר" – Ralbag might suggest, as does Y. Hazony,21  that this was part of Esther's strategy to be picked as queen.  Esther asked for nothing on her own, instead putting her trust in Hegai's abilities, assuming that he would know best what the king desired.
Mordechai's precognition – These sources disagree regarding what Mordechai knew
  • Knew via prophecy – According to the opinion cited in Ibn Ezra, Mordechai knew via prophecy that Esther was to save the Jews.
  • Did not know – According to Ralbag and R. Yosef Chayyun, in contrast, Mordechai was not aware of any specific threat, and was only hoping to maneuver Esther into a useful position since life under foreign rule is always uncertain.22  According to them, even the chance of Esther's bringing salvation sufficed to permit her relations.
Mordechai and Esther's religious identity – These commentators understand that Esther and Mordechai were observant Jews who decided on their course of action according to the framework of Halakhah.

Improper Conduct

Esther did not behave in a halakhic manner, and it was prohibited and inappropriate for her to marry Achashverosh.

Did Esther go willingly? Radak claims that "וַתִּלָּקַח" implies going willingly, and not being taken by force.
Mordechai and Esther's religious identity – R. Elazar HaRokeach understands the three day fast of Esther to be an atonement for three sins, including improper sexual relations and eating non-kosher food, which implies that he finds fault in her actions. R. Y"S Reggio is less explicit, although he agrees that Esther and Mordechai were certainly not knowledgeable in Halakhah. According to both of them, Mordechai and Esther did not see any issue with Esther becoming queen and marrying a non-Jew.
"לֹא הִגִּידָה אֶסְתֵּר אֶת עַמָּהּ וְאֶת מוֹלַדְתָּהּ" – According to R. Y"S Reggio, Esther was embarrassed by her exilic origins. See Why Conceal Esther's Nationality for more details.