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Why did Esther conceal her identity if it would make her more likely to be selected by Achashverosh? The concealment reflects a fundamental machlokes between Mordechai and Esther about hishtadlus versus divine providence. Esther held that such an unlikely selection must be God's will and shouldn't be resisted, while Mordechai commanded maximum effort to prevent it despite apparent divine orchestration.
This shiur analyzes several complex passages in Megillas Esther chapter 2, beginning with Mordechai's genealogy and the significance of his exile from Jerusalem with King Yechanyah. The discussion focuses primarily on the challenging verse describing Mordechai's relationship with Esther - 'v'hayah omein es Hadassah' (he adopted Hadassah) followed by 'u'v'mos aviha v'imah lakachah Mordechai lo l'vas' (when her father and mother died, Mordechai took her as a daughter). Rabbi Zweig explores Rashi (רש"י) and Chazal's interpretation that 'l'vas' means marriage, not just adoption, creating apparent contradictions in the text. The analysis suggests that when Esther was orphaned as an infant, Mordechai adopted her for basic care needs. However, when she reached the age of na'arah (young womanhood), the death of her parents became more significant - she needed not just a caretaker but someone to fill the parental role completely. At this point, marriage provided both spousal and parental relationships, as indicated by the Torah (תורה)'s use of 'l'vas' (daughter). This interpretation aligns with the concept that a wife can serve as comfort for the loss of a mother, as seen with Yitzchok after Sarah's death. The shiur then examines Esther's concealment of her identity on Mordechai's command. According to Rashi, this was strategic - by not revealing her noble lineage, she hoped the king would reject her as being from a lowly family. This raises a fundamental question about hishtadlus (human effort) versus divine providence. Rabbi Zweig presents a fascinating theological debate between Mordechai and Esther. Given that Esther was 'yerakat doshen' (greenish/pale) and older, her selection would be highly unlikely through natural means - almost requiring divine intervention. Esther's position was that if such an unlikely event occurred, it must be God's will, and she shouldn't actively prevent it. This explains why she didn't follow the typical path of a tzanu'ah (modest woman) who, according to the Gemara (גמרא), would kill herself rather than be forced to live with a non-Jew. Mordechai, however, commanded her to make every effort to avoid selection, holding that one is obligated to prevent negative outcomes even when they seem divinely orchestrated. This disagreement illuminates a profound question: when facing circumstances so unlikely that they could only occur through divine intervention, what is our obligation to resist? The shiur demonstrates how even apparent contradictions in the text reveal deeper theological and halachic principles about the interplay between human responsibility and divine providence.
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Megillas Esther 2:1-10
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Why did Mordechai insist Esther continue hiding her Jewish identity even after becoming queen? The shiur explains that beyond protecting her from Achashverosh's reaction to her royal lineage, Mordechai feared Jewish complacency if they knew they had a queen. This required Esther's willing cooperation in an elaborate deception, living as a crypto-Jew while maintaining all her religious obligations in the Persian palace.
