Was the first Jewish vegan a Persian Queen? The festival of Purim commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Perisa. While living in the Royal Palace of King Ahashveros, it is written that Esther avoided eating treif while keeping her Jewish identity a secret (Meggilah 13a). It is said that Esther ate only seeds, nuts, peas, beans, vegetables and fruits in order to keep kosher. Today, biblical scholars and nutritionists alike will recognise this diet to have been plant-based (and indeed well-balanced and healthy) but what can we learn from this ancient Queen’s choices?
Even in the Royal Palace, filled with temptations, Queen Esther stayed strong and disciplined, adhering to what she knew was right. Today, Jews who keep kosher will have experienced being around treif food, but choose their values over convenience. Similarly, vegans choose compassionate and sustainable living above the copious animal products which surround us. Indeed, some Jewish vegans will have experienced both.
Those who choose to keep kosher will undoubtedly recognise the importance of values over convenience- when will we realise that this moral conviction should extend to animal products too? In the knowledge of the extensive harm that factory farms damage our world, the suffering imposed on billions of sentient creatures and the detrimental impacts to human health, why won’t our morals extend to veganism? How can Jewish values like tikkun olam and ta’ar ba’alei chaim be dismissed, citing the limited scientific knowledge that our ancestors had thousands of years ago?
On Purim, we remember and celebrate the admirable characteristics of Queen Esther. Like her, as a Jewish community we ought to do what we know is right.
Chag Purim samech