Esther is the star of the show. The megillah provides a lot of narrative details about her, but leaves us wanting to know more about her character, her psychology, and how she changes over the course of her story.
One of the first clues to Esther’s identity is her name: She has two of them, and the second one is Hadassa. Like the meaning of the name Esther, which literally means “hidden”, what Hadassa means is hidden from the readers. Why is Esther called Hadassa and what does this name teach us about her?
וַיְהִי אֹמֵן אֶת הֲדַסָּה (אסתר ב, ז), מָה הֲדַסָּה רֵיחָהּ מָתוֹק וְטַעֲמָהּ מַר, כָּךְ הָיְתָה אֶסְתֵּר מְתוּקָה לְמָרְדֳּכַי וּמָרָה לְהָמָן. כִּי אֵין לָהּ אָב וָאֵם, רַבִּי פִּנְחָס וְרַבִּי חָמָא בַּר גּוּרְיוֹן בְּשֵׁם רַב וְכִי שְׁתוּקִית הָיְתָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר כִּי אֵין לָהּ אָב וָאֵם, אֶלָּא עִבְּרַתָּהּ אִמָּהּ מֵת אָבִיהָ, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנּוֹלְדָה מֵתָה אִמָּהּ.
“He fostered Hadassa, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother, and the girl was fair and beautiful; and with the death of her father and her mother Mordekhai took her for his own daughter” (Esther 2:7). “He fostered Hadassa” – just as myrtle [hadassa] has a sweet fragrance and a bitter taste, so was Esther sweet to Mordekhai and bitter to Haman. “For she had neither father nor mother” – Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Ḥama bar Guryon said in the name of Rav: Was she a girl whose parents are unknown, that you say: “For she had neither father nor mother”? Rather, when her mother conceived, her father died, and when she was born, her mother died.
The midrash teaches us several things: that Esther never really knew her parents since they died before or right after she was born; that Mordekhai raised her; and that she was both sweet and bitter like a myrtle (“hadas” in Hebrew), which shows in her interactions with Mordekhai and Haman.
Though she has a bitter side, Esther Rabbah hints that, on the whole, everyone appreciates Esther’s kindness:
וּבְהַגִּיעַ תֹּר אֶסְתֵּר וגו' וַתְּהִי אֶסְתֵּר נֹשֵׂאת חֵן בְּעֵינֵי כָּל רֹאֶיהָ (אסתר ב, טו), רַבִּי יוּדָא אוֹמֵר כָּאִיקוֹנִין הַזֶּה שֶׁאֶלֶף בְּנֵי אָדָם מַבִּיטִים בָּהּ וְהִיא עֲרֵבָה עַל כֻּלָּם. רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר הֶעֱמִידוּ מָדִיּוֹת מִכָּאן וּפַרְסִיּוֹת מִכָּאן וְהָיְתָה אֶסְתֵּר יָפָה מִכֻּלָּן. רַבָּנָן אָמְרִין וַתְּהִי אֶסְתֵּר נֹשֵׂאת חֵן בְּעֵינֵי כָּל רֹאֶיהָ, בְּעֵינֵי הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וּבְעֵינֵי הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (משלי ג, ד): וּמְצָא חֵן וְשֵׂכֶל טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי אֱלֹהִים וְאָדָם.
“With the arrival of the turn of Esther, daughter of Aviḥayil uncle of Mordekhai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go to the king, she did not request anything except that which Hegai, the king's official, guardian of the women, said; and Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her” (Esther 2:15). “With the arrival of the turn of Esther…Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her” – Rabbi Yuda says: Like that portrait that a thousand people look at and it is beautiful to them all. Rabbi Neḥemya says: They positioned Median women on one side and Persian women on the other side and Esther was more beautiful than them all. The Rabbis said: “And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her” – in the eyes of the higher beings [angels] and of the lower [humans]; that is what is written: “And you shall find favor and good grace in the eyes of God and man” (Proverbs 3:4).
In addition to her physical beauty, she finds favor “in the eyes of the higher beings,” which one commentator understands to refer to her elevated character traits and sharp mind.
Though the texts note her inner qualities and her dynamic personality, they also remind us how others perceive Esther as a passive object, rather than as a subject. She is adopted, raised, admired, and looked at like a painting fixed on a wall. Elsewhere in Esther Rabbah, the midrash says that there was even a bidding war to determine who would escort her to the king.
Esther Rabbah, consistent with the narrative of the Megillah itself, shows us how she develops and grows throughout the story as well:
אֵין אֶסְתֵּר מַגֶּדֶת מוֹלַדְתָּהּ (אסתר ב, כ), מְלַמֵּד שֶׁתָּפְשָׂה שְׁתִיקָה בְעַצְמָהּ כְּרָחֵל זְקֶנְתָּהּ שֶׁתָּפְשָׂה פֶּלֶךְ שְׁתִיקָה, עָמְדוּ כָּל גְּדוֹלֵי זַרְעָה בִּשְׁתִיקָה. רָחֵל תָּפְשָׂה פֶּלֶךְ שְׁתִיקָה, רָאֲתָה סִבְלוֹנוֹתֶיהָ בְּיַד אֲחוֹתָהּ, וְשָׁתְקָה. בִּנְיָמִין בְּנָהּ תָּפַשׂ בִּשְׁתִיקָה, תֵּדַע שֶׁאַבְנוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה בַּחשֶׁן הָיְתָה יָשְׁפֵה, לוֹמַר יוֹדֵעַ הָיָה בִּמְכִירַת יוֹסֵף וְשׁוֹתֵק. יָשְׁפֵה, יֵשׁ פֶּה וְשׁוֹתֵק. שָׁאוּל בֶּן בְּנָהּ (שמואל א י, טז): וְאֶת דְּבַר הַמְלוּכָה לֹא הִגִּיד לוֹ. אֶסְתֵּר, אֵין אֶסְתֵּר מַגֶּדֶת מוֹלַדְתָּהּ וְאֶת עַמָּהּ.
