Friday, March 06, 2009

Tetzaveh 5769:Aaron Clothed, Esther Naked

There is a huge irony thematically between this week’s reading of Tetzaveh and the book of Esther. In Tetzaveh, this week we continue with plans for the Mishkan, including the oil for the lamps, the garments of the high priest, and the incense. There are also instructions on how to give a sacrifice on the altar. Early in the text we read:
And take to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. 2. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother for glory and for beauty.
A few days after Shabbat, when reading the book of Esther, we will read:
10. On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbonah, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, 11. To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the royal crown, to show the people and the princes her beauty; for she was beautiful to look on. 12. But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command by his eunuchs; and the king was very angry, and his anger burned in him. [Esther 1]
Later in the Megilah we will read:
1 And it came to pass on the third day Esther clothed herself in royalty, and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, opposite the king’s palace; and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal palace, opposite the gate of the house. 2. And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the scepter. [Esther 5]
Nowhere in the text do we read that Vashti is summoned in the nude, merely in royal crown. The Rabbis later interpret this to mean in crown and nothing else.
Some said, The Median women are the most beautiful, and others said, The Persian women are the most beautiful. Said Ahasuerus to them, The vessel that I use is neither Median nor Persian, but Chaldean. Would you like to see her? They said, Yes, but she must be naked [B. Megilah 12b]
Which of course begs the question of what Esther entering the court of the King clothed in royalty means:
Esther, as it is written, Now it came to pass on the third day that Esther clothed herself in royalty. Surely it should say,’royal apparel’? What it shows is that the Holy Spirit clothed her. It is written here, ‘and she clothed’, and it is written in another place. Then the spirit clothed Amasai, etc.(I Chron. 12:19) [B. Megilah 14b]

The crown was the only thing Vashti was supposed to wear when ordered to the court. Refusing to do so, she was executed. In the flip-flop nature of the book of Esther, Esther entered clothed only in the Holy Spirit unbidden to the King’s court, with the threat of execution over her for entering the court. Esther survives a situation that should have gotten her killed, one thing that might have made it possible was her bare skin clothed only in Ruach Hakodesh.
We also have Aaron and his sons, who get a whole set of various clothing items to wear, from the ephod to linen underwear. While Esther naked and Aaron fully dressed seems not to be related I think they are.
Back in late December I began a relationship with an incredible lady. There is a picture of me from June while I was at a professional conference that she particularly likes. When we went out for dinner on Valentine’s day, I wore the shirt in the picture, and she was delighted. In my paintings, I’ve also noted lately how I’m not so interested in my usual subject matter, scantily clad women. Since I’ve been in a relationship with her, they just don’t thrill me the same way they did before.
Many in modernity might look at this week’s chapter as one that has little meaning, since the outfit of Aaron is obsolete without a temple. I don’t think it’s about the outfit as much as why one is wearing it. There are times we do things for people we love. We know they like a certain shirt for example. By wearing that shirt of our own free will, we non-verbally make a statement of “I love you” because we like to delight our partner.
Of course, there is the possibility that a partner demands something from you. While she never would, my sweetie could demand or require me to wear that shirt. This changes the relationship, to one of dominance and submissiveness. For some, this might work, but for others such a relationship leads to drifting away from the relationship, as these constraints are too much to bear.
The women I’ve painted for so long out of such things as Victoria Secret catalogs and fashion magazines are about desire. Showing of skin, whether a little or a lot, is about unfulfilled lust and cravings, the same way a picture of a hot fudge sundae dripping molten chocolate inspires hunger. The way the Rabbis envision Esther, she knew exactly what she was doing. In all commentaries, it’s clear Esther never slept with the king, while all her other ‘competitors’ did. The rabbis never say it directly, but portray Esther as a tease, and she used that to her people’s advantage. The king’s unfulfilled lust of Esther got her the job as queen and even his willingness to give her anything up to half the kingdom, and eventually to save the Jewish people. His wanting to finally feel good at the hands of Esther clouds all other judgment.
I believe these three ways of wearing clothes explain three different ways of approaching the mitzvot of Torah. We can look at the commandments as commands from a king, one we as the lowly subject must obey. We might also find some kind of unfulfilled spiritual lust satisfied by their observance.
The one I find best is putting on that shirt on for Valentine’s Day. I showed my love for my sweetheart. By doing the mitzvot, we show our love for God. Torah in this light has a different meaning than mere obedience. Mitzvot are the things that delight God, they are the ways that we tell God how much we love and cherish the Divine. I can’t hug or kiss God, but I can refrain from eating pork, not work on Saturdays, and mount a mezuzah on my door. It’s not about lust or obedience, but being in relationship with someone special, someone we deeply love. It’s a lot like that classic line from William Goldman’s The Princess Bride. “As you wish” really means “I love you.” So too can we approach our loving relationship with God.

No comments: