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The End of Miracles
The Book of Esther is unique. It is a story about the salvation of the Jewish people, but it does not contain the name of God overtly anywhere in the text. Indeed, the Talmud explains that Esther marks a new dawn in the relationship between God and his people.
תלמוד בבלי – יומא כט.
אָמַר רַבִּי אַסִּי לָמָּה נִמְשְׁלָה אֶסְתֵּר לְשַׁחַר לוֹמַר לָךְ מָה שַׁחַר סוֹף כׇּל הַלַּיְלָה אַף אֶסְתֵּר סוֹף כׇּל הַנִּסִּים. וְהָא אִיכָּא חֲנוּכָּה נִיתְּנָה לִכְתּוֹב קָא אָמְרִינַן.
Talmud Bavli – Yoma 29a
Rabbi Asi said: Why was Esther likened to the dawn? To tell you: Just as the dawn is the conclusion of the entire night, so too, Esther was the conclusion of all miracles. The Gemara asks: But isn’t there the miracle of Hanukkah, which was performed many years later? The Gemara answers: It is true that additional miracles were performed after the miracle of Purim; however, it is with regard to miracles for which permission was granted to write them in the Bible that we are saying that the miracle of Purim was the last one. The Gemara asks: That works out well according to the one who said: Permission was granted to write the Scroll of Esther in the Bible as a book whose sanctity equals that of the other books of the Bible.
Rebbe Asi explains that just as the dawn marks the end of the night, so too Esther marks the end of miracles. The Gemara then asks, what about the miracle of Chanukah? It answers that the episode of Esther was the last miracle to be part of the Jewish canon.
Apparently there is something in the story of Esther that required future study, in a way that differentiates it from other miraculous events. Something in the book necessitated its inclusion in the official recorded history of the Jewish people. What is the nature of this new era? What do we learn from Esther about how to relate to God and the world?
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik – Days of Deliverance
At that time, the covenantal community was losing, slowly but surely, the most precious of all gifts: prophecy. The great covenantal dialogue between man and God that had commenced with Abraham was about to be terminated, and the prophetic community faced a stark, ruthless reality–a non-prophetic existence. With the transition from a prophetic to a non-prophetic community, the Jewish historical experience changed completely…
Of course, God was in communication with man in both eras. However, the nature of the communication is not the same. In the prophetic era, the communication is clear and understandable; in the non-prophetic era, the communications are laconic and enigmatic, consisting of mysterious hints and signs, bright, dazzling flashes and intimations that mystify man, who is often lonely and feels forsaken. He is under the impression, however incorrect, that God has abandoned and deserted him. A frightening silence envelops everybody and everything…
"Where is there an allusion to Esther in the Pentateuch? asks the Talmud (Hullin 139b). The answer is given immediately: "And I shall hide My countenance on that day" (Deut. 31:18). What did the Talmud mean to express by this question and answer? The Pentateuch tells us the story of the prophetic community at the hour of triumph, at the hour of unusual revelation and direct contact with God. But what kind of message does the Pentateuch have for the non-prophetic community at an hour of distress? Where is there in the Torah an allusion to the silent, mute confrontation between mighty historical events and the Jew in the Diaspora, between a wicked, cruel monster and a lonely Jewish maiden on whose frail shoulders Providence placed the heavy load of historical responsibility? How can the Jew triumph over his adversaries and enemies if God has stopped speaking to him, if the cryptic messages he receives remain unintelligible and incomprehensible?
The answer to this question is more a statement of facts than an explanation. Even during the non-prophetic era, at a time when the Divine countenance is hidden (hester panim), man is elected by God to carry on, to make decisions, to undertake difficult tasks courageously and implement them superbly. Of course, it is a superhuman task for a young, inexperienced maiden. However, the spirit of God will descend on her and inspire her to defy danger and to make the right decisions. God asks of man to reach maturity and independence. He wills man to act with courage and wisdom, allegedly as his own master. "This song shall answer" (Deut. 31:21); the song of the Torah will never be terminated. All communities, prophetic and non-prophetic, will join in. (p.70-72)
Esther represents the paradigm of how to operate in the non-prophetic era. We must make decisions in a different framework without direct Divine communication. We cannot ask the high priest in the temple to inquire of the Urim v’Tumim –the breast plate to determine if we should go to war or not. But a lack of prophecy does not translate to absolve us from acting. Indeed, Esther and Mordechai read the scene, debated strategy, and put a plan into play. They gathered the people together, engaged in Teshuva, and prayed that their prayers and plans would be accepted, that God would bless their path. With the dawn of a new era, man is not absolved of divine service, but called upon to take even greater initiative. He must act with conviction, bravery, and intelligence, and pray that God will make his plan successful. The model of interaction between man and God is different in the non-prophetic era, but Esther represents our guiding light.
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.
Steinsaltz, A., In Weinreb, T. H., In Schreier, J., & Hotsaat (2015). Koren Talmud Bavli, the Noe edition. Koren. Retrieved from: https://shas.alhatorah.org/Full/Megillah/14a.1#e0n6
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bentorah.substack.com
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By Ben TorahThe Book of Esther is unique. It is a story about the salvation of the Jewish people, but it does not contain the name of God overtly anywhere in the text. Indeed, the Talmud explains that Esther marks a new dawn in the relationship between God and his people.
