Is Hillary the Next Vashti?
Tuesday February 20, 2007
No one is who they appear to be in the Book of Esther, which we read on the upcoming holiday of Purim. Vashti seems an all-powerful queen, yet she overestimates her power and is removed from office, probably not pleasantly,...
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About Virtual Talmud
This blog is no longer updated and is closed for comments. We welcome your comments about Judaism in our Judaism forums.
Brad Hirschfield currently blogs on Windows and Doors.
Author, radio and TV talk show host, and President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Brad Hirschfield is the author of You Don’t Have To Be Wrong For Me To Be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism. Listed as one of the nation’s 50 most influential rabbis in Newsweek, and a regular commentator on Court TV, he is the creator of the popular series, Building Bridges, airing on Bridges TV, and the co-host of the weekly radio show, Hirschfield and Kula.
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Is your analysis about Pelosi from a feminist point of view? Some people are not very pleased with the changes in legislature she is so adamantly trying to make. As far as Hiliary being compared to Queen Vashti-- that's like saying you feel she is a descendant of some wicked king and once in a position of rule she won't be able to handle authority-- this is the point of view of many men. What say you!
Hmm...??? Interesting. I really enjoyed Rabbi Grossman's thoughts. ...more to come after I digest and taste this post some more!
What I see when I read this blog, and look at Esther in the king's audience, it makes me wonder how subjugated women are to remain. This is an interesting post in for the 21st century. Perhaps Vashti loses some of "her power" but in my opinion, this depiction of Esther shows she has not the power and that she loses some of herself as well. Sadly, in patriarchy, there are few places where women can nurture and develop their natural talents and "power" without continually being limited in some way by the male power structure. There is no win-win, only compromise-compromise, unlike the male access to power and selfhood, within a patriarchy that is.
In defense of Esther - sometimes you make the decision that ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Esther was saving lives. That's pretty heroic. (And maybe Vashti is better off sacrificing her crown than her human dignity.) In the story of Esther, the main problems that the women have are caused by the men, who in this story are generally a bunch of shmegeggis, or worse. Girls rule! :)
Vashti enslaved Jewish girls and made them work on Shabbas.Yes she refused to dance nude she was selfish and calculating.
You are using the two most despicable women in Congress today as comparisons? Neither of them have the inner strength, religious faith and wisdom of an Esther!!! However, aside from my earleir commnets on their character (or lack thereof)I can see both of them as a "Vashti" Vashti (for comparison) certainly had it over both these two harpies!!! The very fact that you are using these two as examples of modern womanhood begs the questions, why have you chosen these two as opposed to others who have far more dignity, intelligence and intestinal fortitude such as an Ann Coulter (conservative commentator) Debbie Schlussel (conservative commentator) or a Jane Harmon (a tough cookie)? Yet you choose these two hedonistic, self serving, ambitious females who care only for what they can get for themselves and the hell with the rest of the country? For Shame!!! Mrs. Sara Stein
Sara, Purim is 10 days away. Thus, it makes sense that Rabbi Grossman would choose to use the two women from the Megillah. Personally, I prefer Deborah and Miriam. I also do like to think and hope that there are women who have the characteristics of these two women. I believer there are. Ruth Messinger is a modern day woman that comes to my mind! She's remarkable! Shalom!
The thing I love about Jewish theology (I'm not Jewish) is the way every word of the scripture can be emphasized and turned this way and that (was Vashti to wear ONLY the crown? no wonder she refused!) and looked at from every possible angle and applied to modern times (which is just starting on this bog). I was fascinated by that when I was young, and tended to adopt it into my own reading of scripture, which has earned me a reputation for having nteresting thoughts" about scripture in my church. When I find time, I'll revisit. :-)
Clinton or Pelosi naked? Avert thine eyes!
Dave, Oi Vay! Most certainly, avert thine eyes! And very quickly, I add to this thought!!! LOL! Celia, Thank you for sharing! Have you visted MyJewishLearning.com? Shalom!