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38

February 22 • 2018

jn

Role Model?

Would you dress as Vashti this Purim?

LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I

n the Book of Esther, the Jewish
community of the far-flung Persian
Empire escapes destruction through
the wiles of the beautiful queen Esther,
aided by her cousin Mordechai. On
Purim, which begins at sundown Feb.
28, we reread the book and celebrate
the story in various ways: feasting,
drinking wine, sending gifts to the poor,
sharing portions of food and, starting
about 800 years ago in Italy, wearing
costumes.
Originally, the costumes prob-
ably meant dressing as Esther or
Mordechai, our heroes. The practice
would train us to identify with those
brave Jews, role models who saved
our people. Eventually, Jewish people
in many countries started wearing all
sorts of other fanciful or comic outfits
for Purim: coming as a hamentash or
as a bottle of wine or a mailbox.
What about dressing as Vashti?
Vashti, the Queen of Persia, shows
up at the beginning of the Book of
Esther. King Achasuerus, drinking at a
stag party in his own honor, sends for
the queen to come from her women-
only party “in the royal crown, to show
the people and the princes her beauty,
for she was good looking” (1:11). The
unthinkable happens: She refuses to
come.
Consulting with his committee of
wise men, the king decides to banish
Vashti. Later, when King Ahasuerus
misses having a queen, he begins an
elaborate process that ends with Esther
becoming Queen of Persia.
Vashti has a bit part in the story.
She is not Jewish. She does not save
the Jews. We do not find out why she
refuses to come before the king. Does
she make a good role model for Jewish
children (or adults)?
The king’s wise men think they know
what motivates her: She is a radical
feminist. They say that if word gets
out that the queen refused the king’s
order, then wives will rebel against
husbands throughout the empire. They
recommend sending a message to all
provinces of the empire recounting the
story of Vashti, along with her strict

punishment, and ordering wives to
show respect to their husbands, who
must rule over them.
The king wants to show off Vashti as
one of his possessions; she refuses to let
him objectify her. So, does she make a
good role model?
Art teacher Michelle Sider of
Huntington Woods, says, “I defi-
nitely identify with Vashti. The king
demanded she sacrifice her dignity and
debase herself, and she
refused. She paid dearly
for this decision by sac-
rificing her throne and
being banished. I great-
ly admire Vashti, who
stood by her values and
demonstrated strength
of character.”
Nava Finkelman,
Michelle Sider
a Ph.D. candidate
in Bible at Bar-Ilan
University in Ramat
Gan, Israel (who is also
my daughter-in-law),
says: “There was a time
a few years ago when
Vashti was my favorite
biblical character (this
changes every few
Nava Finkelman
years). I was impressed
not so much by her character per se as
by the way in which the biblical author,
without even granting her a direct
quote, still managed to convey the
sense of her walking with her head held
high, not stooping to what she consid-
ered unworthy even at
a great price. I think
that makes her a good
role model, too.”
Naomi Levine of
Farmington Hills
agrees: “Vashti is an
unsung heroine. She
would be right at home
Naomi Levine
in the #metoo move-
ment. Refusing to be
ogled at the drunken party was a huge
act of defiance and bravery. She doesn’t
get enough credit, in my opinion, and
I would be proud to dress as her for
Purim.” •

