Shabbat Gathering: Whatever happened to Esther?

Gud Shabbos Khaveyrim, as is our custom, we will gather tonight at 5.45p ct to welcome Shabbat. These are the coordinates:

Zoom
Meeting ID: 883 8469 4181
Password: 822665
Phone: +1 312 626 6799

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Here we go.

I wonder. What happened with Queen Esther after the end of the Purim story?

Did she and King Ahasuerus live happily ever after? Did she retire to the King’s harem and disappear in the midst of all the other women? Did she unionize the harem and gain rights for women throughout the land? Did Ahasuerus divorce her after finding out she was a Jew? Did she reform Ahasuerus and finally get him sober? Did Haman’s death trouble her or did she feel pleased about it? It was good that she saved the Jews, but at what cost?

I don’t know what happened to Esther, but I’d like to think that she might have regretted how events played out, the slaughter and all that. Given all the tumult she caused, maybe Ahasuerus decided that Esther was probably more trouble than she was worth and dismissed her from the harem and she tried to lived a quiet life under her uncle’s protection. She became a wise woman who Jewish women turned to for advice. She became the favorite aunt to all her nieces and nephews. The youngsters would gather around her and she would tell them the story of how she saved the Jews of Shushan. Maybe there she started a yeshiva for women. Maybe not. The book of Esther is famous for being the only book in the Bible not to mention Hashem, so maybe a yeshiva is not the right look for her. Maybe she didn’t put much store in Hashem who nearly let the Jews be wiped out.

Being a little bit familiar with Jewish texts, I imagine that somewhere there is midrash that accounts for the rest of Esther’s days. I just need to look harder to find it. But maybe someone will make the effort to write that story and maybe that story will be repeated enough so that it's accepted as midrash. Sefaria might add the story to it's library of texts.

Midrash may be the original fan fiction. Just like today's practitioners of the craft, the authors work to answer, "What if?" and "Then what happened?" There aren't any hard and fast rules for what's accepted into the canon and what isn't. Maybe you have some ideas about what happened to Esther you'll jot down some day and in 200 years it will be taught in cheder and yeshiva. You never know.

And may it be for all of us a blessing.

See you tonight!
Mit vareme grusn,
(With warm regards,)

All my love,
brian.

PS

Here's information on CSS' Purim Celebration:

Monday, March 2
CSS Purim Celebration: Shushan Olympics, 5:30 p.m. pizza; 6:15 p.m. festivities begin

First Unitarian Society, Gaebler Living Room and Landmark Auditorium

Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to cheer for Queen Esther and jeer at Haman. Free pizza at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Purim shpiel, singing, dancing, our band, megillah reading, and an English rendition of the story. Wear a costume and bring a dessert to share. Register! Volunteer! Email Michelle Fisher to participate in the shpiel. We will have one rehearsal at 5:00 p.m. on Monday.

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