“Drink was served in vessels of gold and vessels of diverse

Midrash Rabbah Esther Rabbah 2:10

Curated by The Jewish Mythology Team · Published January 2, 2025

“Drink was served in vessels of gold and vessels of diverse kinds, and abundant royal wine, in keeping with the king’s bounty” (Esther 1:7).“Drink was served in vessels of gold” – all the drinks served by that wicked one were only in gold vessels. They objected: But is it not written: “All the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of the Lebanon were of pure gold”12The question lies in the fact that drinking out of gold vessels does not appear to have been unique to Aḥasheverosh’s court (Etz Yosef). (I Kings 10:21)? Rabbi Pinḥas says in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: Is it not disgusting to drink wine in a gold vessel? Rather, these were goblets of finely-crafted crystal, in which their images were mirrored, and they were as beautiful and valuable as gold vessels.

Themes

Divine justice Kings Bible Esther

Biblical References

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