Esther
Introduction
A note on the Book of Esther. Five books of the Hebrew Bible are known as the Five Scrolls (Chamesh Megillot). Song of Songs is read on the Shabbos of Passover week (Sepherdim read it on Seder night and Friday afternoons). Ruth is read on Shavuos (Pentecost). Kohelet is read on the Shabbos of the week of Sukkot. Ekhah (Lamentations) is read of the Ninth of Av, a fast commemorating the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. And, finally, the book we are studying, the Scroll of Esther, is read on Purim. Both Esther and Job could certainly be produced as plays or musicals with a high professional production level. In writing a musical, the scenario has to be laid out for the story by identifying the points in the play, visualized as a series of scenes, where the conflicts in each scene rise to a crescendo requiring song and/or choreography. Here are a few ideas on how to organize the telling of Estherʼs story in this way. A few possible lyric lines for songs have been put in quotation marks. Why not think of how you could write an original play or musical to be presented every Purim? Try your own creative hand — you can polish the ideas below or come up with better ones: Scene: Persian city of Susa (modern Iran). Time: 483 B.C.E. Possible ideas for a scenario with a few song lyric ideas: King Ahasuerus and company (tipsy): “Queen Vashti, you're not acting very pretty.” Queen Vashti could sing a song to her maidens to go tell the King she is now a “liberated” woman. The chorus made up of King Ahasuerusʼs counselors (“wise men [chachamim]” — Esth 1:13) could lament the rebellious female population of the country and how Queen Vashti will start an insurrection in every home. A national domestic revolt is imminent, right in homes of the nation! These wise men could sing, “Itʼs a scandal! Things are getting out of hand… Queen Vashti refuses to come at the kingʼs command!” (see Esth 1:12). Purim is to be a time of joy (simcha) and feasting and gladness and yontef (holiday) and a time to send gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor (Esth 9:22). Saddam Hussein, dictator of Iraq, boasted that his scud missiles would burn half of Israel, but then he should have studied the whole megilah of Esther because then he would have understood why his elite Republican Guard tank divisions would suffer a “turkey shoot” from the air and be defeated on Thursday, February 28, 1991 (5751), Adar 14, the very day of Purim (Esth 9:19), proving that any Haman who threatens to destroy Israel can still be brought down by the G-d of Esther. G-d, Whose Name is never mentioned in the text of Esther, is nevertheless a presence felt in every chapter of the story, just as He was a presence felt by that disciple of Amalek, Stalin, Hitler, and Haman — Saddam Hussein — on Purim Day, 1991 — but ironically not on many so-called American believers who are not at all grieved over the ruin of Joseph (Am 6:6), not at all gladdened over the reading of this whole Hebrew megilah, not at all aware of what the G-d of Israel is doing, even now under our own noses, even, in the case of the U.S. military and Purim, 1991.
1
ESTER
1 Now it came to pass in the yamim of Achashverosh, (this is Achashverosh which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces;) 2 That in those yamim, when HaMelech Achashverosh sat on his kisse malkhut (royal throne), which was in the* capital, Shushan, 3 In the shnat shalosh (third year) of his reign, he gave a mishteh (feast, banquet) unto all his sarim (princes) and his avadim (officials); the might of Persia and Media, the nobles and sarim (princes) of the provinces, being before him; 4 When he displayed the osher kavod malkhut (riches of the glorious kingdom) of his and the yekar (honor)† of his tiferet gedulah (glorious majesty) yamim rabbim, even a hundred and eighty days. 5 And when these yamim were expired, HaMelech gave a mishteh (feast) unto all the people that were present in the capital of Shushan, both gadol (great) and katan (small), shivat yamim (seven days), in the khatzer (courtyard) of the garden of the palace of HaMelech, 6 Where were white and blue linen curtains, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to rings of silver and pillars of marble; the mittot (couches) were of zahav and kesef, upon an inlaid floor of purplish-red exquisite stone and mother-of-pearl and marble. 7 And they gave them drink in vessels of zahav, the vessels being different one from another, and yayin malkhut (royal wine) in abundance, according to the [bountiful] yad HaMelech. 8 And the drinking was according to the dat ein ones (rule [which was] not compulsory, restricting); for so HaMelech had ordered all the wine stewards in his bais, that they should serve kirtzon ish va'ish (according to the good pleasure of each man). 9 Also Vashti HaMalkah gave a mishteh (feast, banquet) for the nashim (women, wives) in the Beit HaMalkhut (the royal palace) which belonged to HaMelech Achashverosh.
10 On the yom hashevi'i, when the lev of HaMelech was tov with yayin, he commanded Mehuman, Bizta, Charvona, Bigta, and Avagta, Zetar, and Karkas, the shivat hasarisim (the seven eunuchs) that served in the presence of HaMelech Achashverosh, 11 To bring Vashti HaMalkah before HaMelech with the keter malkhut (royal crown), to show the people and the sarim (princes) her beauty, for she was lovely to behold. 12 But HaMalkah Vashti refused to come at the devar HaMelech at the agency of his sarisim (eunuchs); therefore HaMelech became furious, and his wrath burned in him.
13 Then HaMelech said to the chachamim, which had da'as of the times; for so was the custom of HaMelech toward all the meyvinim (experts) in dat (law) and din (judgment), 14 And the next unto him was Karshena, Shetar, Admata, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memukhan, the shivat sarim (princes) of Persia and Media, which had access to HaMelech and which ranked rishonah (highest) in the Malkhut (kingdom); 15 What shall we do unto the Malkah Vashti according to dat (law), because she hath not performed the commandment of HaMelech Achashverosh at the agency of the sarisim (eunuchs)?
16 And Memukhan answered before HaMelech and the sarim (princes), Vashti HaMalkah hath not done wrong to HaMelech only, but also to all the sarim (nobles), and to kol haAmim that are in all the provinces of HaMelech Achashverosh. 17 For this deed of HaMalkah shall spread abroad unto all the nashim (women, wives), so that they shall despise their be'alim (husbands) in their eyes, when it shall be reported that HaMelech Achashverosh commanded Vashti HaMalkah to be brought in before him, but she came not. 18 Likewise, when they will have heard of the conduct of HaMalkah, the sarot (ladies of the nobility) of Persia and Media shall similarly respond this day unto all the sarim (nobles) of HaMelech. Thus shall there arise too much bizzayon (contempt) and ketzef (wrath). 19 If it please HaMelech, let there go forth a royal decree from him, and let it be written in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, laws that shall not pass away, that Vashti come no more before HaMelech Achashverosh; and let HaMelech give her royalty unto another that is better than she. 20 And when the edict of HaMelech which he shall make shall be published throughout all his Malkhut (realm) — for it is great — all the nashim (women, wives) shall give to their be'alim (husbands) yekar (honor, respect), both to gadol and katan.
21 And the proposal was good in the eyes of HaMelech and the sarim (nobles); and HaMelech did according to the devar Memukhan; 22 For he sent sefarim into all the provinces of HaMelech, into every province according to the script thereof, and to every people after their leshon, that every ish should bear rule in his own bais, and speak in the leshon of his own people.
* 1:2 Persian † 1:4 See 1:20