Vashti is more than a failure. What King Ahasuerus planned to do to Vashti [have her go out naked] is exactly what she did to Jewish women. She forced Jewish women to be naked before her and to do work [more accurately Melacha] for her on Shabbat. Vashti was a fraud. The reason why Vashti refused to go out there had nothing to do with women's rights. Unlike the Jewish girls, who were forced to be naked before her, She actually agreed to be naked before the men at the feast. But the reason why she declined was because she didn't look that great. According to the Talmudic sage Rabbi Yose Bar Chanina, it was because she had leprosy. According to a Baraisa recorded in the Talmud, it was because the angel Gavriel gave her a tail [really an abnormal part of her body]. In any case, it had nothing to do with Feminism or women's rights. And according to the Talmud, what happened to Vashti was a measure for a measure. In other words, it was G-d's judgement against her for her immoral ways and her abuse of Jewish women.
Source: Masechet Megillah Esther 12 a-b, http://benyaminsolomon.blog.co... PS. In case anyone criticizes me that I'm just going by what the rabbis say and not what the actual text in the Tanakh says, please note that we also know from the Rabbis that the King's request for Vashti was to appear naked. For that part is also nowhere in the actual text of the Tanakh either. So therefore, anyone responding to this comment with that counterargument is therefore being selective.
Vashti is more than a failure. What King Ahasuerus planned to do to Vashti [have her go out naked] is exactly what she did to Jewish women. She forced Jewish women to be naked before her and to do work [more accurately Melacha] for her on Shabbat. Vashti was a fraud. The reason why Vashti refused to go out there had nothing to do with women's rights. Unlike the Jewish girls, who were forced to be naked before her, She actually agreed to be naked before the men at the feast. But the reason why she declined was because she didn't look that great. According to the Talmudic sage Rabbi Yose Bar Chanina, it was because she had leprosy. According to a Baraisa recorded in the Talmud, it was because the angel Gavriel gave her a tail [really an abnormal part of her body]. In any case, it had nothing to do with Feminism or women's rights. And according to the Talmud, what happened to Vashti was a measure for a measure. In other words, it was G-d's judgement against her for her immoral ways and her abuse of Jewish women.
Source: Masechet Megillah Esther 12 a-b, http://benyaminsolomon.blog.co... PS. In case anyone criticizes me that I'm just going by what the rabbis say and not what the actual text in the Tanakh says, please note that we also know from the Rabbis that the King's request for Vashti was to appear naked. For that part is also nowhere in the actual text of the Tanakh either. So therefore, anyone responding to this comment with that counterargument is therefore being selective.