As children, in elementary school, we are taught that Achashverosh was this great king that ruled over so many lands and had parties all the time. From the way we learned in class, by Perek Alef, we can already see that Achashverosh was not this great guy that we made him out to be in elementary school.
Perek Alef starts off saying that Achashverosh was seen as a great king and he ruled over all these lands and he was living in the capitol of the city. Then it goes on to say that he threw a huge party to show that he is the one who is in control of all of the provinces. He throws a party that is 180 days long to show off his power, wealth, and greatness of kingship.
At the end of the 180 days, the last 7 days, Achashverosh threw another party where he invited every single person in the provinces. Anyone could come in to the gates of the palace. At first, that might sound good, he's being accepting of everyone where everyone could come into the palace to celebrate. Achashverosh wasn't being nice and accepting, he was just throwing the party with everyone so that he could show off his power to everyone in the land.
Queen Vashti was also having a party for the diplomat's wives. On the 7th day, Achashverosh called his advisors to go get his queen so he could show her off. He wanted her to be brought out to the party to show off her beauty since she was beautiful. Vashti refuses to come out and Achashverosh becomes furious.
The king goes to his advisors to get advice on what to do because Vashti didn't come to him. He went to the astrologers because they knew all of the laws. They come to him and he asks what he should do because Vashti didn't listen. Memuchan steps up and says that Vashti didn't just offend him, she offended all the officers of the world. The women are all going to get angry at their husbands now.The kingdom is going to collapse. He says that they should make a decree that can't be nullified.
Memuchan suggests that the king should establish a rule though the whole land stating that all women have to do what their husbands tell them to do. No matter how big or how small, the women have to listen to what their husbands say no exception. The king likes this idea and they send out the decree.
From this Perek we can already see that Achashverosh was not the powerful king that we first learned he was when we were in elementary school. Achashverosh was unable to even control his family life at home and he had to go to his advisors to get help in what to do and how to deal with his wife that didn't answer him. He would always just go to his advisors for help when he needed instead of being the great, powerful king that he was said to be.
Although Achashverosh's final decision was rash, I can see where the advisors are coming from. They have to make this law, so that no other women would rebel against their husbands. To them this is not acceptable, so they had to do something about it. Although our ideals may not agree with this concept, if we take a situation that we strongly believe in not to do, we would probably create a law prohibitting it,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Shaina, I think that in that specific time, it was normal for those types of laws to be passed. Also, women were not seen as particularly powerful or important during that time anyway. I'm surprised that the women didn't already have to listen to their husbands. However, I don't think the fact that the advisers were the ones who took action shows anything good about Achashverosh.
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