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Vashti (Hebrew: וַשְׁתִּי, romanized: Vaštī; Koinē Greek: Ἀστίν, romanized: Astín; Modern Persian: واشتی, romanized: Vâšti) was a queen of Persia and the first wife of Persian king Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, a book included within the Tanakh and the Old Testament which is read on the Jewish holiday of Purim.
- “It Happened in The Days of Ahasuerus”
- Vashti in Modern Literature
- Conclusion
The megillah opens with a display of rudeness: Why, the rabbis wonder, does the text fail to note the king’s title? Shouldn’t it have read: “It happened in the days of KingAhasuerus”? The reason, the rabbis infer, is because, technically, it was true. Ahasuerus was not yet king — he was merely angling to become the monarch of a newly-formed empire....
Like ancient commentaries, modern versions are rife with opportunities for reimagining Vashti. Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s The Woman’s Bible cheers, “[Vashti] added new glory to [her] day and generation … by her disobedience; for resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.” In her short story Vashti and the Angel Gabriel, Rabbi Jill Hammer imagines the...
The Talmud (Chagigah 3b) describes a lesson taught by Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria in the great yeshivah at Yavneh. “Make your ears like a funnel,” he urged his students, “praise those who deem the matter pure, and those who reject it as impure. Acquire for yourself an understanding heart to listen both to those who validate and those who invalidate.” R...
When Queen Vashti famously refused to dance at the king’s wine party, she precipitated a scandal in the royal court of Persia. Yet the text of the Megillah — the Book of Esther — does not tell us her fate.
Esther didn't hide behind a mask of makeup, or a jewelry display—yet she sparkled With dignity, purpose, and grace. Ahasuerus wasn't used to real women. The scepter he stretched towards Esther was living proof. Even a dog like him had no choice to be impressed by Esther's dignity.
- Mendel Kalmenson
May 9, 2017 · Was Queen Vashti, King Xerxes’ ex-wife, as shallow and stubborn as we assume? I want you to ponder and puzzle with me. Queen Vashti’s gripping story is told in twelve short verses, Esther 1:8-20. Was this sexy gal a diva, or a heroine? And why should we care? We know she was one gutsy lady.
- Julie Barrier
Vashti, the wife of Ahasuerus, was banished when her husband summoned her to appear before the men at their revelry. The Babylonian Rabbis tend to cast Vashti in an extremely negative light, as wicked, a Jew-hater, and wanton.
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Aug 13, 2012 · Today’s western woman is independent and autonomous; Vashti’s rebellion is a “virtue”. “I’ll submit to my husband but I’ll obey God first” = “I stand in judgment over anything my husband thinks and will reach my own mind about things”.
