This is part two in a series on Purim by Digital & Jewish columnist Mark Mietkiewicz. Click for part one in the series, the Shpiel’s the Thing, here.
Of course, the story of Esther makes for great kids’ plays and satirical skits. But if you haven’t scrolled through the Megillah recently, you may be surprised how textured this story of court intrigue, attempted genocide and ultimate deliverance can be. Before Purim starts, take a read or two and bring new meaning to the Megillah ceremony.
Chabad.org’s Megillah page is a great one-stop resource where you’ll find an English translation, a printable English/Hebrew Megillah, a Megillah with commentary and a rhyming version of the story. You can even listen to the entire Book of Esther delivered in just over 42 minutes but as the page notes, “One fulfills the obligation of listening to the Megillah on Purim only by listening to a live reading.”
For a woman’s voice, the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance has put together a simple but well-designed site that allows you to view the text of the Megillah with vowels and musical notation. Or you can toggle to display letters only – which is similar to what you would see in an actual Megillah. What’s particularly clever is that clicking on any word causes the text to be sung from that point on.
But the best printable Megillah comes courtesy OpenSiddur.org. Not only can you download it as a Word or PDF document, you can also suggest changes to improve the translation. And if you haven’t brushed up on the contents of the story lately but don’t want to read the entire Megillah, Ohr Somayah has put together a helpful chapter-by-chapter summary.
In “The Upside-Down World of Megillat Esther”, Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun poses some difficult questions. Why was a story “devoid of any sacred material,” one that doesn’t even mention that God’s included among the holy books of the Tanach? Rabbi Bin-Nun then suggests that having a story in which God does not overtly appear actually teaches us an important lesson. Even when it seemed as if God is out of the picture, He still facilitated the Jewish victory.
“Feminist Aspects of Megillat Esther” examines the actions of the strong female characters of the story like Esther and Vashti. We see how Mordechai considered Esther a full partner in saving the Jews and convinced her to accept her mission despite the risks. “Esther responds to Mordechai’s appeal and from that moment forth, the initiative passes to her – and she alone plans and implements all the steps that lead ultimately to the salvation of Israel.”
In addition to being an important religious document, the Megillah can also be a beautiful work of art. Illustrated and illuminated with scenes from the Purim story, they often reflect their country of origin rather than traditional Persia. An Italian Megillah on view at the Library of Congress has the historic characters in 18th century dress.
And if you have $3,995.00 (US) to spare, you could do worse than pick up a facsimile of an 18th century illuminated manuscript of the Book of Esther. It’s reproduced on fine parchment in a hand-tooled silver case. If you’d prefer to save the four grand, visit this website for an education into how a piece of religious art is shaped into existence.
Although this Megillah is not kosher to be read from on Purim, it does mark quite an achievement. At seven metres long and one metre wide, it has the entire text of the Megillah embroidered on it – by a machine. It was created by students at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Ramat Gan. They were enrolled in a workshop called “Remake – conveying data and messages clandestinely and openly between material and texture.” The writing is not intended to be legible but to be reminiscent of what a Megillah looks like.
If you don’t mind the occasional groaner, then read a “modern” interpretation of the story of Purim. Here’s a sample: “This attempted political coup which became known in the Persian press as ‘Palace-gate’ … After years of legal deliberations, the two assassins were found guilty. And since the jury was not hung, the assassins were.”
I’m afraid that Queen Esther was no laughing matter for a certain Egyptian cleric several years ago. It seems that Safwat Higazi was calling for a boycott of Starbucks throughout the Arab world. As he explained to Egypt’s Al-Nas TV, “The girl in the Starbucks logo is Queen Esther. This queen is Queen of the Jews.” And her crown? “This is the crown of the Kingdom of Persia.”
It doesn’t seem that Imam Higazi’s call of boycott was heeded. At last count, Starbucks has stores throughout the Arab world including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
And as for the accusation that Queen Esther had invaded Starbucks, check out the evolution of the logo here. Spoiler alert: all mermaid, alas no queen.
Happy Purim!