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 and 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? Is the prohibition simply assumed based on the verses in Devarim, especially given the fact that the reasoning for the prohibition relates to the spouse's ability to sway one towards idolatry? Or, is it 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
A number of issues affect the question of Esther's relationship with Achashverosh:
- Esther's Religious Identity and Mordechai's Religious Identity
- Why Conceal Esther's Nationality?
- Were the maidens, and Esther in particular, taken voluntarily or by force?
