(Esther) Rashi (Aesthetic Judaism)

This might be my misimpression, but what seems to have most caught Rashi’s eye in his commentary to the book of Esther was not so much the vindication of Israel and the political violence that close the text, but rather the opening set scenes in the first two chapters. Other Jewish cultural productions will do that, but not this one. What interests Rashi, not unlike nineteenth English painters, are the luxurious settings of the banquet King Achashverosh, the figure of Vashti and sexual politics, and the attention lavished upon the erotic figure cut by Esther. This all suggests, and I’ve written elsewhere about him here at the blog, that Rashi and the Judaism that he reflects was this-worldly, aesthetic, and pleasure-seeking. There is nothing by way of miracle or Amalek and other such nonsense that might dominate a Hasidic commentary to this rich biblical text.

[The Rashi text is below]

LUXE

1:4

יָמִים רַבִּים. עָשָׂה לָהֶם מִשְׁתֶּה

[For] many days. He made a feast for them.

1:5

גִּנַּת. מְקוֹם זֵרְעוֹנֵי יְרָקוֹת

Of the garden. A place where vegetables are sown.

בִּיתַן. נָטוּעַ בְּאִילָנוֹת

Orchard. Where trees are planted.

1:6

חוּר כַּרְפַּס וּתְכֵלֶת. מִינֵי בְגָדִים צִבְעוֹנִים פֵּרַס לָהֶם לְמַצָּעוֹת

[There were] pure white drapes, fine woolen cushions, bluish emerald techeiles wool. He spread out various types of colored fabrics for them as spreads.

אָחוּז בְּחַבְלֵי בוּץ וְאַרְגָּמָן. מְרֻקָּמִים בִּפְתִילֵי בוּץ וְאַרְגָּמָן. אוֹתָן פֵּרַס לָהֶם עַל גְּלִילֵי כֶסֶף וְעַל עַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ

Brocaded with strands of linen and mauve, woolen argaman threads. Embroidered with threads of linen and purple; he spread these out for them on rods of silver and columns of marble.

מִטּוֹת זָהָב וָכֶסֶף. עָרַךְ לֵישֵׁב עֲלֵיהֶם לִסְעוּדָה

Gold and silver couches. He set [them] up to sit upon for the meal.

עַל רִצְפַת. קַרְקָעוֹת שֶׁל בַּהַט וָשֵׁשׁ, וגו’. מִינֵי אֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת פֵּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ. וּלְפִי מַשְׁמָעוּת הַמִּקְרָא כַּךְ שְׁמָם

On a floor. Floors of green and white, etc. Our Rabbis identified them as types of precious stones.¹⁴Ibid. According to the apparent meaning of the verse, these were their names.

1:7

וְהַשְׁקוֹת בִּכְלֵי זָהָב. כְּמוֹ וּלְהַשְׁקוֹת

As for drinking; golden utensils.

[The word וְהַשְׁקוֹת means the same] as וּלְהַשְׁקוֹת and to give to drink.

שׁוֹנִים. מְשֻׁנִּים זֶה מִזֶּה, וְכֵן “וְדָתֵיהֶם שֹׁנוֹת”. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ מַה שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ

Sundry. Different one from the other, and similarly, “and their customs differ,”and our Rabbis expounded what they expounded.

וְיֵין מַלְכוּת רָב. הַרְבֵּה. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ: שֶׁהִשְׁקָה אוֹתָם כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד יַיִן שֶׁהוּא זָקֵן מִמֶּנּוּ

And plenty of royal wine. It was abundant.. And our Rabbis said that he gave each one wine to drink that was older than he.

1:8

כַדָּת. לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ סְעוּדוֹת שֶׁכּוֹפִין אֶת הַמְּסֻבִּין לִשְׁתּוֹת כְּלִי גָדוֹל, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִשְׁתּוֹתוֹ כִּי אִם בְּקֹשִׁי, אֲבָל כַּאן: “אֵין אוֹנֵס”

Proper. Because there are feasts in which they coerce those seated to drink [the contents] of a large vessel, and some can only drink it with difficulty, but here it was “with no coercion.”

יִסַּד. לְשׁוֹן יְסוֹד, כְּלוֹמַר, כֵּן תִּקֵּן וְצִוָּה

Basically instructed. An expression referring to a foundation [יְסוֹד], meaning, so he instituted and commanded.

עַל כָּל רַב בֵּיתוֹ. עַל כָּל שָׂרֵי הַסְּעוּדָה, שַׂר הָאוֹפִים וְשַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים וְשַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים

All his palace officials. All stewards of the feast: the chief baker, the chief butcher and the chief butler.

לַעֲשׂוֹת כִּרְצוֹן אִישׁ וָאִישׁ. לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד רְצוֹנוֹ

To satisfy each individual’s desire. For each one his desire.

1:10

בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי. רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ: שַׁבָּת הָיָה

On the seventh day. Our Rabbis said that it was on Shabbos.²³Corresponding to “the seventh day” of the week.

1:12

וַתְּמָאֵן הַמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּי. רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ: לְפִי שֶׁפָּרְחָה בָהּ צָרַעַת כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּמָאֵן וְתֵהָרֵג. לְפִי שֶׁהָיְתָה מַפְשֶׁטֶת בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲרֻמּוֹת וְעוֹשָׂה בָהֶן מְלָאכָה בַּשַּׁבָּת, נִגְזַר עָלֶיהָ שֶׁתִּפָּשֵׁט עֲרֻמָּה בַּשַּׁבָּת

Queen Vashti refused. Our Rabbis said because leprosy broke out on her so that she should refuse and be executed. Because she would force Jewish girls to disrobe and make them do work on Shabbos, it was decreed upon her to be stripped naked on Shabbos.

SEXUAL POLITICS

וַיִּקְצֹף. שֶׁשָּׁלְחָה לוֹ דִבְרֵי גְנַאי

Angered. Because she sent him words of insult.