Rivka & Esther: Mirror Images

The genre for Megillat Esther seems to be cryptology -  the message is encrypted, because otherwise it would have been censored by the ruling powers in the Persian Empire. To decipher the message, we need the codebook, and for us - the codebook is the Torah.

Our focus in this shiur is on Esther and Rivka, two women who had to take action for the sake of the nation. But our study of Esther will bring us to far-reaching comparisons with other women (and men) in Tanakh, as we pay careful attention to the wording, leitmotif (milah manha), and other tools that offer hints at a hidden message about an enduring struggle.