Megillat Esther and its Hidden Message
(To prepare for this shiur,
see the questions for self study.)
Is the Megilla a satire? It certainly sounds like one, but why
would a satire be included in the Tanach? In the following shiur,
we attempt to 'unmask' the message of this satire by considering
the historical (and prophetic) setting of the Megilla.
Introduction
We begin our study with one of the most well-known psukim of
the Megilla:
"Ish Yehudi haya b'Shushan HaBira, ushmo Mordechai..."
(Esther 2:5)
Even though this pasuk is proudly read aloud by the entire
congregation, most people do not appreciate its 'sting.' However,
an ear tuned to the prophecies of Zecharya and familiar with Tanach
immediately catches its irony:
Ish Yehudi - implies more than simply someone who is Jewish;
HaBira - does not mean 'the capital city'; and
Mordechai - is not a Jewish name!
The phrase "Ish Yehudi" is mentioned only one other time in
Tanach - in Zecharya 8:23. There it describes a Jew leading a
group of non-Jewish followers seeking God in Jerusalem.
The word "HaBira" in Divrei HaYamim I describes specifically the
Bet HaMikdash (Temple) that King David has prepared for
his son Shlomo to build (see 29:1 and 29:19). Prior to the time
period of Megillat Esther, the Hebrew word Bira finds no other
mention in Tanach.
The name Mordechai is probably the most provocative word in the
entire Megilla, for it stems from the name of the Babylonian
deity - Marduk (see Yeshayahu 39:1). No decent Jew (prior to
the Babylonian exile) would have dared giving his son such a
'goyishe' name.
This is not the only pasuk in the Megilla that is filled with
irony and satire. In fact, the style of the entire megilla is
satirical. Nonetheless, the Megilla is part of the Tanach, and as
such, it must contain a prophetic message. How are we to 'uncover'
a prophetic message that is 'hidden' by satire?
To decipher the prophetic message of the Megilla, we must take
the following steps:
I.
Base our approach on the assumption that the Megilla must contain a
prophetic message.
II.
Review both the historical and prophetic setting of the
time period of the Megilla.
III.
Search for a thematic connection between this setting and
the story in the Megilla.
IV.
Support this theme with both Midrashim and textual and
thematic parallels from other seforim in Tanach.
V.
Explain why the Megilla employs this unique style.
VI.
Explain how the celebration of Purim relates to this
theme.
