The Megillah of Esther is unique among the books of the Torah:

תלמוד בבלי – מגילה יט. – וא”ר חלבו אמר רב חמא בר גוריא אמר רב מגילה נקראת ספר ונקראת אגרת

Talmud Bavli - Megillah 19a: – And Rabbi Ḥelbo said further that Rav Ḥama bar Gurya said that Rav said: The Megilla is referred to as a “book” (Esther 9:32), and it is also referred to as a “letter” (Esther 9:29)

The Talmud discusses the nature of Megillat Esther as a sefer –a book and an iggeret – a letter. While there are halakhic implications from each of these concepts that inform how the physical Megillah scroll is constructed, the Rav provides a beautiful explanation of each idea:

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik – The Megillah and Human Destiny

An epistle, an iggeret, is simply a chronicle, a tale of events. Its excellence consists in honest, objective, and precise recording. An epistle must meet these prerequisites. Subjective coloring or slanting of events, omission of significant facts, or overcrowding the narrative with irrelevant details are unpardonable…

A book, sefer, in contradistinction to iggeret…signifies a text written under the impact of Divine inspiration. A book moves events from the particular and transient toward the universal, omnipresent, and dynamic in the great drama of human destiny…its relevance is not limited to the narration of events, to the plot that took place once upon a time. The book of Esther is important to us as the story of the eternal destiny of man.

In short, the Megillah is a halakhic book, replete with rules, principles, and criteria that should guide us as human beings and Jews participating in the unfolding of the great historical drama in general and our unique national destiny in particular. (p.25-27)

An iggeret or letter describes specific events. It discusses basic facts. It may include some interpretation, but the interpretation is limited to the particular era. In a nutshell, an iggeret communicates a particular episode, it provides us with insight into a specific time and place. It is interesting in and of itself.

A sefer or book, part of our canon of Jewish literature, in contrast does not merely discuss specific events. Sefer Bereisheet –the Book of Genesis, or Sefer Shemot –the Book of Exodus, are examples. We are the people of the book, but not in the way most people think of it. We are not just a historical people, a people bound by common ancestry. We are a people bound together by a common destiny. Like a good book, a sefer (a great book) helps us understand our current situation, and but it also tells us something about our future. That’s why we read the Torah communally each accompanied by a Haftorah from the prophets. In this study of history, individuals transform into archetypes. We are not just studying a particular time and place, but the future as well. As we discussed in Microcosms of Jewish History, the Ramban discusses the concept of מעשה אבות סימן לבנים, the events of our forefathers tell us something about our own lives.

What makes Megillat Esther so fascinating is these multiple layers of interpretation. It functions both as an iggeret and a sefer, it is both a letter from our ancient past about a specific time and place, and a captivating book that helps us understand our present and our future.

Here are three brief examples and observations that illustrate this dual way of reading the Megillah:

1) Living Lives of Principle

As an iggeret –a letter, we observe Mordechai’s choice not to bow down to Haman. One might be tempted to ask Mordechai if this was really necessary. It is likely other Jews in 4th century BCE Persia wondered if his actions were really a good idea.

As a sefer –a timeless guidebook, Mordechai is an archetype and he teaches us something:

There are times when we need to stand up for our principles, even when it isn’t politically expedient. The Jewish people have faced this challenge often, sometimes as individuals, sometimes as a community. The modern State of Israel certainly has faced this issue many times in its short history. Should we have put Eichmann on trial? Should we have liberated Jerusalem? Should we have returned the Temple Mount? Sometimes decisions must be made, not based on a calculated pragmatism, not purely based on practicality, but based on our philosophy and values. Our actions must express our principles. (See Moral Pragmatism for a more comprehensive discussion)

2) Historical Sensitivity

As an iggeret –a letter, Mordechai stations himself by the King’s gate. He overhears an assassination plot, a national conspiracy, and was able to provide a priceless favor to the government.

As a sefer –a book, we understand that it was was no accident that Mordechai found himself in the right place at the right time. Mordechai possessed a unique historical sensitivity. He understood that Esther rising to Queen of Persia was not a coincidence. He didn’t quite understand what it meant at the time, but he knew something was afoot, and waited anxiously outside the king’s gate.

