Editing Book of Esther (section)

== Interpretation ==
In the Book of Esther, the [[Tetragrammaton]] does not appear, but some argue it is present, in hidden form, in four complex [[acrostic]]s in Hebrew: the initial or last letters of four consecutive words, either forwards or backwards comprise YHWH. These letters were distinguished in at least three ancient Hebrew manuscripts in red.<ref>[http://www.therain.org/appendixes/app60.html The Name of Jehovah in the Book of Esther.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224342/http://www.therain.org/appendixes/app60.html |date=2016-03-03 }}, appendix 60, ''Companion Bible''.</ref><ref group=note>These are Est 1:20; 5:4, 13 and 7:7. Additionally, Est 7:5 there is an acrostic referring to the title of God of Exodus 3:14.</ref>

[[Christine Hayes]] contrasts the Book of Esther with [[Apocalyptic literature|apocalyptic writings]], the [[Book of Daniel]] in particular: both Esther and Daniel depict an existential threat to the Jewish people, but while Daniel commands the Jews to wait faithfully for God to resolve the crisis, in Esther the crisis is resolved entirely through human action and national solidarity. God, in fact, is not mentioned, Esther is portrayed as [[cultural assimilation|assimilated]] to Persian culture, and Jewish identity in the book is an [[Jewish peoplehood|ethnic category]] rather than a [[Judaism|religious one]].<ref name="oyc">{{cite web |first=Christine |last=Hayes |author-link=Christine Hayes |year=2006 |url=http://oyc.yale.edu/religious-studies/rlst-145/lecture-24 |website=[[Open Yale Courses]] |publisher=[[Yale University]] |title=<!--RLST 145: -->Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible): Lecture 24{{snd}} Alternative Visions: Esther, Ruth, and Jonah |access-date=2016-01-05 |archive-date=2023-08-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230809174408/https://oyc.yale.edu/religious-studies/rlst-145/lecture-24 |url-status=live }}</ref>

This contrasts with traditional Jewish commentaries, such as the commentary of the [[Vilna Gaon]], which states "But in every verse it discusses the great miracle. However, this miracle was in a hidden form, occurring through apparently natural processes, not like the Exodus from Egypt, which openly revealed the might of God."<ref>Commentary of the Vilna Gaon to the Book of Esther 1:1</ref> This follows the approach of the [[Talmud]],<ref>Chullin 139b</ref> which states that "(The Book of) Esther is referenced in the Torah in the verse 'And I shall surely hide (in Hebrew, 'haster astir,' related to 'Esther') My Face from them on that day.<ref>Deut. 31:18</ref>

André Lacocque also sees the Book of Esther as being fundamentally theological and that its main message was to correct the mistakes of ancestors. These mistakes included being lenient against Amalekites and plundering goods, which [[King Saul]] was guilty of. Another message was that diasporic Jews were responsible for the welfare of their host community, who held unpredictable views about Jews. These views ranged from violent antisemitism to passionate [[philosemitism]], where Jews are arbitrarily promoted to higher positions due to being 'sexy'. Lacocque compares this to [[Joseph (Bible)|Joseph]]'s governance of Egypt in the [[Book of Genesis]], which benefitted native Egyptians and Hebrew immigrants.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Lacocque |first=André |date=1987 |title=HAMAN IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER |url=https://kb.osu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/5084b1af-994a-58d0-96eb-1ae79a4e985f/content |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616065136/https://kb.osu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/5084b1af-994a-58d0-96eb-1ae79a4e985f/content |archive-date=June 16, 2024 |website=The Ohio State of University}}</ref>

Although [[Interfaith marriage in Judaism|marriages between Jews and Gentiles]] are not permitted in [[orthodox Judaism]], even in case of [[Pikuach nefesh]], Esther is not regarded as a sinner, because she remained passive, and risked her life to save that of the entire Jewish people.<ref name="shurpin">Yehuda Shurpin: [https://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/628769/jewish/How-Could-Esther-Marry-a-Non-Jewish-King.htm ''How Could Esther Marry a Non-Jewish King?''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023034355/https://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/628769/jewish/How-Could-Esther-Marry-a-Non-Jewish-King.htm |date=2020-10-23 }}, [[Chabad.org]].</ref>

