The Deed of Esther Was Under Duress

מַעֲשֵׂה אֶסְתֵּר הָיָה בְּאֹנֶס

Know that this is the secret of an emergency ruling (hora’at sha‘ah) (דַּע כִּי זֶהוּ סוֹד הוֹרָאַת שָׁעָה). And I will explain this matter to you thoroughly (וַאֲפָרֵשׁ לְךָ זֶה הָעִנְיָן הֵיטֵב). For behold, there is a distinction between the act of Esther and the act of Yael (כִּי הִנֵּה חִלּוּק יֵשׁ בֵּין מַעֲשֵׂה אֶסְתֵּר לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָעֵל): the act of Esther was by coercion (שֶׁמַּעֲשֵׂה אֶסְתֵּר הָיָה עַל יְדֵי אוֹנֵס), and the act of Yael was a transgression for the sake [of Heaven] (וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָעֵל הָיָה עֲבֵירָה לִשְׁמָהּ).

And truly, these matters are secrets of the King (וּבֶאֱמֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הִנָּם מִסְתּוֹרִין שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ), and who is it that would dare reveal them (אֲשֶׁר מִי הוּא יַעֲרֹב לִבּוֹ לְגַלּוֹתָן)? And were it not that we must remove this stumbling block from among our people (וְלוּלֵי כִּי צְרִיכִים אֲנַחְנוּ לְהַעֲבִיר הַמִּכְשׁוֹל הַזֶּה מִקֶּרֶב עַמֵּנוּ), for it is great (כִּי רַבָּה הִיא), my heart would not have lifted me to utter even the beginning of these words (נָשָׂא לֹא נְשָׂאַנִי לִבִּי לְהוֹצִיא מִפִּי בַּעִנְיָן זֶה רֵישׁ מִילִין), all the more so to expand in language as I am doing now (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן לְהַרְחִיב לָשׁוֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה עַתָּה).

However, the Merciful One desires the heart (אֲבָל רַחֲמָנָא לִבָּא בָעֵי), and a good intention is joined to action (וּמַחֲשָׁבָה טוֹבָה יְצָרְפֶנָּה לְמַעֲשֶׂה), so that no sin be placed upon me in this matter (לְבִלְתִּי שׂוּם עָוֹן עָלַי בְּדָבָר זֶה). But He will open blind eyes (אֲבָל עֵינַיִם עִוְרוֹת יִפְקַח), to turn from their evil way (לָסוּר מִדַּרְכָּם הָרָע), and Hashem will rejoice in His works (וְיִשְׂמַח ה׳ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו).

Now incline your ear and understand very, very deeply (עַתָּה הַט אָזְנְךָ וְהָבֵן מְאֹד מְאֹד), for these matters are ancient, great, and deep (כִּי הַדְּבָרִים עֲתִיקִים גְּדוֹלִים וַעֲמֻקִּים), and “the honor of Elohim is to conceal a matter” (וְכְבוֹד אֱלֹהִים הַסְתֵּר דָּבָר) (Proverbs 25:2). When the sins caused it (כְּשֶׁגָּרְמוּ הָעֲוֹנוֹת), the Shekhinah descended and was enclothed in Lilit, the evil maidservant (יָרְדָה הַשְּׁכִינָה וְנִתְלַבְּשָׁה בְּלִילִית שִׁפְחָה רָעָה). And this evil maidservant, who had been only a single point (וְהַשִּׁפְחָה הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת, שֶׁהָיְתָה נְקֻדָּה אַחַת לְבַד), expanded into ten points (נִתְפַּשְּׁטָה לְעֶשֶׂר נְקֻדּוֹת), and is called a Partzuf (וְנִקְרֵאת פַּרְצוּף).

And behold, all levels of the Klipot, once they see the Shekhinah there enclothed (וְהִנֵּה כָּל מַדְרֵגוֹת הַקְּלִיפּוֹת, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרוֹאִים הַשְּׁכִינָה שָׁם מְלוּבֶּשֶׁת), they believe, Heaven forbid, that they are able to dominate her (הֵם חוֹשְׁבִים שֶׁחַס וְשָׁלוֹם יוּכְלוּ לִשְׁלוֹט עָלֶיהָ). But in truth, they gather with great tumult against Lilit the harlot (וּבֶאֱמֶת הֵם מִתְקַבְּצִים בְּשָׁאוֹן גָּדוֹל עַל לִילִית זוֹנָה), because of the Shekhinah who is there (בַּעֲבוּר הַשְּׁכִינָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁם). And in a single instant, the Shekhinah departs and flees from there (וְאָז בִּרְגַע אֶחָד הַשְּׁכִינָה מִסְתַּלֶּקֶת וּבוֹרַחַת מִשָּׁם), and they remain in their defilement and do not rule at all (וְהֵם נִשְׁאָרִים בְּטֻמְאָתָם, וְאֵינָם שׁוֹלְטִים כְּלָל). And the secret of this matter is the 'Guarded Matzah' (וְסוֹד עִנְיָן זֶה הוּא מַצָּה שְׁמוּרָה), which is the Shekhinah guarded for her Husband (שֶׁהִיא הַשְּׁכִינָה הַשְּׁמוּרָה לְבַעְלָהּ). And then it is said about Samael (וְאָז נֶאֱמַר עַל סַמְאֵ״ל) (Ecclesiastes 4:5): “The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh” (הַכְּסִיל חֹבֵק אֶת יָדָיו וְאֹכֵל אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ).

And this matter is the matter of Esther (וְעִנְיָן זֶה הוּא עִנְיָן אֶסְתֵּר), who is the Shekhinah handed over into the hand of the Sitra Achra [Other Side] (שֶׁהִיא הַשְּׁכִינָה הַנִּמְסֶרֶת בְּיַד סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא). And Aḥashverosh thinks to rule over her (וַאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ חוֹשֵׁב לִשְׁלוֹט עָלֶיהָ), but in truth Mordekhai was adjuring the Shedah [female demon] (אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת מָרְדֳּכַי הָיָה מַשְׁבִּיעַ אֶת הַשֵּׁדָה), and Aḥashverosh had no control over her whatsoever (וַאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ לֹא הָיָה שׁוֹלֵט עָלֶיהָ כְּלָל).

And behold, this Shedah [female demon] was from the aspect of Esther’s own defilement (וְהִנֵּה הַשֵּׁדָה הַזֹּאת הָיְתָה מִבְּחִינַת הַזֹּהֲמָה שֶׁל אֶסְתֵּר עַצְמָהּ). Thus, it emerges exactly as occurs within the Klipah itself—that the Shekhinah flees from there (וְנִמְצָא כָּךְ מַמָּשׁ כְּמוֹ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בַּקְּלִיפָה עַצְמָהּ – שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה בּוֹרַחַת מִשָּׁם). Nevertheless, even so, some blemish is found in Esther herself (אֲבָל אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, נִמְצָא זֶה אֵיזֶה פְּגָם בְּאֶסְתֵּר עַצְמָהּ), for this causes, above as well, some blemish that requires purification (כִּי זֶה גּוֹרֵם לְמַעְלָה גַּם כֵּן אֵיזֶה פְּגָם שֶׁצָּרִיךְ טָהֳרָה).

Therefore Esther would immerse (וְעַל כֵּן אֶסְתֵּר הָיְתָה טוֹבֶלֶת), and sit in the bosom of Mordekhai (וְיוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּחֵיקוֹ שֶׁל מָרְדֳּכַי). And this matter of her sitting in the bosom of Mordekhai (וְעִנְיָן יְשִׁיבָתָהּ בְּחֵיקוֹ שֶׁל מָרְדֳּכַי) is the matter of the Zivug [Union] that takes place above (הוּא עִנְיָן הַזִּוּוּג הַנַּעֲשֶׂה לְמַעְלָה), as she flees from the Klipot (בְּבָרְחָהּ מִן הַקְּלִיפּוֹת). And it is the matter of that which is written: “In the evening she came, and in the morning she returned” (בָּעֶרֶב הִיא בָאָה וּבַבֹּקֶר הִיא שָׁבָה) (Esther 2:14), which is the time of her union with Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהוּא זְמַן הִזְדַּוּגָה עִם הַזְּעֵיר אַנְפִּין). And this matter is called coercion (וְהָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה נִקְרָא אוֹנֵס), for the Sitra Achra [Other Side] desires to violate her (שֶׁהַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא רוֹצָה לֶאֱנוֹס), but it does not succeed (וְאֵינוֹ עוֹלֶה בְּיָדָהּ).