Consider:
Who was Zeresh? On whose behalf does she speak?
(ט) וַיֵּצֵ֤א הָמָן֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא שָׂמֵ֖חַ וְט֣וֹב לֵ֑ב וְכִרְאוֹת֩ הָמָ֨ן אֶֽת־מׇרְדֳּכַ֜י בְּשַׁ֣עַר הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וְלֹא־קָם֙ וְלֹא־זָ֣ע מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וַיִּמָּלֵ֥א הָמָ֛ן עַֽל־מׇרְדֳּכַ֖י חֵמָֽה׃ (י) וַיִּתְאַפַּ֣ק הָמָ֔ן וַיָּב֖וֹא אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁלַ֛ח וַיָּבֵ֥א אֶת־אֹהֲבָ֖יו וְאֶת־זֶ֥רֶשׁ אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃ (יא) וַיְסַפֵּ֨ר לָהֶ֥ם הָמָ֛ן אֶת־כְּב֥וֹד עׇשְׁר֖וֹ וְרֹ֣ב בָּנָ֑יו וְאֵת֩ כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר גִּדְּל֤וֹ הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְאֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְּׂא֔וֹ עַל־הַשָּׂרִ֖ים וְעַבְדֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (יב) וַיֹּ֘אמֶר֮ הָמָן֒ אַ֣ף לֹא־הֵבִ֩יאָה֩ אֶסְתֵּ֨ר הַמַּלְכָּ֧ה עִם־הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖תָה כִּ֣י אִם־אוֹתִ֑י וְגַם־לְמָחָ֛ר אֲנִ֥י קָֽרוּא־לָ֖הּ עִם־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (יג) וְכׇל־זֶ֕ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ שֹׁוֶ֖ה לִ֑י בְּכׇל־עֵ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֲנִ֤י רֹאֶה֙ אֶת־מׇרְדֳּכַ֣י הַיְּהוּדִ֔י יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּשַׁ֥עַר הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (יד) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לוֹ֩ זֶ֨רֶשׁ אִשְׁתּ֜וֹ וְכׇל־אֹֽהֲבָ֗יו יַֽעֲשׂוּ־עֵץ֮ גָּבֹ֣הַּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אַמָּה֒ וּבַבֹּ֣קֶר ׀ אֱמֹ֣ר לַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וְיִתְל֤וּ אֶֽת־מׇרְדֳּכַי֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבֹֽא־עִם־הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה שָׂמֵ֑חַ וַיִּיטַ֧ב הַדָּבָ֛ר לִפְנֵ֥י הָמָ֖ן וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָעֵֽץ׃ {ס}
(9) That day Haman went out happy and lighthearted. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the palace gate, and Mordecai did not rise or even stir on his account, Haman was filled with rage at him. (10) Nevertheless, Haman controlled himself and went home. He sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh, (11) and Haman told them about his great wealth and his many sons, and all about how the king had promoted him and advanced him above the officials and the king’s courtiers. (12) “What is more,” said Haman, “Queen Esther gave a feast, and besides the king she did not have anyone but me. And tomorrow too I am invited by her along with the king. (13) Yet all this means nothing to me every time I see that Jew Mordecai sitting in the palace gate.” (14) Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a stake be put up, fifty cubits high, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then you can go gaily with the king to the feast.” The proposal pleased Haman, and he had the stake put up.
(י) וְאִזְדְרִיז הָמָן וְעַל לְבֵיתֵיהּ וּשְׁדַר וּקְרָא יַת רְחִימוֹי וְיַת זֶרֶשׁ רַשִׁיעֲתָא אִנְתְּתֵיהּ בְּרַת תַּתְּנַי פַּחַת עֵבֶר נַהֲרָא:
(10) Nevertheless, Haman controlled himself and went home. He sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh, daughter of Tattenai, governor of the province of Beyond the River
(ג) בֵּהּ־זִמְנָא֩ אֲתָ֨א עֲלֵיה֜וֹן תַּ֠תְּנַי פַּחַ֧ת עֲבַֽר־נַהֲרָ֛ה וּשְׁתַ֥ר בּוֹזְנַ֖י וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹן וְכֵן֙ אָמְרִ֣ין לְהֹ֔ם מַן־שָׂ֨ם לְכֹ֜ם טְעֵ֗ם בַּיְתָ֤א דְנָה֙ לִבְּנֵ֔א וְאֻשַּׁרְנָ֥א דְנָ֖ה לְשַׁכְלָלָֽה׃ (ס) (ד) אֱדַ֥יִן כְּנֵ֖מָא אֲמַ֣רְנָא לְּהֹ֑ם מַן־אִנּוּן֙ שְׁמָהָ֣ת גֻּבְרַיָּ֔א דִּֽי־דְנָ֥ה בִנְיָנָ֖א בָּנַֽיִן׃ (ה) וְעֵ֣ין אֱלָהֲהֹ֗ם הֲוָת֙ עַל־שָׂבֵ֣י יְהוּדָיֵ֔א וְלָא־בַטִּ֣לוּ הִמּ֔וֹ עַד־טַעְמָ֖א לְדָרְיָ֣וֶשׁ יְהָ֑ךְ וֶאֱדַ֛יִן יְתִיב֥וּן נִשְׁתְּוָנָ֖א עַל־דְּנָֽה׃ (פ)
(3) At once Tattenai, governor of the province of Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues descended upon them and said this to them, “Who issued orders to you to rebuild this house and complete its furnishing?” (4) Then we said to them, “What are the names of the men who are engaged in the building?” (5) But God watched over the elders of the Jews and they were not stopped while a report went to Darius and a letter was sent back in reply to it.
