The opening scene of the Megilah portrays two elaborate parties hosted by King Achashveirosh, emperor of the Persian empire. The first party of 180 days entertained the nobles. It was political in nature, designed to consolidate his power across 127 provinces. He then hosted a 7-day party for the people of Shushan, his capital city. All were invited to eat and drink in the king’s palace.

מגילת אסתר א: (י) בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י כְּט֥וֹב לֵב־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בַּיָּ֑יִן אָמַ֡ר לִ֠מְהוּמָן בִּזְּתָ֨א חַרְבוֹנָ֜א בִּגְתָ֤א וַֽאֲבַגְתָא֙ זֵתַ֣ר וְכַרְכַּ֔ס שִׁבְעַת֙ הַסָּ֣רִיסִ֔ים הַמְשָׁ֣רְתִ֔ים אֶת־פְּנֵ֖י הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֽוֹשׁ׃ (יא( לְ֠הָבִיא אֶת־וַשְׁתִּ֧י הַמַּלְכָּ֛ה לִפְנֵ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בְּכֶ֣תֶר מַלְכ֑וּת לְהַרְא֨וֹת הָֽעַמִּ֤ים וְהַשָּׂרִים֙ אֶת־יָפְיָ֔הּ כִּֽי־טוֹבַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה הִֽיא׃

Book of Esther 1: )10) On the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine, he ordered Mehuman, Bizzetha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains who ministered in the presence of King Ahasuerus. )11) To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the royal crown, to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was of comely appearance.

Throughout the Megilah there is a surface level storyline. However, subtleties in the wording, peculiar order and phrasing, hint at additional features of the storyline not apparent at first glance. This is the way the Torah is written, and the same method of interpretation employed by our Sages applies.

Our Sages pick up on the Megilah’s choice wording. Achashveirosh had been partying for 187 days. Was it only on day 187 that he was merry with wine? What idea is being conveyed in telling us this episode occurred on the 7th day?

תלמוד בבלי – מגילה יב:

בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי כְּטוֹב לֵב הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּיָּיִן אַטּוּ עַד הַשְׁתָּא לָא טָב לִבֵּיהּ בְּחַמְרָא אֲמַר רָבָא יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת הָיָה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל אוֹכְלִין וְשׁוֹתִין מַתְחִילִין בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה וּבְדִבְרֵי תִשְׁבָּחוֹת אֲבָל אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁאוֹכְלִין וְשׁוֹתִין אֵין מַתְחִילִין אֶלָּא בְּדִבְרֵי תִיפְלוּת. וְכֵן בִּסְעוּדָּתוֹ שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע הַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים מָדִיּוֹת נָאוֹת וְהַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים פָּרְסִיּוֹת נָאוֹת אָמַר לָהֶם אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ כְּלִי שֶׁאֲנִי מִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בּוֹ אֵינוֹ לֹא מָדִיִּי וְלֹא פָּרְסִי אֶלָּא כַּשְׂדִּיִּי רְצוֹנְכֶם לִרְאוֹתָהּ אָמְרוּ לוֹ אִין וּבִלְבַד שֶׁתְּהֵא עֲרוּמָּה

Talmud Bavli – Megilah 12b

The verse states: “On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine” (Esther 1:10). The Gemara asks: Is that to say that until now his heart was not merry with wine? Did it take seven days for him to achieve merriment? Rava said: The seventh day was Shabbat, when the difference between the Jewish people and the gentiles is most apparent. On Shabbat, when the Jewish people eat and drink, they begin by occupying themselves with words of Torah and words of praise for God. But the nations of the world, when they eat and drink, they begin only with words of licentiousness. The Gemara continues to detail what occurred at the feast. So too, at the feast of that wicked man, Ahasuerus, when the men began to converse, some said: The Median women are the most beautiful, while others said: The Persian women are the most beautiful. Ahasuerus said to them: The vessel that I use, i.e., my wife, is neither Median nor Persian, but rather Chaldean. Do you wish to see her? They said to him: Yes, provided that she be naked, for we wish to see her without any additional adornments.

Our Sages interpret the Megilah as intentionally setting up a contrast. At a typical Shabbat meal, we eat and drink and enjoy ourselves. But the activity is contextualized. We begin with words of Torah and wisdom. We elevate our involvement in pleasure and orient our experience toward a higher objective. The Shabbat table becomes a place not only to enjoy, but to share ideas, to bond over studying together, reinforcing our common commitment to the Divine. This stands in stark contrast to the boundless hedonism displayed by Achashveirosh. His meal quickly devolves into pointless vulgarity. He demeans his himself, his queen, and his court.

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik – Days of Deliverance

On the seventh day, Ahasuerus, the man of pleasure, is engrossed in sinful thoughts and unclean talk and begins to act like the beast in the forest. He gets intoxicated with hedonic experiences, while the Jew rises to higher levels. The Torah has never told the Jew not to enjoy, not to derive pleasure from some experiences. However, Judaism resented two aspects of hedonic man: the orgiastic seeking pleasure without an end--and the hypnotic the compulsive drive to take pleasure. Ahasuerus did not know when to stop, nor did he know how to control his desires. The entire society was saturated with carnal desire. Only in such an environment could a madman such as Haman rise to political heights and threaten the very existence of a people. Pleasure Man is volatile and cowardly.

At this juncture, we are reminded of the Jewish concept of the meal: the se'udah. It is a very strange institution. The seudah combines two contradictory elements: on the one hand, eating, drinking, gratifying an animal, instinctual drive, a profane, primitive function; and on the other hand, the offering of a sacrifice, for the table is the altar and taking a meal is a sacerdotal act, a service. These conflicting aspects are highlighted in the ostensibly self-contradictory verse: "And you shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God" (Deut. 14:26). On the one hand, you feast, you eat, and you drink wine; on the other hand, you feel your proximity to God. How is it possible to combine these two mutually exclusive states of mind into one experience?

In fact, this combination is typically Jewish. Our Sages taught: "If three have eaten at one table and spoken over it no words of Torah, it is as if they had eaten of sacrifices to the dead" (Avot 3:3). The meal in Judaism is not merely an occasion for eating. The meal is transformed into a symposium; it precipitates Torah debate. Moreover, the meal in Judaism has another purpose. Unlike the animal, a person almost never eats alone. He invites others. The Jew invites the poor man: "the stranger and the fatherless, and the widow who are within your gates" (Deut. 14:29). The meal is thus transformed into an act of charity, of hesed, of lovingkindness. Hence, Judaism elevates the meal and turns it into a Torah experience and a hesed experience.

The Rav beautifully describes the underlying philosophy behind Achashveirosh’s approach to the physical and the contrasting philosophy of Torah. This is hinted at in the subtle wording of the Megilah. Achashveirosh pursues pleasure with no boundaries. This affects not only his court but his kingdom. The Torah encourages us to enjoy the pleasures the world has to offer. We have a concept of Oneg, enjoying Shabbat. But our enjoyment is delimited, contextualized, and elevated. The meal becomes a springboard to learning, pleasure leads to a broader appreciation. Depending on one’s philosophy, the same physical experience of pleasure can be either empty or ennobling.

References

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

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.

Steinsaltz, A., In Weinreb, T. H., In Schreier, J., & Hotsaat Koren (Jerusalem),. (2017). Koren Talmud Bavli, the Noe edition: Talmud Bavli. Retrieved from: https://shas.alhatorah.org/

Related to Parshat Zachor, see below:

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