HADASSAH: PEOPLE PROTECTOR

When we first meet Hadassah (“myrtle tree”) she is living in the citadel of Susa with her cousin/adoptive father Mordecai (pronounced "MOR-duh-kai").

Hadassah's parents die when she was very young, so she is raised by her cousin Mordecai who adopts her as his own daughter. The two of them live in Susa (or "Shushan"), one of the four capital cities of the Persian Empire.

Sidenote: Between 605-586 BC, thousands of Jewish families were forcibly relocated to the region when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. This story takes place in 479 BC—more than a hundred years since the relocation and 50+ years since the Jews were given permission to return to Judah. This means, Mordecai and Hadassah are not exiles: They are part of the Jewish diaspora. When given the opportunity to return to Jerusalem, their family of origin chose to stay in Susa. They are full members of the local community in Susa who identify as Jews.

If you recall from yesterday’s story, King Ahasuerus banished Vashti from his kingdom leaving him without a queen. As time marches on, the king realizes he is lonely, and his friends convince him to star in their new show: “The Bachelor: Royal Edition.”

🌹 THE BACHELOR: ROYAL EDITION

The plot is simple: Beautiful young virgins from the king's vast empire will be brought to the palace at Susa where they will live together in a harem (think “Big Brother,” only this would be “Big Sister”), and instead of live cameras in every room, their activities will be observed and reported by the king’s eunuchs.

Each woman will be trained in Persian etiquette and receive a total makeover. Then, one at a time and for one night only, each woman will be brought to the king for an opportunity to win his heart. She'll be treated like a queen during their spectacular evening together—remember, the king is an exhibitionist.

When the date is over, the woman will be sent back to the harem, and the king will enter the “Royal Diary Room.” There, he will record his unfiltered thoughts about the date and his deepest, most personal thoughts about the woman. [Note: Sadly, these recordings were lost in 48BC when the Library at Alexandria burned.]

Back to the plot: Once the king finds the woman who wins his heart, he will give her a beautiful red rose. Later, they will be married, and she will be crowned the Queen of Persia.

LIFE BEFORE "REALITY TV"

Okay, they really don't pitch the king a show for Reality TV. Instead, they pitch real life. The king's attendants suggest gathering beautiful virgins from across the Persian Empire into a harem in Susa, and the king is all about it. That’s exactly what happens.

Sidenote: King Ahasuerus (a.k.a. Xerxes the Great) ascended the throne when his father, Darius the Great, died in 486. At that time, “the Persian Empire stretched from Europe’s Balkan Peninsula—in parts of what is present day Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine—to the Indus River Valley in northwest India and south to Egypt” (History.com) Xerxes himself is most remembered for his invasion of Greece and the battles of Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea which marked the beginning of the decline of the Persian Empire (Brittannica).

HADASSAH IN THE HAREM

Since Hadassah meets the queen-search criteria—pretty, virgin, breathing—she is added into the harem along with way too many other young women from across the empire—each of them vying to become the next queen. Fun times!🤮

Enter Hegai, one of the king's eunuchs. Hegai oversees the women in the harem, and it’s not long until he notices Hadassah. There’s just something about her that resonates with him, and he takes a special liking to her.

Sidenote: In the palace harem, Hadassah is not known by her Jewish name since she was advised by Mordecai to keep her ethnicity a secret. She is known only by her Persian name: Esther, which means star.

Hegai looks out for Esther and ensures she receives special treatment. She is given better food to eat and regular beauty treatments. He supplies her with personal attendants and sets her up with “the best place in the harem."

When the time comes for Esther's night with the king, Hegai makes sure she knows what to take with her so she makes the very best impression on him.

As you might guess, the king falls hard for Esther and gives her the metaphorical red rose.🌹😍 Soon, they are married, but then...PLOT TWIST!🎭

MEANWHILE, AT THE KING'S GATE...

In a completely unrelated series of events, Mordecai offends one of the king’s top-seated officials, Haman the Agagite, by refusing to bow down to him based on his personal religious convictions.

Haman is livid that anyone would dare disrespect him by not bowing down when he walks by, so he determines to destroy not only Mordecai, but everyone who shares his religion.

In other words, he wants to kill all the Jews in Persia. He uses his influence to charm the king, and by appealing to his fragile ego, he secures the authority to move forward with his evil plan. Most scholars agree that, at this point, the king doesn't realize the chaos and instability this edict could create in his kingdom.

But, when Mordecai learns of the king's edict, he goes into mourning:

"...He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. And he came as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth."

Esther 4:1-2

Fast forward: Mordecai sends a message to Esther begging her to do something, but she feels helpless. She replies not as the powerful Queen of Persia, but as his cousin Hadassah—a triply marginalized exile who hasn't been summoned by the king in thirty days.

Mordecai, however, sees right through the situation and realizes he needs to help her let go of who she used to be and embrace who she is and who she can be. He helps Esther face her imposter syndrome head-on with a simple, yet profound response:

“Perhaps you have come to royal dignity

for just such a time as this.”

(Esther 4:14b, NRSV).

This is where we watch Esther transform from a passive participant in her life to a proactive protector of her people.