How the 'Karen Meme' Confronts the Violent History of White Womanhood by Cady Lang in Time Magazine, June 25, 2020
(https://time.com/5857023/karen-meme-history-meaning/)
The archetype of the Karen has risen to outstanding levels of notoriety in recent weeks, thanks to a flood of footage that’s become increasingly more violent and disturbing. There’s the Karen who was recorded spewing multiple racist tirades against Asian Americans in a park in Torrance, Calif., upon which the Internet discovered that she had a history of discriminatory outbursts, earning her the title of “Ultra Karen.” There’s the Karen in Los Angeles who used two hammers to damage her neighbors’ car as she told them to “get the f–ck out of this neighborhood.” There’s the Karen who purposely coughed on someone who called her out for not wearing a mask while at a coffee shop in New York City.
And perhaps most notably, there’s Amy Cooper, the “Central Park Karen,” who elevated a national discourse about the dangers associated when Black people are falsely accused when she called the police on Christian Cooper (no relation,) a Black man who merely asked her to leash her dog in a part of Central Park that required it, invoking his race on the call...
Visuals of Karens exploiting their privilege when things don’t go their way have become Internet shorthand of late for a particular kind of racial violence white women have instigated for centuries — following a long and troubling legacy of white women in the country weaponizing their victimhood.
שני עשירים גדולים היו בעולם אחד בישראל ואחד באומות, קרח בישראל המן באומות, שניהם שמעו לנשותיהם ונפלו, המן שמע לעצת אשתו ונפל שנאמר (אסתר ה׳:י״ד) ותאמר לו זרש אשתו וכל אוהביו יעשו עץ גבוה חמשים אמה וגו', ועשה כן ונתהפכה מחשבתו עליו, קרח שמע לעצת אשתו ונפל...
There were two outstandingly wealthy men in the world, one A Jew the other a Gentile. They were Korach and Haman respectively. Both listened to their wives and as a result they came to an evil end. Haman had listened to his wife’s advice to build a gallows and ask the King’s permission to hang Mordechai from it (Esther 5,14). As a result of accepting his wife’s advice he himself was hung on that gallows. Korach had also listened to the advice of his wife and as a result lost his life and all his wealth...
וּבְכֻלָּם לֹא הָיוּ יוֹדְעִים לָתֵת עֵצָה כְּזֶרֶשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ, שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה בַּעֲלֵי עֵצָה, כְּמִנְיַן יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה, אָמְרָה לוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ אָדָם זֶה שֶׁאַתָּה שׁוֹאֵל עָלָיו אִם מִזֶּרַע הַיְּהוּדִים הוּא, לֹא תוּכַל לוֹ, אִם לֹא תָבוֹא עָלָיו בְּחָכְמָה בַּמֶּה שֶׁלֹא נִסָּה אֶחָד מִבְּנֵי אֻמָּתוֹ, שֶׁאִם תַּפִּילוֹ לְכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ, כְּבָר הֻצְּלוּ חֲנַנְיָה וַחֲבֵרָיו. וְאִם לְגֹב אֲרָיוֹת, כְּבָר עָלָה דָּנִיֵּאל מִתּוֹכוֹ. וְאִם תַּאַסְרֵהוּ בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים, כְּבָר יָצָא יוֹסֵף מִתּוֹכוֹ. וְאִם בְּמוּלֵי תַּסִיק תַּחְתָּיו, כְּבָר הִתְחַנֵּן מְנַשֶּׁה וְנֶעְתַּר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְנָפַק מִינֵּיהּ. וְאִם בְּמַדְבְּרָא תַּגְלוּנֵיהּ, כְּבָר פָּרוּ וְרָבוּ אֲבוֹתָיו בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְכַמָּה נִסְיוֹנוֹת נִתְנַסּוּ וּבְכֻלָּן עָמְדוּ וְנִצְּלוּ. וְאִם עֵינָיו תְּעַוֵּר הֲרֵי שִׁמְשׁוֹן דִּקְטַל כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה נַפְשָׁתָא מִפְּלִשְׁתָּאֵי כַּד עֲוֵיר. אֶלָּא צְלוֹב יָתֵיהּ עַל צְלִיבָא, דְּלָא אַשְׁכְּחִינַן חַד מִן עַמּוֹי דְּאִשְׁתְּזֵיב מִנֵּיהּ, מִיָּד וַיִּיטַב הַדָּבָר לִפְנֵי הָמָן וַיַּעַשׂ הָעֵץ. מֵאֵיזֶה עֵצִים הָיָה אוֹתוֹ הָעֵץ, אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּא לְהָכִינוֹ, קָרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְכָל עֲצֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית, מִי יִתֵּן וְיִתָּלֶה רָשָׁע זֶה עָלָיו, תְּאֵנָה אָמְרָה אֲנִי אֶתֵּן אֶת עַצְמִי, שֶׁמִּמֶּנִּי מְבִיאִין יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּכּוּרִים, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּמְשְׁלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּבִכּוּרָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (הושע ט, י):
