Midrash su Ester 1:9

Rav began: “Woe! He gives drink to his neighbor, amplifies your wrath, and intoxicates him, so that you may look upon their nakedness” (Habakkuk 2:15). “Woe! He gives drink” – that is Nebuchadnezzar; “his neighbor” – that is Zedekiah. The Holy One blessed be He said to him [Nebuchadnezzar]: ‘Wicked one, is he not a king like you? Is he not a shepherd like you?’ “Amplifies your wrath” – ‘why are you leveling accusations against him in your wrath?’ He [Nebuchadnezzar] said to him [Zedekiah]: ‘Had you rebelled against me and not rebelled against your God, your God would have stood beside you. Had you rebelled against your God and not rebelled against me, I would have stood beside you. However, you rebelled against your God and rebelled against me,’– that is what is written: “He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had administered an oath to him by God” (II Chronicles 36:13). Upon what did he administer the oath? Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Ḥanina said: He administered the oath on the horns of the inner altar. What would that wicked one [Nebuchadnezzar] do to him [Zedekiah]? He would feed him warm barley bread and give him wine from the winepress to drink. Why did he do so? He did so to empty his bowels; that is what is written: “So that you may look upon their nakedness.”
Rabbi Ḥanina bar Yitzḥak said: Your honor and the honor of your ancestors: You became royalty only because your grandfather respected his grandfather; that is what is written: “At that time Merodakh Baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent scrolls and a gift to Hezekiah; he had heard that he had become ill and recovered” (Isaiah 39:1). They said: Merodakh Baladan was a sun worshipper, and he was accustomed to eat at the sixth hour and sleep until the ninth hour. On that day, when the sphere of the sun reversed its course during the days of Hezekiah, he slept until the ninth hour and awakened at the fourth hour. Once he awoke from his sleep, he sought to kill all his servants. He said to them: ‘You allowed me to sleep the entire day and the entire night.’ They said to him: ‘No, rather, the sphere of the sun reversed its course.’
He said to them: ‘Is there a god who is greater than my god, who is capable of reversing it?’ They said to him: ‘Hezekiah’s God is greater than your god.’ Immediately he arose and sent [letters]: Peace to Hezekiah, peace to the God of Hezekiah, and peace to Jerusalem. Once the letters and messengers were on their way, he was calmed and he said: ‘I have honored Hezekiah only because of his God, and I offered salutations to Hezekiah, who is flesh and blood, before [I offered] salutations to his God?’ Immediately, he arose from his throne and took three steps, and sent messengers to recall the letters and wrote other scrolls: Peace to the great God of Hezekiah, peace to Hezekiah, and peace to Jerusalem. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: You arose from your throne and took three steps for the glory of My name; by your life, I will establish from you three kings, who will rule the entire world from one end to the other end, and these are they – Nebuchadnezzar, Evil Merodakh, and Belshatzar. That is why The Holy One blessed be He said [to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah]: ‘Your honor and your honored grandfather and father became kings only because he [Merodakh Baladan] honored this king’s grandfather [Hizkiyyahu], and you are dishonoring him?’
“You are sated with more shame than glory; you too, drink and be exposed! The cup in the right hand of the Lord shall come around to you, and disgrace upon your glory” (Habakkuk 2:16). “More shame than glory” – Zedekiah my son is being dishonored in the manner that anyone is dishonored, but you [Nebuchadnezzar], “disgrace [kikalon] upon your glory” – vomiting [ki] above and shame [kalon] below. Rabbi Yirmeya in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav said: When the two commanders of his legions saw that he was vomiting above and being shamed below, they stood him from his throne, removed his crown from upon his head, and removed his royal cloak from upon him; that is what is written: “They removed his honor from him” (Daniel 5:20), and they stood him in his nakedness; the nakedness of shame.
Who were the commanders of his legions? Cyrus and Darius. Rabbi Menaḥem, son-in-law of Rabbi Eliezer bar Avina, said in the name of Rabbi Yaakov bar Avina: The entire household of that wicked one are only judged naked. “You too, drink and be exposed naked” (Habakkuk 2:16), this is Nebuchadnezzar; “you too,” this is Belshatzar, “and be exposed naked,” this is Vashti.