תלמוד בבלי – יומא כט.
אָמַר רַבִּי אַסִּי לָמָּה נִמְשְׁלָה אֶסְתֵּר לְשַׁחַר לוֹמַר לָךְ מָה שַׁחַר סוֹף כׇּל הַלַּיְלָה אַף אֶסְתֵּר סוֹף כׇּל הַנִּסִּים. וְהָא אִיכָּא חֲנוּכָּה נִיתְּנָה לִכְתּוֹב קָא אָמְרִינַן.
Talmud Bavli – Yoma 29a
Rabbi Asi said: Why was Esther likened to the dawn? To tell you: Just as the dawn is the conclusion of the entire night, so too, Esther was the conclusion of all miracles. The Gemara asks: But isn’t there the miracle of Hanukkah, which was performed many years later? The Gemara answers: It is true that additional miracles were performed after the miracle of Purim; however, it is with regard to miracles for which permission was granted to write them in the Bible that we are saying that the miracle of Purim was the last one. The Gemara asks: That works out well according to the one who said: Permission was granted to write the Scroll of Esther in the Bible as a book whose sanctity equals that of the other books of the Bible.
Rebbe Asi explains that just as the dawn marks the end of the night, so too Esther marks the end of miracles. The Gemara then asks, what about the miracle of Chanukah? It answers that the episode of Esther was the last miracle to be part of the Jewish canon.
Apparently there is something in the story of Esther that required future study, in a way that differentiates it from other miraculous events. Something in the book necessitated its inclusion in the official recorded history of the Jewish people. What is the nature of this new era? What do we learn from Esther about how to relate to God and the world?
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik – Days of Deliverance
At that time, the covenantal community was losing, slowly but surely, the most precious of all gifts: prophecy. The great covenantal dialogue between man and God that had commenced with Abraham was about to be terminated, and the prophetic community faced a stark, ruthless reality–a non-prophetic existence. With the transition from a prophetic to a non-prophetic community, the Jewish historical experience changed completely…
Of course, God was in communication with man in both eras. However, the nature of the communication is not the same. In the prophetic era, the communication is clear and understandable; in the non-prophetic era, the communications are laconic and enigmatic, consisting of mysterious hints and signs, bright, dazzling flashes and intimations that mystify man, who is often lonely and feels forsaken. He is under the impression, however incorrect, that God has abandoned and deserted him. A frightening silence envelops everybody and everything…
"Where is there an allusion to Esther in the Pentateuch? asks the Talmud (Hullin 139b). The answer is given immediately: "And I shall hide My countenance on that day" (Deut. 31:18). What did the Talmud mean to express by this question and answer? The Pentateuch tells us the story of the prophetic community at the hour of triumph, at the hour of unusual revelation and direct contact with God. But what kind of message does the Pentateuch have for the non-prophetic community at an hour of distress? Where is there in the Torah an allusion to the silent, mute confrontation between mighty historical events and the Jew in the Diaspora, between a wicked, cruel monster and a lonely Jewish maiden on whose frail shoulders Providence placed the heavy load of historical responsibility? How can the Jew triumph over his adversaries and enemies if God has stopped speaking to him, if the cryptic messages he receives remain unintelligible and incomprehensible?
The answer to this question is more a statement of facts than an explanation. Even during the non-prophetic era, at a time when the Divine countenance is hidden (hester panim), man is elected by God to carry on, to make decisions, to undertake difficult tasks courageously and implement them superbly. Of course, it is a superhuman task for a young, inexperienced maiden. However, the spirit of God will descend on her and inspire her to defy danger and to make the right decisions. God asks of man to reach maturity and independence. He wills man to act with courage and wisdom, allegedly as his own master. "This song shall answer" (Deut. 31:21); the song of the Torah will never be terminated. All communities, prophetic and non-prophetic, will join in. (p.70-72)
Esther represents the paradigm of how to operate in the non-prophetic era. We must make decisions in a different framework without direct Divine communication. We cannot ask the high priest in the temple to inquire of the Urim v’Tumim –the breast plate to determine if we should go to war or not. But a lack of prophecy does not translate to absolve us from acting. Indeed, Esther and Mordechai read the scene, debated strategy, and put a plan into play. They gathered the people together, engaged in Teshuva, and prayed that their prayers and plans would be accepted, that God would bless their path. With the dawn of a new era, man is not absolved of divine service, but called upon to take even greater initiative. He must act with conviction, bravery, and intelligence, and pray that God will make his plan successful. The model of interaction between man and God is different in the non-prophetic era, but Esther represents our guiding light.
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.
Steinsaltz, A., In Weinreb, T. H., In Schreier, J., & Hotsaat (2015). Koren Talmud Bavli, the Noe edition. Koren. Retrieved from: https://shas.alhatorah.org/Full/Megillah/14a.1#e0n6
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bentorah.substack.com