Among all of them, there was no one capable of giving counsel like Zeresh his wife. He [Haman] had three hundred and sixty-five advisers, corresponding to the days of the solar year. His wife said to him: The person [Mordekhai] about whom you are asking, “If he is of the progeny of the Jews…you will not prevail against him” (Esther 6:13) – unless you approach him with cleverness, with [a strategy] that has never been attempted against members of his nation. If you drop him into a fiery furnace, Ḥananya and his cohorts have already been rescued [from it]; if [you place him in] the lions’ den, Daniel already emerged from it. If you incarcerate him in prison, Joseph already emerged from it. If you ignite a fire in a vat beneath him, Menashe [king of Judah] already pleaded, and the Holy One blessed be He acceded to his plea and he emerged from it. If you exile him to the wilderness, his ancestors already procreated in the wilderness, and they were confronted with numerous ordeals and passed them all and were rescued. If you blind his eyes, Samson took numerous Philistine lives when he was blind. Rather, hang him on a gibbet, as no member of his people has survived it.
Immediately, “the matter was pleasing to Haman and he prepared the gibbet” (Esther 5:14).
White Women’s Role in White Supremacy, Explained by Anna North on Vox.com, January 15, 2021
(https://www.vox.com/2021/1/15/22231079/capitol-riot-women-qanon-white-supremacy)
It’s tempting to think of the storming of the US Capitol on Wednesday as toxic masculinity run amok: a mob of mostly white men, carrying guns and wearing animal skins, trying to overthrow democracy on behalf of a president who once bragged about his ability to grab women “by the pussy.”...
But focusing too much on masculinity obscures a crucial truth: Many women were either present at the riot or cheering on the insurrectionists from back home...
White women have been part of white supremacy in America since the very beginning, experts point out, dating back to their role in slavery. “They were at the table when the system was designed,” Stephanie Jones-Rogers, a history professor at UC Berkeley and author of the book They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South, told Vox. “They were co-architects of the system.”
(מא) אָרוּר הָמָן אֲשֶׁר בִּקֵשׁ לְאַבְּ֒דִי.
(מב) בָּרוּךְ מָרְדְּ֒כַי הַיְּ֒הוּדִי.
(מג) אֲרוּרָה זֶרֶשׁ
(מד) אֵשֶׁת מַפְחִידִי.
(מה) בְּרוּכָה אֶסְתֵּר
(מו) בַּעֲדִי.
(מז) אֲרוּרִים כָּל הָרְ֒שָׁעִים.
(מח) בְּרוּכִים כָּל הַצַּדִּיקִים.
(מט) וְגַם חַרְבוֹנָה
(נ) זָכוּר לַטּוֹב:
(41) Cursed be Haman who sought to destroy me,
(42) blessed be Mordechai the Yehudi [the Jew].
(43) Cursed be Zeresh,
(44) wife of he [Haman] who terrified me;
(45) blessed be Esther
(46) [who interceded] on my behalf.
(47) Cursed be all the wicked,
(48) blessed be all the righteous;
(49) and also, may Charvona
(50) be remembered favorably.
WHY WHITE WOMEN LOVE ESTHER ... BUT IGNORE ZERESH by Samantha Field
(https://sojo.net/articles/why-white-women-love-esther-ignore-zeresh)
Haman’s behavior is one of the ways that whiteness functions in American society today. People of color are forced to make their obeisance to whiteness: Always be demurely respectful, excessively polite, happy, smiling, obliging. Never be angry, or frustrated, or fearful. Failure to follow these rules, especially around our police force, may end in extrajudicial execution...
Zeresh is not just complicit in all this. She actively supports it. As Haman’s wife, she enjoys a stratospheric level of power for a woman in her culture. Through him, through birthing his children and supporting his career, she commands her own slivers of respect and authority. In order to preserve her own power she has to preserve his.
And so she makes her suggestion: Don’t just take your revenge on Mordecai. Don’t just execute him. Publicly execute him — mount his body on a seven-story-tall gibbet. Leave his body in the middle of the street for four long, miserable, terrorizing hours. Teach those people a lesson — warn them of what happens when they refuse to bow, when they jaywalk, when they sell cigarettes on a street corner.
Your rage is correct, rational, even inevitable, she tells her husband. Your economic anxiety is legitimate. Of course you should be afraid of Muslim refugees. Yes, that black man deserved to be executed without a trial because he wasn’t diffidently compliant.