It is difficult to have this historical sensitivity amid constant breaking news. It is easy to miss the forest for the trees. There are often larger factors at play that take a more detached and subtle perspective to appreciate. History is more complex than it seems when we are going through it. It sometimes requires this broader perspective to see God’s involvement in the world, and to see where we should try to make our contribution.

3) Unity

As an iggeret –a letter, we see that the story of Megilah ends with an inspiring instance of Jewish unity across 127 countries. The Talmud notes that facing Haman as a common enemy unified the Jewish people, and this unity was a necessary component of our deliverance.

As a sefer –a book, we observe that it can take an external enemy for us to see what we have in common. The Megillah reminds us that cooperation and collaboration is necessary for us to reach our aspirations as a people. Perhaps we can move our shared vision forward without an external threat of annihilation.

Why do we fast on the day before Purim? On a basic level, we are simply commemorating the actions of Esther. But on a deeper level, a Taanit Tzibur –a public fast - is an act of unity, connecting with Jews all around the world. We share in their sorrows and celebrate in their triumphs. We commemorate and re-enact this call for Achdut –for unification.

משנה תורה - ספר זמנים - הלכות מגילה וחנוכה - ב:יח

כָּל סִפְרֵי הַנְּבִיאִים וְכָל הַכְּתוּבִים, עֲתִידִין לִבָּטֵל לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ, חוּץ מִמְּגִלַּת אֶסְתֵּר--הֲרֵי הִיא קַיֶּמֶת כַּחֲמִשָּׁה חֻמְשֵׁי תּוֹרָה, וְכַהֲלָכוֹת שֶׁלְּתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה, שְׁאֵינָן בְּטֵלִין, לְעוֹלָם.  וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּל זִכְרוֹן הַצָּרוֹת יִבָּטֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "כִּי נִשְׁכְּחוּ, הַצָּרוֹת הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת, וְכִי נִסְתְּרוּ, מֵעֵינָי" (ישעיהו סה,טז)--יְמֵי הַפּוּרִים לֹא יִבָּטְלוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "וִימֵי הַפּוּרִים הָאֵלֶּה, לֹא יַעַבְרוּ מִתּוֹךְ הַיְּהוּדִים, וְזִכְרָם, לֹא-יָסוּף מִזַּרְעָם" (אסתר ט,כח).

Rambam - Mishne Torah - Laws of Megillah and Chanukah - 2:18

All the books of the Prophets and all the Holy Writings will be nullified in the Messianic era, with the exception of the Book of Esther. It will continue to exist, as will the five books of the Torah and the halachot of the Oral Law, which will never be nullified.Although all memories of the difficulties endured by our people will be nullified, as Isaiah 65:16 states: "For the former difficulties will be forgotten and for they will be hidden from My eye," the celebration of the days of Purim will not be nullified, as Esther 9:28 states: "And these days of Purim will not pass from among the Jews, nor will their remembrance cease from their seed."

We can learn many ideas from the letter and the book of Esther. They include but are not limited to the importance of standing up for what’s right and living lives of principle, keeping an historically informed and open mind to the interpretation of our times, and operating with unity and with a unity of purpose. At the end of Megilah, Esther writes: קִיְּמוּ וְקִבְּלֻ הַיְּהוּדִים –“the Jewish people fulfilled and accepted” (Esther 9:27), recommitted themselves to the entire Torah, and to keep the days of Purim and perpetuate its timeless lessons.

References

Maimonides, M., Touger, E., Kaplan, B., Abramson, Z., & Silverstein, S. (2007). Mishneh Torah. New York: Moznaim Pub. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/682956/jewish/Mishneh-Torah.htm

Soloveitchik, J. D., Clark, E. D., Wolowelsky, J. B., & Ziegler, R. (2007). Days of deliverance: Essays on Purim and Hanukkah. New York: Published for the Toras HoRav Foundation by KTAV Pub. House.

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