In a moment of self-actualization, Esther's eyes are opened and she finally sees herself as she is: the reigning Queen of Persia.

Esther steps into the role she was created for—and it’s not queen.

In a sudden role reversal, Esther tells Mordecai what to do: She commands him to gather all the Jews in Susa and hold a three-day fast for her; she and her maids will also be fasting in an act of solidarity. It’s confirmation that she understands their plight and is united with them. Her deepest loyalty is to her people: She is a Jew first and foremost.

Sidenote: Esther is the only woman in the Bible to call for a fast. With this action, she is functioning more like a prophet or priest than queen. In declaring a fast, she brings together—maybe for the first time—a disparate group of Jewish citizens and melds them into a cohesive whole with a united cause.

Esther understands more than anyone the precarious position she is in, but she is brave and can do hard things.

“As Esther made ready to appear before the king, one of the most courageous assertions made by a woman in the Bible is credited to her.

‘So I will go into the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish’ (Esther 4:16).”

(Deen, p. 149).

In stark contrast to Vashti who risked her life by refusing to appear before the king when summoned, Esther will risk her life by appearing before the king uninvited and unannounced—the penalty of which could be death.

Esther bravely walks into the king’s presence and waits for his reaction. When the king extends his golden scepter to her, sparing her life, she approaches and touches the top of it, acknowledging the intrusion and the grace extended to her.

In a genius move, rather than address the pending genocide right then and there, Queen Esther invites the king and Haman to a feast—one she's already prepared for the two of them.

Just imagine how different the king’s reaction might have been had she shown up, touched the tip of the scepter, and then blindsided him with news of her heritage and Haman’s plan to murder her people. 😱

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO "HMMMM..."

I have to wonder if old Hegai was counseling her how to handle the situation so she would secure the king’s full support, because inviting them to an already prepared meal is strategically brilliant.

Do you think she has the cooks whip up one of the king's favorite dishes fixed just the way he likes it? The intention behind Esther's actions hints at collaboration with the king's eunuch and is reminiscent of the assistance and guidance he gave her before her night with the king.

BACK IN THE KING'S GOOD GRACES

During their first meal together, Esther draws the king back into her sphere of influence, gets back in his good graces, and reminds him why he chose her to be his queen. She then invites them back for another meal the next day.

It’s during their feast on day two that the queen reveals her identity as a Jewish woman and spells out for the king the details of Haman’s evil plot to destroy her people.

The king is so offended at Haman’s master plan to kill the Queen’s family—and the Queen herself—he immediately orders his officer's execution. He then gives Haman's house to Esther which she places under Mordecai's authority; and having learned of the relationship between Mordecai and Esther, the king elevates Mordecai to a place of honor in his kingdom.

Seems like a happy ending, right? Not quite yet.

BUT WAIT. THERE'S MORE!

Haman is dead, but his plan to annihilate the Jews is alive and well—because in Persia, once a decree has been made, there's no turning back.

This time, Esther knows what she needs to do. There are no pep talks, no strategy sessions, no fasts, and no special meals. She simply appears before the king believing that he will once again extend his golden scepter to her because she is his queen.

She falls on her knees and pleads with her husband to rescind Haman's evil decree, but that is not possible according to Persian law. So, the king gives her the authority to create her own decree. I wonder if any of the other queens had such an opportunity to do something so impactful for her people.

No longer the timid Hadassah we met at the beginning of the story, Queen Esther takes charge and writes a royal decree which renders Haman’s plan dead in the water. She decrees that all Jews in the Persian Empire will be allowed to defend themselves on the day Haman set for their annihilation, AND they have permission to kill their enemies should they so desire.

The edict saves the lives of countless Jews living outside Israel. Not only is this something to celebrate, it's also something that should never be forgotten. So, to commemorate their salvation from Haman's evil plot, the Queen institutes an annual feast for her people called The Feast of Purim.

Every March for the past 2500 years, Jewish people host super fun parties to commemorate the salvation from what could have been a day of unimaginable genocide. You can learn how the Feast of Purim got its name here and how it's currently celebrated here. And why you'll find Hamantaschen cookies (pictured above) at almost every Purim party. Click here for a yummy recipe.

You can read all about Hadassah's amazing transformation from obedient orphan to queen to savior in the book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible.

📽️🍿 You might also enjoy watching the movie One Night with the King which retells this story Hollywood-style. It's streaming on Tubi and Roku, or you can watch it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/r4saPofrlbA.

Additional Resources:

• "Xerxes: The Great King of Persia" on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's website.

• "Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary on Esther 8:3" (Specifically the Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament) on Biblia.Work (Online).

• All the Women of the Bible by Edith Deen (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1955), pp. 143-145.

• "Esther: Bible" in the The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women (Online). Jewish Women’s Archive.

• “Esther” Women’s Bible Commentary, 3rd Edition. Edited by Carol A. Newsom, Sharon H. Ringe, and Jacqueline E. Lapsley. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012), p. 204.

Photo Credits:

Photo by "seb" on Unsplash.

Hamantaschen cookies photo by Anton on Unsplash

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