“Also, Vashti the queen made a women’s banquet in the royal palace of King Aḥashverosh” (Esther 1:9).
Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Simon began: “My people, its oppressors are babes and women govern them” (Isaiah 3:12). “My people, its oppressors are babes [meolel]” – they are exacting with them, as you say: “Do to them [veolel lamo] as You did to me” (Lamentations 1:22).
Another interpretation: “Meolel” – they pick their unripe grapes [olelot]; that is what you say: “Your vineyard you shall not harvest completely [teolel]” (Leviticus 19:10). They come against them with false accusations [alilot]; that is what you say: “He made a false accusation [alilot devarim] against her” (Deuteronomy 22:14). Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Simon said: There are [male] cult prostitutes among them; that is what you say: “There shall not be a cult prostitute from the daughters of Israel, and there shall not be a cult prostitute from the sons of Israel” (Deuteronomy 23:18); that is what you say: “They abused her [vayitallelu] all night”¹The word vayitallelu is used to the refer to the raping of the concubine in Giva, showing that this word can refer to licentiousness. (Judges 19:25). “And women govern them” – four women assumed dominion in the world: Jezebel and Atalya from Israel, and Shemiramit and Vashti from the nations of the world.

Another interpretation: “Also, Vashti the queen” – Shmuel began: “When they are inflamed, I will set out their banquet [and get them drunk, that they revel and then sleep an endless sleep, never to awake, says the Lord]” (Jeremiah 51:39). The Holy One blessed be He said: When they come to inflame themselves with their monarchy, “I will set out [ashit] their banquet [mishteihem]” – I will cut down their foundations [mishtoteihem]; “and I will get them drunk” – with their troubles; “that they revel” – because they rejoiced over the destruction of the Temple. The Holy One blessed be He said: The Temple is in ruins and this wicked man is making drinking parties. Wicked Vashti is also making drinking parties, as it is written: “Also, Vashti the queen, made a women’s banquet.”

Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “But you did not call Me, Jacob, for you wearied of Me, Israel” (Isaiah 43:22). Rabbi Yoḥanan understood it [the verse in Isaiah 43:22] from this, as it is written: “A prophecy of Damascus: Behold, Damascus is removed from being a city and it will be a heap of ruins. Abandoned are the cities of Aroer; [they will be for flocks, and they will lie down, and none will threaten]” (Isaiah 17:1–2). What is it that stands in Damascus and evokes Aroer? Isn’t Aroer within the region of Moav? Rather, there were three hundred and sixty-five houses of [different types of] idolatry in Damascus, and they would worship [in] each one of them on its day. They had one day when they would go around to all of them on that day and worship [all of] them, and Israel assembled them together and worshipped them; that is what is written: “The children of Israel continued to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, and they served the Be'alim, and the Ashtarot, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moav, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; they forsook the Lord, and they did not serve Him” (Judges 10:6), not even in conjunction with other gods.
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Shall a priestess not be like an innkeeper?²“Shall a priestess not be like an innkeeper” was apparently a popular saying. Here it means: Should not God be worshipped as much as other gods? Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Ḥanina: The Holy One blessed be He said: My children did not even make me like the dessert that comes at the end. Rabbi Levi said: [This is comparable] to a king’s servant who prepared a feast for his soldiers and invited all the king’s legions and did not invite his master. The king said to him: ‘If only you had treated me like all of my soldiers.’ So too, The Holy One blessed be He said: If only My children had treated me like the dessert that comes at the end; rather, “but you did not call Me, Jacob, for you wearied of Me, Israel” (Isaiah 43:22). Regarding the Baal, what is written? “They called in the name of the Baal from the morning until noon, saying: ‘The Baal, answer us.’ But there was no voice, and none responded” (I Kings 18:26). He sits and talks all day and does not tire, but when standing to pray, he tires; he sits and talks all day and does not tire, but when sitting to study,³The verb refers specifically to the practice of reviewing the Oral Torah. he tires. That is: “But you did not call Me, Jacob” – if only I had not known you, Jacob – “for you wearied of Me, Israel” (Isaiah 43:22). “You did not bring Me the sheep of your burnt offerings” (Isaiah 43:23) – these are the two daily offerings, as it is stated: “The one lamb you shall offer in the morning” (Numbers 28:4). “And you did not honor Me with your offerings” (Isaiah 43:23) – these are the portions of the offerings of sacred sanctity that are burned on the altar. “I have not burdened you with a meal offering” (Isaiah 43:23) – this is the handful of flour taken from the meal offering. “And I have not wearied you with frankincense” (Isaiah 43:23) – this is the handful of frankincense.
“You did not buy a cane [kaneh] for Me with silver” (Isaiah 43:24). Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: Cinnamon [kinamon] grew in the Land of Israel and goats and deer would eat it. “And with the fat of your offerings you did not satisfy Me,” (Isaiah 43:24) – these are the portions of the offerings of lesser sanctity that are burned on the altar. “Rather, you burdened Me with your sins, you wearied Me with your iniquities” (Isaiah 43:24) – look what your sins have caused me, Jacob. Isn’t it enough that you count the days for the banquet of the men, but even made a banquet for the women; that is what is written: “Also, Vashti the queen made a women’s banquet.”

