Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Gustave Doré: Queen Vashti Refuses to Obey Ahasuerus' Command. 1866

Megillah 12: Vashti's Tail/Tale

jyungar December 24, 2021

For the source text click/tap here: Megillah 12

To download, click/tap here: PDF

Vashti has been a character with few words but many interpreters.

In our daf, we are presented with a specific view of Vashti: libidinous, cruel to the women – especially the Jewish women – who serve her, vain, and likely being punished by G-d.

Even though the text suggests that Vashti is modest, for she does not wish to appear naked before the King and his guests, chazal find reason to suggest otherwise. She developed leprosy just at that moment or she grew a tail and was embarrassed.

According to our Sages, we should see Vashti as wicked, which means sexual, willful, and hurtful.

How do we make sense of these narratives when teaching children?

And how come feminists appropriated her narrative?

And what of her relationship to Muriel Wilson and Winston Churchill?

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​