Beauty Is in the Eyes of the Beholder
Queen Esther Bland?
Queen Esther, we all think, was a most beautiful woman and that that was the reason she was chosen by the Persian King Achashveirosh as his queen. Our Sages, however, inform us that Esther was, in fact, quite bland. It was her charm rather that landed her the top position in the Persian Empire.
Our Sages also tell us that in addition to the historical Queen Esther, Esther also serves as a metaphor for the state of the Jewish people through their existence in exile. The word Esther is related to the Hebrew word hester (not to be confused with the street), which means “concealed.”
Esther thus represents the state of the Jewish nation in times when their spiritual beauty was concealed. But, despite the apparent lack of our spiritual beauty as a result of the hardships we’ve endured and the effects of assimilation on us, the King (a metaphor for G-d) is still in love with us because of the charm we possess.
There is something about us that is mysterious and enigmatic that makes us even more appealing to the King.
The Aura of Mystery is Our Charm
The Book of Esther relates that Esther did not divulge the identity of her nation and her ancestry. The aura of mystery that surrounded her appears to have actually enhanced her status in the eyes of the king.
How can we apply this concept to the relationship that exists between G-d (the King) and the Jewish people in times of exile (Esther)? How can it be said that the King’s (G-d) love for us is enhanced because we too, do not divulge our ancestry to Him? How can we hide anything from G-d?
The answer lies in the uncanny ability of the
Jewish people to remain loyal to G-d despite the fact that it has lost its ties with the past. The Jewish people possess a remarkable ability to rediscover their connection to G-d and His Torah.
Our Sages tell us that at that time, when G-d’s presence was concealed and the Jewish people were very much assimilated into Persian culture — they were all “Esthers,” lacking external beauty — they, nevertheless, exhibited unprecedented self-sacrifice for their Jewishness. Had they abandoned their Judaism, they would not have been subjected to the threat of annihilation. And yet, they all remained loyal to G-d.
What was true then is even more accurate in contemporary society, where there is not just a generation gap, but a century gap. It is already several generations since the assimilation process has affected the state of Jewish existence.
Yet, Jews have still demonstrated an uncanny ability to rediscover their identity and connect with G-d. Even when there is no direct link to the past, Jews from all backgrounds have mysteriously and enigmatically discovered their roots and have come back to Judaism.
Just as Esther exhibited unusual charm, so too, the Jewish people in times of exile and spiritual alienation, often exhibit unpredictable loyalty to Judaism that actually transcends the beauty and spirituality that we displayed in the more majestic days of the Temple.
Beauty and Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman
According To Chassidic literature the Biblical expression “היפה בנשים Hayafeh Banashim– The most beautiful of women” - a metaphor for the ideal state of Jewish existence, is the same numerical value (Gemaria) as “ ארור המן -Cursed is Haman” and “ברוך מרדכי Blessed is Mordechai.”
This means that true beauty is characterized by the degree to which we repudiate evil (“cursed is Haman”) and embrace goodness (“blessed is Mordechai”). When the Jewish people, however, are stripped of their beauty as a result of exile conditions, they still possess an inner charm that actually transcends the beauty they possessed in earlier more spiritual times.
We can now explain the rather enigmatic statement of the Talmud that on Purim “we are to drink until we do not know the difference between “Cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordechai.”
This can be interpreted as follows: As great as is the beauty that is associated with repudiating evil and embracing goodness, there is something even more endearing about the unknowable, unpredictable and enigmatic inner charm — the Esther quality — that we possess and reveal on Purim.
It is this “do not know” aspect of our Judaism that is associated with the hidden G-dly revelation that will unfold with the coming of Moshiach.
Hence our Sages tell us that in the Messianic Age, Purim alone will remain a vibrant holiday, because its message is the revealing of the secret spiritual powers of the Jewish people that is connected with the revelation of G-d’s hidden light.
The Messianic Age will bring out our mystique and charm, which the entire world will recognize and appreciate.
From the book Light from the Future: Purim by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