It is written: “You have seen, for You behold mischief and spite; to requite is in Your hand: the helpless man commits himself to You; You are the helper of the orphans” (Psalms 10:14). The congregation of Israel said before The Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the Universe, You saw that Esau the wicked came, and is destined to destroy the Temple, exile Israel from its land, and shackle them in collars – “You behold…to requite is in Your hand” – yet you rested Your Divine Presence upon Isaac, who said to him [Esau]: “Behold, the fat of the earth shall be your dwelling, and from the dew of the heavens from above” (Genesis 27:39). “The helpless man commits himself to You” – the next day he [Esau/Rome] comes and takes orphans and widows and incarcerates them in prison, and says to them: Will He about whom it is written: “The father of orphans and the judge of widows” (Psalms 68:6), come and rescue you from me? Rather, You helped his [Esau’s] orphan. Two orphans who remained from him, that is Remus and Romulus, you allowed the wolf to nurse them, and ultimately, they arose and constructed two great towers in Rome.’
Another matter: “You have seen, for You behold mischief and spite…” the congregation of Israel said before The Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the Universe, You saw Nebuchadnezzar the wicked, who came and destroyed the Temple, and exiled Israel, and shackled them in collars. “To requite is in Your hand” – yet You rested Your Divine Presence on Jeremiah, who said to us: “All the nations will serve him [Nebuchadnezzar] and his son and his son's son...” (Jeremiah 27:7). “The helpless man commits himself to You” – the next day he comes and takes Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya and puts them in the fiery furnace, and says to them: “Who is the God who will save you from my hands?” (Daniel 3:15). Rather, it is not, “You are the helper of the orphans,” but one orphan girl remained from him [Nebuchadnezzar] and you made her an empress in a kingdom that was not hers, and who was that? Vashti.’

It is written: “From people by Your hand, O Lord, from people from the world [meḥeled ], their portion is in life; Your hidden treasures will fill their bellies; their sons will be satisfied and they will leave their surplus to their young ones” (Psalms 17:14). Rabbi Ḥanina son of Rabbi Aḥa went to a place and found that this verse was at the head of the discussion: “The remnant of the meal offering shall be for Aaron and his sons…” (Leviticus 2:3, 10), and began: “From people by Your hand, O Lord” – how courageous are those who took their portion from under the hand of God; and who was that? It was the tribe of Levi. “From people from the world” – these are those who did take a portion in the land.⁴The midrash is reading “from the world” as removed from the land, i.e. the tribe of Levi, since it did not receive a portion in the Land of Israel. “Their portion is life” – these are the consecrations of the Temple offerings. “Your hidden treasures will fill their bellies” – these are the consecrations of the borders.⁵Consecrations of the borders refers to teruma, the portion of produce allocated to the priests which they may eat anywhere. “…their sons will be satisfied” – “every male among the priests shall eat it” (Leviticus 6:22). “And they will leave their surplus to their young ones” – “and the remnant of the meal offering shall be for Aaron and his sons…” (Leviticus 2:3, 10).

