2

Mordechai warns Ester that if she does not partake in saving the Jews:

כִּ֣י אִם־הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי֮ בָּעֵ֣ת הַזֹּאת֒
רֶ֣וַח וְהַצָּלָ֞ה יַעֲמ֤וֹד לַיְּהוּדִים֙ מִמָּק֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר
וְאַ֥תְּ וּבֵית־אָבִ֖יךְ תֹּאבֵ֑דוּ
וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ אִם־לְעֵ֣ת כָּזֹ֔את הִגַּ֖עַתְּ לַמַּלְכֽוּת׃

Ester did her part. What remarkable lineage stemmed from her as a reward for that?

2 Answers 2

4

Vayikra Rabbah 13:5 records a tradition that King Darius was the son of Esther (and Ahasuerus):

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן דָּרְיָוֶשׁ הָאַחֲרוֹן בְּנָהּ שֶׁל אֶסְתֵּר הָיָה, טָהוֹר מֵאִמּוֹ וְטָמֵא מֵאָבִיו.‏

Said R. Yehuda son of R. Simon, "Darius the Last was the son of Esther, pure from his mother and impure from his father."

It is often assumed that this Darius is the one described in Ezra 6 as permitting the completion of the construction of the second Temple (see e.g. Tosafot to Rosh HaShanah 3b).

3
  • Does anyone connect this Midrash with the OPs verse? Seemingly this is just regular Conservation of Biblical Personalities Midrash, though your point would provide a good motivation for this particular match (especially since historically it's not accurate so it ought to have other meaning)
    – Double AA
    Mar 24, 2019 at 13:28
  • @DoubleAA It's how I've always understood the point of the Midrash, but, having searched, I can't find anyone who explicitly makes the connection.
    – Joel K
    Mar 24, 2019 at 15:22
  • @DoubleAA A relative of mine likes to darshen at the Purim seudah on וְתַ֥חַת הַסִּרְפַּ֖ד יַעֲלֶ֣ה הֲדַ֑ס...כִּי־כֹ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה לַסָּֽרִיסִים֙...וְנָתַתִּ֨י לָהֶ֜ם בְּבֵיתִ֤י וּבְחֽוֹמֹתַי֙ יָ֣ד וָשֵׁ֔ם ט֖וֹב מִבָּנִ֣ים וּמִבָּנ֑וֹת שֵׁ֤ם עוֹלָם֙ אֶתֶּן־ל֔וֹ that Esther is the סריס who cannot have (fully) Jewish children, but who merits giving birth to Darius who has the שם עולם of a יד ושם in the building of ביתי וחומותי which is טוב מבנים ומבנות
    – Joel K
    Mar 24, 2019 at 15:25
0

The alshich and manos halevi... explain that תאבדו is not a punishment

it is just a lost opportunity to fix what severe damage shaul her grandfather had caused to himself the kingdom and the family and this all will be lost forever...

it does not imply that if she is successful in this endeavor the family line will be rewarded

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .