How Does the Gemara Know that Vashti Contracted Leprosy
גם ושתי המלכה עשתה משתה נשים בית המלכות אשר למלך אחשורוש
“Queen Vashti also made a banquet for women, in the royal palace of King Achashveirosh.” (Esther 1:9)
The Gemara in Megillah (12a) asks: בית הנשים מיבעי ליה אמר רבא שניהן לדבר עבירה נתכוונו – “It should have said Vashti made a banquet in the women’s house? Rava answered: The two of them had sinful intentions.”
Later on, in Megillas Esther it says: ותמאן המלכה ושתי לבוא – “Queen Vashti refused to come”. The Gemara asks: מכדי פריצתא הואי דאמר מר שניהן לדבר עבירה נתכוונו מ"ט לא אתאי א"ר יוסי בר חנינא מלמד שפרחה בה צרעת - “Let us see, she was immodest as we said above, that both of them had sinful intentions. Why then would she not come? Rav Yosi ben Chanina said: This teaches that leprosy broke out on her.”
Vashti and Achashveirosh were cut from the same cloth, the Gemara tells us, both of them were immodest. Preservation of their own dignity was not a concern as long as they were the centers of attention. Both Achashveirosh and Vashti threw elaborate banquets so that they would be the center of attention. Achashveirosh wanted people to be awestruck by his opulent and lavish display of wealth. Vashti wanted people to be dazzled by her beauty. Both of them wanted people to indulge in the worst forms of immorality, so that the guests would enjoy themselves at their hosts’ expense.
Considering the fact that both Vashti and Achashveirosh were far from prudish, why then did Vashti refuse to appear undressed before Achashveirosh and his guests? The Gemara says that she had been plagued with leprosy. Her beauty was marred, and she would not make a laughingstock out of herself just to satisfy her boorish husband’s desires.
Rav Henoch Leibowitz asks why the Gemara had to reach the conclusion that she was plagued with leprosy? Yes, the Gemara initially says that Vashti was immodest and immoral. She was not above making a display of herself in front of the women of her empire. But, perhaps that was as far as she would go. Vashti was not so debased that she would appear undressed in front of the men of the empire. Maybe she was somewhat immoral and immodest, but not to the extent that she would satisfy her husband’s outlandish request!
Rav Leibowitz answers that the Gemara, by its answer, is merely acknowledging a fact of human personality. Once a person allows a bad character trait to permeate their being, reigning in that trait is next to impossible. Once a person allows himself some degree of freedom from restriction, total freedom of restriction is sure to come. Vashti was immodest and immoral. Her immodesty was part and parcel of her personality. The Gemara is perplexed by her refusal to appear without clothes in front of the king – this was not out of the pale for her. She threw a party for the point of showing herself off, so why should she not want to do this further? The only answer that could possibly explain this out-of-character refusal is that she developed some affliction that diminished her beauty, which made her not want to appear in front of anyone. This is the only possible reason why Vashti would act out of character.
The ability to temper oneself and not indulge, as illustrated by Vashti, is extremely difficult. It is written in the name of the Arizal that there is good reason why the Yom Tov of Yom Kippur is also referred to as “Yom Kippurim.” “Yom Kippurim” means a day like Purim. Yom Kippur is only like Purim, similar to Purim, but not exactly the same as Purim, the Arizal said, because the celebration of Purim contains within it some aspects that are loftier than Yom Kippur.
Rav Shlomah Brevda explains that these lofty aspects of Purim are possibly related to the difference in how the two Yomim Tovim are celebrated. Yom Kippur is spent fasting, and Purim is spent feasting. A story is related in which the Chasam Sofer was told about a certain individual who many considered holy and pious, as he often fasted and refrained from eating. The Chasam Sofer replied that anyone could fast. However, the one who eats with pure intent, for the sake of fulfilling Hashem dictates, without a hint of indulgence; he is the one that is praiseworthy, holy and pious.
On Purim, we have the obligation to eat, drink, and be merry. However, this merriment is neither for the purpose of whetting our palate nor for satisfying our cravings. We do not celebrate because doing so makes us feel physically good. We celebrate because this is our obligation. The celebration should make us feel spiritually good. Temperance is not easily accomplished. As evidenced by Vashti, restraint, for some, is impossible. However, on Purim, prudence and moderation must rule. We must rejoice, but for the purpose of praising Hashem. We eat and drink, and we may enjoy doing such. However, our underlying motivation must be a pure sense of devotion to Hashem and that motivation must shine through. Because this balance between celebration and self-restraint is so difficult to achieve, Purim actually contains an element of the celebration that is loftier than Yom Kippur – the maintenance of this equilibrium. (R’ Yehudah Prero)
