Esther Indoor Poster

Description

By Judy Rubin

Esther.

A woman forced into a marriage against her will.

A woman chained to a marriage for her entire life.

A woman who went from a passive to active character in her own story and ended up a heroine.

A woman whose name is on the lips of every Jew come March (even the ones who won’t put her picture

in their magazines).

A woman whose life had to be sacrificed in order to save the Jewish nation- or was it?

Purim is all about looking beneath the surface, finding what is seemingly hidden yet how often do we

look beneath the joy and external fun of Purim to consider what her life was truly like? Esther, a woman

who was the niece of the top Jewish rabbi, a woman who already had nevuah, a woman whose life was

not supposed to turn out like this. If it was not bad enough that she was married to a non-Jew, she was

married to the most immoral person. Perhaps when she was selected as a bride, she was able to say,

“gam zu l’ tovah” (this too is for the best), but it was 5 years she was married to Achashveirosh before

the events of the Purim story even began. How long can one say “gam zu l’tovah” before the faith begins

to wane? Perhaps she wondered, “how could this be worth it?” and “what have I done to deserve this

Fate?”


Her transformation begins when Mordechai tells her that Haman has issued the decree to kill the Jews and she must go to Achashveirosh to plead on her nation’s behalf. She replies, “how can I go in unannounced? I am certainly going to die; that is making me vulnerable and there is no way I can do that”. Mordechai replies that the Jews will undoubtedly receive salvation, the question is will you be the

catalyst for this or not? At this point, Esther realizes that this is the “Tovah” she has been waiting for;

she now understands why she was chosen to be the queen. She steps out from her former passivity and

becomes an active character decreeing the fast of 3 days, including the day of Pesach. A fast instead of

the seder was a psak that came directly from Esther. She is now the one who tells Mordechai what to do

and becomes a leader in her own right. After 3 days, the pasuk states:

(5:1)- she donned Royalty

Rashi clarifies this means she put on royal clothes. But what does this mean? Hasn’t she been wearing royal garments for the past 5 years? According to R’ Gershon Schaffel, for 5 years she has been wearing royal garments reluctantly. She has been hiding, suppressing who she is, struggling with her fate. This is the moment she not only accepts her circumstances, but she embraces it; “this is my mission, and I will do it proudly.” She is no longer trying to suppress who she is or run away from her fate and this empowers her to tap into her potential and become the catalyst for salvation.

This portrait is meant to be the moment she dons royalty and embraces her purpose and potential. She sits fully facing the viewer, head on and not shying away. She is fully dressed in the royal style of her day complete with a crown and jewelry like those seen in depictions of other royal empresses and queens of Persia such as Atusa Shahbanu (Atossa), Phaidyme Shahbanu, Irdabama, Artimisia, Sisygambis, Roxana, and Youtab Aryobarzan. The flowers in her hair were not only the royal fashion of her time but specific flowers were chosen for their symbolism: white chrysanthemum (grief), Thyme (courage), and Coriander (hidden worth/merit), which represent the complex mix of emotions and moments in her journey. The pattern in the background of the painting is myrtle leaves, as Esther’s second name, Hadassah means myrtle. As is famously known about her, her skin was “green” or perhaps olive complexioned. The highlights of her face are painted in a green hue that blends with the rest of her complexion.

To me, Esther is a symbol of strength and resilience that one can embrace one’s unique authenticity no

matter how dire or how challenging the circumstances and can still create a life full of meaning,

purpose, and salvation.

About the Artist

Judy Rubin is a prolific fine and digital artist whose works have been sold nationally and internationally in galleries and private art collections. Originally trained as a fine artist at the Schuler School of Fine Art, Judy also holds a Master of Science in Biomedical Communications from the University of Toronto. By day, Judy works as a medical illustrator & 3D animator for top 10 medtech & pharma companies, and by

night she continues fine art & portrait commissions. She is passionate about art, science, and the role of women in Judaism. To see more of her work, please visit: https://www.jrubinvisuals.io/portfolio or

https://instagram.com/jrubin_watercolors?utm_source=qr&igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg%3D%3