Another interpretation: “From people [mimtim] by Your hand” – who are these courageous men who took theirs from under the hand of God? And who was that? That was the generation of religious persecution. “From people [mimtim] by your hand” – killed [mumatim] by your hand. “From the world [meḥeled]” – those who had sores [ḥaludaot] arise in their flesh for the sanctification of Your name. Who were they? Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai and his son Rabbi Elazar, who went into hiding in a cave for thirteen years due to religious persecution until there arose sores in their flesh. They ate carobs and dates. At the end of thirteen years, Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai emerged and sat at the entrance to the cave. He saw a trapper spreading his trap to trap birds. He heard a divine voice say ‘freedom,’ and it was freed. A second time he heard a divine voice, it said ‘killing,’ and it was caught. He said: ‘Even a bird does not escape without a divine decree; that is all the more so true regarding us. Let us go and be healed in the hot springs of Tiberias.’ They went down and were healed in the hot springs of Tiberias. They said: ‘We must do good and benefit these residents of the place, just as Jacob our patriarch did, as it is stated: “He encamped [vayiḥan] before the city” (Genesis 33:18) – he established a market and sold to them at low prices. They established a market and sold to them at low prices.
David said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the Universe, say that I have a place with them in the World to Come.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘David, is it not [written] “your hidden treasures will fill their bellies?” Their hidden treasures will fill your belly is not written here, but rather, “your hidden treasures will fill their bellies.” The entire people partakes of what is left over from your wealth.’⁶David’s merit is the source of the benefit of the entire nation.
David received tidings that he had a portion in the World to Come. Moreover, he said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, these come based on Torah, mitzvot, and good deeds that they have to their credit, but I, “I shall see Your face in righteousness” (Psalms 17:15) forever.’

Another interpretation: “From people by Your hand, O Lord” – how mighty are they who took dominion from under the hand of God. Who is that? That is Nebuchadnezzar. “From people from the world” – those are they who took their portion in the Land. “Their portion is life” – those who took their portion while they were alive.⁷In other words, they receive their reward in this world, and do not merit the World to Come. “Your hidden treasures will fill their bellies” – they who became rich from what was hidden in the chamber [of the Temple]. “Their sons will be satisfied” – these are Evil [Merodakh] and Belshatzar.⁸Nebuchadnezzar’s son and grandson. “And they will leave their surplus to their young ones” – one young one remained for him, and you made her an empress in a kingdom that was not hers, and who was that? That is Vashti.

Another interpretation: “Also, Vashti the queen made a women’s banquet.” Why did Scripture see fit to publicize the banquet of Vashti? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said: Why to that extent? It is to inform you of the [degree] of luxury to which Esther was entering. Rabbi Meir said: If it is so for those who anger Him, all the more so for those who perform His will.
Alternatively, “Also [gam], Vashti the queen” – also [gam] is nothing but an amplification. Just as that one [Aḥashverosh’s banquet] was with six treasures, so was this one [Vashti’s banquet] with six treasures. Just as that one was with a great variety of expenditures, so was this one with a great variety of expenditures. Just as that one was a feast of the Land of Israel, so was this one a feast of the Land of Israel. Just as that one was with the vestments of the High Priest, so was this one with the vestments of the High Priest. Rabbi Berekhya said: Like that raven that flaunts both what is its own and what is not its own.
Another interpretation: “Also, Vashti the queen.” “Also” [gam] – also the time had arrived for the foundation [mashtota] of Vashti⁹The play on words is between Vashti and mashtota. [to be overturned]. The time had come for Vashti to be cut down [ligamem].¹⁰A play on gam. The time had come for Vashti to be harvested. The time had come for Vashti to be trampled [like a grape].¹¹The association of Vashti with the harvesting or trampling of grapes is a play on the word gam, which sounds similar to guma, the pit or depression in which grapes were pressed. Rabbi Huna said: Her time had arrived to die; that is what you say: “She took of its fruit¹²The tree of knowledge of good and evil. and ate and she also [gam] gave to her husband…” (Genesis 3:6).

“[Also [gam], Vashti the queen] made a women’s banquet,” she fed them kinds of soup [gema’in]. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: She fed them kinds of sweets. “In the royal palace” – she situated them in spacious rooms because a woman’s way is to cause damage.¹³The nature of this damage is unclear. Some understand it to mean that it is a woman’s way to be licentious and for this reason she provided the women with private rooms. Others understand it to mean that women’s clothing is likely to become soiled if rooms are too crowded Alternatively, “in the royal palace” – she situated them in decorated houses, as Rabbi Avun said: A woman prefers decorated houses and decorated garments more than eating fatted calves. Alternatively, “in the royal palace” – she situated them in her reception hall, saying that if the husband of one of them would seek to rebel, his wife would be inside and he would not rebel.
“Of King Aḥashverosh,” Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Everywhere in this scroll that King Aḥashverosh is stated, Scripture is referring to King Aḥashverosh. Everywhere that king is stated alone, it can be either sacred [referring to God] or profane [referring to Aḥashverosh].