Let the Adventure Begin!

Many of us are familiar with Megilas Ester, the Book of Esther, and its classic tale of near destruction of the Jewish people by the evil Haman, and the surprising turnabout due to seemingly coincidental, although ultimately miraculous events that lead to Jewish salvation and Haman's own downfall, a salvation celebrated to this day in the annual Jewish holiday called "Purim." However, much hidden detail lies beneath the surface of the written verse, some of it revealed in an ancient interpretive translation of the megilah called the Targum. (Although I'm not sure exactly when the Targum was written, since it is written in Aramaic it must presumably be at least 1500 years old, dating not later than the latter Talmudic period when Aramaic was still a common language among Jews. The Purim story itself happened about 2300 years ago.) Together with many other midrashim, much more can be learned about the story of Purim that meets the eye. Let us begin an exploration together of some of the depth of the megilah's Targum.

1:1: "It happened ('vayhi') in the days of Achashverosh, that Achashverosh that ruled from Hodu to Kush, 127 provinces."

Targum: "It happened in the days of Achashverosh, that Achashverosh in whose days the construction of the House of our Great God (ie. the Beth haMikdash) was halted"

[NOTE: The story of Purim occured during the 70-year exile between the destruction of the first Beth haMikdash (Holy Temple) in Jerusalem and the construction of the second Beth haMikdash. During this time, permission had been granted by Cyrus, Emperor of Persia, to rebuild the Temple. Construction began, but, as the Targum tells us, Achashverosh, after coming to power over Persia, halted the construction because of certain political influences, as we shall hear in the coming remarks of the Targum:]

"and remained halted until the second year of Daryavesh (Darius), because of the counsel of the wicked Vashti, daughter of Evil Merodach, son of Nevuchadnetzar."

[As we know from our basic knowledge of the megilah, Vashti was Achashverosh's wife. The Targum here reveals her royal lineage, as she was the granddaughter of Nevuchadnetzar, the wicked Emperor of Babylonia who destroyed the first Jewish Temple. The Targum calls her "wicked" as well, revealing that she was no more righteous than her forebearers. In fact, she is credited with counseling her husband the king to halt the Temple's rebuilding, presumably as she saw it as an affront to her family, as her grandfather was its destructor.]

"Because she did not allow the Beth haMikdash to be built, it was decreed upon her to be killed naked."

[Here we find out the reason that events were arranged for her to be killed (see below, v. 9-22) -- she messed with the Jews! Bad idea, Vashti. Why did she have to be naked, though? I'm not sure. Hopefully, with some more research, we'll find the answer to this one.]

"He [Achashverosh] too, for heeding this [Vashti's] counsel [was punished]. His days were shortened and his kingdom was divided, for before this, all peoples, nations, tongues and states were under his control, but consequently they were no longer subservient to him. After this, it was revealed before HaShem (G-d) that Vashti would be killed and he [Achashverosh] would marry Ester who was descended from [the matriarch] Sarah who lived one hundred twenty-seven years. [Therefore] his life was extended and he ruled from Hindeya Raba (India?) to Kush (Ethiopia?), for from the east of Hindeya Raba to the west of Kush was one hundred twenty-seven provinces."

This is a difficult passage to understand. It sounds like Achasverosh was punished by having his life shortened and losing his Empire but that these things were restored to him in Ester's merit. In other words, he didn't deserve it, but she did. The Targum implies that Achashverosh's empire was initially larger than 127 provinces, but those are how many remained in the merit of Ester, a Jewish woman, presumably one who exemplified the ideal character of the Jewish woman as embodied in the first "Jewish" woman, Sarah. She therefore merited to rule (with Achashverosh) 127 provinces as Sarah merited a life of 127 years. Why exactly 127 is unclear, but the Targum draws a parallel between these two great Jewish women whose fitness of character caused them to merit life and prosperity in this number. Troubling is the Targum's use of the phrase, "After this, it was revealed before HaShem, etc," when clearly HaShem's knowledge superceeds time. How can it be said that HaShem later came to know something when surely He knows all things at all times? The answer must be that the Targum, in human terminology, means to express that although Achashverosh deserved a more severe punishment for his current actions, HaShem's awareness of certain future events overrode the current judgment and tipped the scales in Achashverosh's favor causing his punishment to be at least temporarily mitigated.

Having finished interpreting the verse, the Targum continues with a paranthetical comment:

"In five instances the term 'vayhi' ('it happened') connotes 'there was woe' ('vay hi'):"

[NOTE: The Targum interprets the opening word of the megilah, 'vayhi,' literally meaning "it happened," as two words 'vay hi,' meaning "there was woe." Hence the verse would mean, "There was woe in the days of Achashverosh," introducing a time of calamity for the Jewish people. The Targum proceeds to list four other instances where the word 'vayhi' carries this meaning.]

"(1) 'It happened ('vayhi') in the days of Amraphel' (B'Reshith 14:1) -- [In his days] the kings gathered [for war]. There had been no armed conflict in the world until Amraphel came."

[This is of course a reference to the war between the Four Kings and the Five Kings in ch. 14 of B'Reshith. According to the Targum, this was the first war ever fought in human history.]

"(2-3) 'It happened ('vayhi') in the days of the judging of the judges' (Ruth 1:1)... What woe was there? There was a famine in the land, as it is written, 'There was ('vayhi') a famine in the land' (ibid). (4) 'It happened ('vayhi') in the days of Achaz' (Yeshayah 7:1) - There was woe in his days. What woe was there? As it is written: 'Retzin, King of Aram, arose...' What is written afterwards? 'Let us ascend against Yehudah (Judah) and cut it off!' (ibid v. 6)"

[This refers to the attempted war of Aram and Israel against Yehudah during the time that the nation of Israel was divided into two rival kingdoms.]

"From here you may conclude that any time it is written, 'It happened in the days of,' ['vayhi'] refers to woe. Since ancient times, from days of old, when sorrow would come upon the House of Israel, they would pray before their Father in Heaven and He would answer them, as it is written: 'Before you call, I will answer; before you speak, I will hear' (Yeshayah 65:24)."

Let us learn perhaps the most important lesson we can from the megilah as pointed out right at the beginning of the text by the Targum. The most powerful contribution we can make to our own lives and to our people Israel is the take up the potent arms handed down to us throughout all the generations from our ancestors and theirs before them: Let us daven and return to HaShem always in times of need. He is the answer; there is no other.