After killing his wife Vashti, Achashveirosh justifies his
violence with a quizzical new decree: “Every man must be the master of his
household and speak the language of his nation” (Esther 1:22). In cases when spouses
hail from different states of the Empire, husbands may no longer opt to speak
their wives’ native tongue. Rather, all women must learn to speak their
husband’s language.
Strange law. As far as P’shat is concerned, it seems to support the opinion that Achaveirosh was a fool (cf. Talmud, Megillah 12a). But, as in all things Megillah, there is more here than meets the eye.
Strange law. As far as P’shat is concerned, it seems to support the opinion that Achaveirosh was a fool (cf. Talmud, Megillah 12a). But, as in all things Megillah, there is more here than meets the eye.
The first thing we need to understand about the holiday of Purim
is that it is a celebration of the power of prayer.
The prophets in conjunction with
the court legislated and commanded the annual reading of the Megillah in order
to recall God’s qualities, the salvations that He performed for us, and the
fact that He was nearby when we called out [to Him]. This leads us to bless Him
and sing His praises and makes known to future generations that the Torah’s
promise is true: “Which other nation has a god that is close to it like Hashem
our God [is close] to all who call out to Him!” (Devarim 4:7).
Rambam,
postscript to Minyan HaMitzvos
The Rambam is referring here to the three-day fast which
Esther declared for the Jews of Shushan (cf. Esther 4:16). Those three days of
prayer saved the Jews and, according to the Rambam, it is the efficacy of those
prayers that we are commemorating and celebrating on this holiday. This understanding
of Purim’s central message is alluded to long before the prayers begin, in the
Megillah’s introduction of Mordechai: “There was a Jew in the capital city of
Shushan. His name was Mordachai, son of Yair, son of Shimi, son of Kish, a
Benjaminite” (Esther 2:5). The Talmud expounds the verse:
“Son on Yair” – a son who illuminated
the eyes of the Jews with his prayers. “Son of Shimi” – a son whose prayers
were heard [by God]. “Son of Kish” – for he knocked on the Gates
of Compassion and they were opened for him.
Talmud, Megillah 12b
The role of prayer in the salvation of Purim is easily
understood in light of the national sin which doomed the Jews to annihilation. For
Haman’s decree was no mere anti-Semitism; it was rooted in a very real verdict
made in the Heavenly Court: the Jews of Babylonia were guilty of bowing to the
statues of Nebuchadnezzar (Talmud, Megillah 12a). Since it was idol worship
that needed to be rectified, prayer – the worship of the One God – was the only
viable response.
This also explains Esther's directive to fast for three days and three nights. According to the Rambam, the offering of animal sacrifices on the Temple's altar functioned to counter and rectify the mistaken belief in other gods (Moreh Nevuchim 3:46; cf. Ramban to Vayikra 1:9). Fasting is nothing less than an offering of our very own flesh and blood (cf. Berachos 17a), so it presumably has the same effect. And prayer serves as a stand-in for sacrifices (cf. Berachos 26b), especially when the Jews are in exile and lack a Temple. It follows that the extraordinary self-sacrifice of fasting for three days straight, coupled with and directed by intense prayer, cleansed the Jewish mind of paganism and reset their hearts with a pure faith in the One God.
This also explains Esther's directive to fast for three days and three nights. According to the Rambam, the offering of animal sacrifices on the Temple's altar functioned to counter and rectify the mistaken belief in other gods (Moreh Nevuchim 3:46; cf. Ramban to Vayikra 1:9). Fasting is nothing less than an offering of our very own flesh and blood (cf. Berachos 17a), so it presumably has the same effect. And prayer serves as a stand-in for sacrifices (cf. Berachos 26b), especially when the Jews are in exile and lack a Temple. It follows that the extraordinary self-sacrifice of fasting for three days straight, coupled with and directed by intense prayer, cleansed the Jewish mind of paganism and reset their hearts with a pure faith in the One God.
Since Purim is about prayer, it wouldn’t be off-topic here
to ask a basic question about our Siddur. Originally, every Jew composed his
own personal prayers. No text existed and the daily Mitzvah of Tefillah was fulfilled by
simply praying for your needs in your own words. That is the way it was until
two and half millennia ago when the Great Assembly produced the Siddur and required
every Jew to say the same thing three times a day: the one and only “Shmoneh
Esrei.”
Why the change? The Rambam has a theory.
When the Jews were exiled in the
days of the evil Nebuchadnezzar they began to assimilate in Persia, Greece and
other nations. Their children were born in the lands of the gentiles and were
linguistically challenged. These [second generation refugees] spoke in a blend
of languages and were incapable of expressing themselves in any one language
without error, as the verse states, “Their children spoke half Assyrian and
didn’t know how to speak Hebrew or the language of any nation” (Nechemia
13:24). As a result, when one of them would
pray, he would be limited in his ability to express his needs or to praise God
in Hebrew without also including words from other languages. When Ezra and his
court recognized this [problem], they rose [to the occasion] and established
the ordered brachos of Shmoneh Esrei.
Rambam, Laws of Tefillah 1:4
The above quote gives the impression that prayers must be
said in Hebrew. A clear, unadulterated Hebrew. But things are not so simple. It
is actually permitted to pray in any language and the Shmoneh Esrei may be read
in translation (cf. Shulchan Aruch O.C. 101:4). So why did the men of the Great
Assembly choose to compose our prayers in Hebrew and not in the spoken language
of the Diaspora?
Some may suggest that Hebrew is the language of the Jews. Having
all Jews pray in Hebrew would certainly go a long way to strengthen our national
identity and unity in exile. Others would say that the use of Hebrew expressed the
great longing of our people to return to the Land of Israel and rebuild. There
may be truth to these ideas, but I believe they miss the point.
Hebrew is God’s language. It is the language He used to
create the universe and the language He used to speak to His prophets. This is
why Hebrew is called the “Holy Tongue” (Ramban to Shemos 30:13). If we must
select a language for prayer, Hebrew is the natural choice; we should speak to
God in His language. And if we don’t understand it, then we’d better learn it.
The Medrash tells us that whenever the Megillah speaks of “the king” (HaMelech), it refers not only to King Achashveirosh, it refers also to
the King of kings, God Himself. This allows us to suggest a Midrashic reading of
the King’s strange decree at the beginning of the Megillah.
This Megillah is going to be a story about prayer, and God, always
setting up the cure before the strike, is giving us some helpful advice right
at the outset. When a wife (i.e., the Jews) wishes to speak to her husband
(i.e., God), it is recommended that she speak in His language, not hers.
The Jews took the hint and composed the Shmoneh Esrei in
Hebrew, to great effect. The Jews prayed and God responded. And they lived
happily ever after.
