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Feb. 22, 2013
Beauty from the inside out
In every circumstance, Esther was true to her moral code.
ELIZABETH NIDER
It’s 360 BCE. In Shushan, the king is on the search for a new queen. Desperate to win the king’s attention, the young women of Shushan spend 12 months beautifying themselves with ointments and cosmetics. Comes along Esther, a humble Jewish woman who requests no beautifying agents at all, yet is chosen as the new queen.
Esther, who originally was named Hadassah, went through many hardships. She was orphaned at birth (her father died while her mother was pregnant, and her mother died in childbirth), adopted by her cousin Mordechai, married to a hedonistic king, had to keep kosher and Shabbat in secret and was instrumental in securing the lives of the Jewish people in Shushan (somewhere in modern-day Iran). Each of these events alone could cause a person to buckle under pressure or to become resentful or bitter about life. Not to mention that becoming queen could seriously undermine one’s humility. But that was not Esther’s way. She not only rose to the occasion, but she did it with strength and with trust in God.
Hadassah means myrtle in Hebrew. The myrtle is one of the four species that we use on the holiday of Sukkot and, according to Sefer Bahir, a kabbalistic work almost 2,000 years old, hadassah are representative of human eyes. The Talmud tells us that myrtle leaves are sweet smelling and are used as a metaphor to describe righteous people.
It’s clear that Esther had a strong sense of modesty and was not concerned with external appearances. She also could see that which others could not: she saw deeper into people’s souls and had a sixth sense of what was at a person’s core. One example of this is the way she “set up” Haman by feeding his ego when inviting him to dine with herself and the king, knowing that he would be too busy congratulating himself to wonder what might be in store for him.
During her stay at the palace, Esther managed to keep kosher by going vegan. According to the Talmud, she ate beans, peas, rice and seeds. This is why it is customary to eat legumes and seeds (poppyseed hamantashen, anyone?) on Purim. The Talmud also describes how Esther kept Shabbat: she had seven maids who each worked on a specific day of the week; because the Saturday maid only saw Esther once a week, she could have surmised that Esther simply didn’t work on any day of the week. Whether an orphan or a queen, Esther knew her moral code and stuck with it.
Perhaps this is why the Megillah is named Megillat Esther. Esther remained the queen of Persia for many years, never returning to Mordechai. She didn’t just give up the opportunity to have a kosher, juicy medium-rare steak. She sacrificed her steadfast way of life and spiritual fulfilment for the opportunity to protect and ultimately help liberate the Jewish nation. It was also Esther who lobbied for the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah, the Men of the Great Assembly, to put the Purim story in writing, as well as for the scroll to be read publicly every Purim.
This Purim, make a choice: can you be more like Esther and see beyond appearances? This might mean taking a look at your costumes or your mishloach manot. Do you spend more time and money on these because people will see them? Are you better off spending more time with someone who might otherwise be alone this Purim? Can you spend less money on elaborate mishloach manot and more on the other Purim mitzvah – gifts to the poor?
Esther was frequently afraid or uncertain, but she persevered and that is what everyone can strive for. Remind yourself this Purim that greatness does not come from external or material sources, but from within each and every person.
BLACK BEAN, MANGO AND CORN SALAD
While the Rambam (Maimonides) advocated that we eat meat on Purim, there is certainly a lot of room for improvisation when it comes to eating dishes with beans or seeds. Try the recipe below or find one that appeals to you and add it to your Purim seudah menu.
1 mango, peeled and cubed
1 cucumber, diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 red peppers, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
1/3 cup diced jicama
1.5 cups of cooked black beans (or 1 can, rinsed and drained)
1 cup corn
1 cup cilantro
1/4 cup mint (optional)
Dressing:
juice and zest from 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp hot sauce
2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
Place salad ingredients into a large, colorful bowl. Whisk dressing in a small bowl and pour over the salad. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to work their magic.
Make double the dressing and mix everything with a few cups of brown rice for a quick, healthy dinner.
Elizabeth Nider is a food writer living in Vancouver. For recipes and healthy eating tips, visit wholesomekids.ca.
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