Azīz Pajand, a Persian Jew, published "Purim" in 1966, which offered an Iranophilic interpretation of the Book of Esther. Here, Haman was the Amalekite enemy of 'pure-blooded Iranians' and Jews. Thus, Purim became a holiday that celebrates salvation for all Iranians from the 'Hamanites'. He also emphasizes the role of Jewish-Persian cooperation in realizing the Book of Esther's denouement. Pajand justified his interpretation to dispel accusations that the Book of Esther was anti-Iranian and because he believed that Iranians were "travellers in the way of truth". In contrast, Haman violated the [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] ideal of “Good thoughts; Good words; and Good deeds”.<ref name=":142">{{Cite book |last=Silverstein |first=Adam J. |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/10288/chapter-abstract/158005696?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=true |title=Veiling Esther, Unveiling Her Story: The Reception of a Biblical Book in Islamic Lands |date=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0198797227 |pages=39–63}}</ref> Lacocque likewise observes that the "enemies of the Jews" were never arbitrarily branded as Amalekites before being killed, in comparison to Haman and his sons, which discredits any motive of Jewish ultranationalism.<ref name=":1" />

[[Albert Barnes (theologian)|Albert Barnes]] similarly argues that the [[Philosemitism|philosemitic]] Persian establishment was perplexed at Haman's decree ({{Bibleverse|Esther|3:15}}),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Esther 3 Barnes' Notes |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/esther/3.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213005602/https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/esther/3.htm |archive-date=February 13, 2024 |website=Biblehub.com}}</ref> and that they were supportive of Esther's efforts against the "enemies of the Jews". The latter were mostly found "among the idolatrous people of the subject nations", whom the Persians did not care for.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Esther 9 Barnes' Notes |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/esther/9.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212110948/https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-deliberately-flawed-divine-torah |archive-date=February 12, 2024 |website=TheTorah.com}}</ref> The ones in Susa, however, consisted of Haman's faction, led by his ten sons,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Esther 9 Gill's Exposition |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/esther/9.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212112631/https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/esther/9.htm |archive-date=February 12, 2024 |website=Biblehub.com}}</ref> and fugitives who believed they were free to kill the Jews once the latter's "privileges have expired", thus why they were killed the next day.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Esther 9 Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jfb/esther/9.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212115033/https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jfb/esther/9.htm |archive-date=February 12, 2024 |website=Biblehub.com}}</ref> [[Matthew Poole]] sees the subsequent hanging of Haman's sons as a cruel Jewish and Persian custom that punishes offenders for 'abusing' the king.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Esther 9 Matthew Poole's Commentary |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/poole/esther/9.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711212910/https://biblehub.com/commentaries/poole/esther/9.htm |archive-date=July 11, 2021 |website=Biblehub.com}}</ref>

John Gill sees the conversion of Persian allies ({{Bibleverse|Esther|8:17}}) as an example of '[[Forced conversion|conversion under duress]]' but does not discount alternative explanations. They include being impressed by the 'Divine Providence' working in the Jews' favor and seeking the favor of Esther and Mordecai, who gained immense power.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Esther 8 Gill's Exposition |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/esther/8.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301085645/https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/esther/8.htm |archive-date=March 1, 2024 |website=Biblehub.com}}</ref> But ultimately, the Persian allies and Jews celebrated Purim together and taught their children to read the Book of Esther ({{Bibleverse|Esther|9:27}}).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Esther 9 Gill's Exposition |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/esther/9.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423022220/https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/esther/9.htm |archive-date=April 23, 2024 |website=Biblehub.com}}</ref>

According to Rabbi Mordechai Neugroschel, there is a code in the Book of Esther which lies in the names of Haman's 10 sons. Three of the Hebrew letters—a tav, a shin and a zayin—are written smaller than the rest, while a vav is written larger. The outsized vav—which represents the number six—corresponds to the sixth millennium of the world since creation, which, according to Jewish tradition, is the period between 1240 and 2240 CE. As for the tav, shin and zayin, their numerical values add up to 707. Put together, these letters refer to the Jewish year 5707, which corresponds to the secular 1946–1947. In his research, Neugroschel noticed that ten Nazi defendants in the Nuremberg Trials were executed by hanging on 16 October 1946, which was the date of the final judgement day of Judaism, [[Hoshana Rabbah]]. Additionally, [[Hermann Göring]], an eleventh Nazi official sentenced to death, committed suicide, parallel to Haman's daughter in Tractate Megillah.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sefaria.org.il/Megillah.16a.11?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en|title=Tractate Megillah 16a|website=www.sefaria.org.il|access-date=15 July 2018|archive-date=10 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710164826/https://www.sefaria.org/Megillah.16a.11?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://www.timesofisrael.com/french-best-seller-unravels-nazis-cryptic-last-words-about-purim/ French bestseller unravels Nazi propagandist's cryptic last words about Purim] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610131811/http://www.timesofisrael.com/french-best-seller-unravels-nazis-cryptic-last-words-about-purim/ |date=10 June 2015 }}, Times of Israel 28 December 2012</ref>