“Esther did not disclose her family or her people, as Mordekhai had commanded her; Esther followed Mordekhai’s instructions, as it was when she was fostered by him” (Esther 2:20). “Esther did not disclose her family” – teaching that she practiced silence for herself, like her ancestor Rachel, who practiced the craft of silence; all her great descendants maintained silence. Rachel adopted the craft of silence – she saw her betrothal gifts in the possession of her sister and she was silent. Benjamin her son practiced silence – know, as his stone in the breast piece was a chalcedony [yashefe], [i.e.,] he had a mouth [yesh peh], but was silent. Saul, her grandson – “but the matter of the kingdom…he did not tell him” (I Samuel 10:16). Esther – “Esther did not disclose her family or her people.”
Esther is still silent in this text, but her silence is one that is active and strategic and situates her among some of the heroes of Tanakh, like Rachel, Benjamin, and King Saul. Click their names to learn when they are silent and consider what kind of silence each exhibits during the different moments.
Later, when the fate of the Jews hangs in the balance, Esther follows her cousin Mordekhai’s advice to take action. The midrash highlights the ways that she goes above and beyond what is asked of her:
וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר לְהָשִׁיב אֶל מָרְדֳּכָי (אסתר ד, טו), אָמְרָה לוֹ לֵךְ כְּנוֹס אֶת כָּל הַיְּהוּדִים הַנִּמְצְאִים בְּשׁוּשָׁן וְצוּמוּ עָלַי וְאַל תֹּאכְלוּ וְאַל תִּשְׁתּוּ שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים, אֵלּוּ הֵן י"ג וְי"ד וְט"ו בְּנִיסָן. שָׁלַח לָהּ וַהֲרֵי בָּהֶם יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל פֶּסַח, אָמְרָה לוֹ זָקֵן שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, לָמָּה הוּא פֶּסַח. מִיָּד שָׁמַע מָרְדֳּכַי וְהוֹדָה לִדְבָרֶיהָ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיַּעֲבֹר מָרְדֳּכָי וַיַּעַשׂ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוְתָה עָלָיו אֶסְתֵּר. תַּמָּן אָמְרִין שֶׁהֶעֱבִיר יוֹם טוֹב שֶׁל פֶּסַח בְּתַעֲנִית.
“Esther said, to respond to Mordekhai” (Esther 4:15). She said to him: “Go, assemble all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast on my behalf; do not eat and do not drink for three days” (Esther 4:16). These were the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth of Nisan. He sent her [in response]: ‘But isn’t the first day of Passover among them?’ She said to him: ‘Elder of Israel, why is it Passover?’ Immediately Mordekhai heard and conceded to her contention; that is what is written: “Mordekhai went on [vaya’avor] and acted in accordance with everything that Esther had commanded him” (Esther 4:17). There they say: That he violated [shehe’evir] the first day of Passover with a fast.
Not only does she spring into action and galvanize others to join her, as she does in the midrash above, but she also removes her royal garb, initiates a fast, and humbles herself in prayer:
וּבָעֵת הַהִיא הָיְתָה אֶסְתֵּר נִפְחֶדֶת מְאֹד מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר צָמְחָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וַתִּפְשֹׁט בִּגְדֵּי מַלְכוּתָהּ וְאֶת תִּפְאַרְתָּהּ, וַתִּלְבַּשׁ שַׂק, וַתִּפְרַע שְׂעַר רֹאשָׁהּ וַתְּמַלֵּא אוֹתוֹ עָפָר וָאֵפֶר, וַתְּעַנֶּה נַפְשָׁהּ בְּצוֹם, וַתִּפֹּל עַל פָּנֶיהָ לִפְנֵי ה' וַתִּתְפַּלֵל, וַתֹּאמַר, ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר מָשַׁלְתָּ מִימֵי קֶדֶם, וּבָרָאתָ אֶת הָעוֹלָם, עֲזֹר נָא אֲמָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁאַרְתִּי יְתוֹמָה בְּלִי אָב וָאֵם, וּמְשׁוּלָה לַעֲנִיָּה שׁוֹאֶלֶת מִבַּיִת לְבַיִת, כֵּן אָנֹכִי שׁוֹאֶלֶת רַחֲמֶיךָ מֵחַלּוֹן לְחַלּוֹן בְּבֵית אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ
At that time, Esther was very frightened due to the evil that had developed for Israel. She removed her royal garments and her glory, donned sackcloth, loosened her hair and filled it with dirt and ashes, afflicted herself in a fast, and fell on her face before God and prayed. She said: ‘Lord, God of Israel, who has ruled since the days of yore and created the world, please help your maidservant, as I have remained an orphan from my father and my mother, and am comparable to a poor woman begging from house to house. So, I am requesting Your mercy from window to window in the palace of Aḥashverosh…
In the midrash above, fearing for her own life and for the life of her fellow Jews in Persia, rather than shirk away in fear, she channels that fear into a prayer, which you can read in full here. Esther is not immune to fear; when approaching the king, too, she “greatly worried” and “masked the worry in her heart,” but she carries on despite it.
When we first meet Queen Esther, she is much more of a passive object of others’ appreciation, but as the story continues, she finds her unique voice and raises it to save the Jewish people. One who reads the Megillah can detect traces of this journey in the story itself, but the midrash in Esther Rabbah builds on these and gives Esther’s transformation new life and color.
On our next and final stop in this charac-tour, we meet Mordekhai, the first person in Tanakh to be called a Jew. What makes Mordekhai the right person to vie with Haman and emerge as second in command to Achashverosh? That and more, coming up next!