In an attempt born of desperation, Mordechai instructed Esther to offer
herself to Achashverosh, although she had not been ordered by the king
himself to do so. Until the news of Haman's decree, Esther had not been with
Achashverosh unless he requested her presence; this time she would come of
her own free will. It was permitted because the future of the Jewish nation
was at stake. (The rule of "Yehareg v'Al Ya'avor" did not apply, as the
Gemara explains in Sanhedrin 74b.) All this was going through Esther's head
as she advanced towards the throne room, praying silently all along that
Hashem would put her favor in the eyes of the evil king whose golden scepter
dictated the fate of those who appeared before him unbidden.
The Gemara in Megilah (15b) relates that on her way, Esther passed the
palace room of idol worship. Suddenly she was all alone; the Divine Presence
that had accompanied her until that point, giving her confidence, had left
her. "My Hashem, my Hashem, why have you deserted me?" Esther cried out. "It
is true that the act I am going to do is normally prohibited -- but are You
comparing what is performed under duress ("Ones") to what is done willfully?
Although I am going by choice, I am doing so only because I must save Your
nation!" "Or perhaps, she continued, "You are upset with me for calling
Achashverosh a dog ('Kelev Yechidasi,' Tehilim 22)? Then I shall make amends
and call him a lion ('Hoshi'eni mi'Pi Aryeh,' ibid.)!" Apparently that
worked; the Divine Presence returned to Esther and she approached the king
with renewed confidence.
In what way did Esther "sin" by calling Achashverosh a dog? Why should
belittling Achashverosh cause the Shechinah to depart from her? And in what
way is calling Achashverosh a dog related to Esther's first concern, that
Hashem was punishing her for what she did out of compulsion? RAV YAKOV EMDEN
(in Megilah 15b) quotes his father, the CHACHAM TZVI, who offers the
following beautiful answer.
The Mishnah in Bava Metzia 93b teaches that if a lion attacks sheep, the
shepherd (who is a Shomer Sachar) is exempt from paying for the damages,
since he is not expected to repel a lion; such an attack is considered an
"Ones." However, if the sheep are attacked by a dog -- or even a number of
dogs -- the shepherd is held liable for the damages, because it is not
considered an Ones. A shepherd is capable of repelling dogs.
This, then, is what the Gemara in Megilah means. Esther had justified her
actions by claiming that she was "Ones," acting under duress. But then she
realized that she had called Achashverosh a dog. If she only considered him
comparable to an attacking dog, her act should not be considered "Ones," as
the Mishnah in Bava Metzia states! She immediately corrected her mistake,
admitting that Achashverosh was more than just a "dog." Taking into account
the extent of his domain and his nearly unlimited power, it was clearly more
appropriate to compare him to a lion than to a dog. Esther was vindicated,
and the Shechinah returned to her!
