[Avodah] Megilat Esther

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, May 29, 2019 at 11:04:23AM +0000, Rich, Joel via Avodah wrote:
:> Does "Esther" here refer to the queen, or to the sefer, metaphorically
:> applying to the Chachamim for canonization?

: I was thinking the former but will accept either :-)

Megillah 7a, version 1:
    Shalkhah lahem Esther laChakhamim: qav'uni ledoros..

    They balk, saying it would cause antisemitism. She replies that Paras
    uMadai already have it recorded, so that problem would exist either way.

Version 2:
    ... Kisvuni ledoros
    And their objection was from Mishlei "halo ketavi lakh shelishim" --
    the inyan of Amaleiq needn't / shouldn't show up in Tanakh a 4th time.

One difference -- version 1 is about Purim, version 2, about the megillah.

In any case "shalkhah lahem" sounds like it's the person. Wouldn't a
metaphoric request from Purim or the Megillah just say "sha'al/ah"? But
"qav'uni" or "kisvuni"? It's not the queen who would be established or
written down. Could be shorthand. Boils down to which you find a bigger
stretch: that the metaphor would include sending messages, or that Esther
the person would use the "-i" suffix not to mean "me" but "about me".

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Today is the 39th day, which is
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   5 weeks and 4 days in/toward the omer.
Author: Widen Your Tent      Netzach sheb'Yesod: What is imposing about a
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                        reliable person?