Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
◼ Ngaba ibhinqa eliselula elingumYuda uEstere laba nokuziphatha okubi okungokwesini nokumkani wamaPersi ukuze liphumelele ekuthandweni nguye laza ngaloo ndlela lafumana iingenelo ezithile?
Bambi basenokuba baye bagqiba ngale ndlela ngenxa yeengxelo ezithile zehlabathi, kodwa ingxelo enokuthenjwa eseBhayibhileni ayivumelani nale nkolelo.
Umbhali-mbali ongumYuda uFlavius Josephus unikela ingxelo ethile yehlabathi yokuba ukumkanikazi wasePersi uVashti wala ukuma phambi komyeni wakhe, uAhaswerosi. Ngoko ke, ukumkani, ngokucacileyo uXerxes I wenkulungwane yesihlanu Ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, enomsindo wamala uVashti waza wavuma ukuphanda kobo bukhosi bukhulu ukuze afumane ukumkanikazi omtsha. Kwadityaniswa iimbelukazi ezinyulu eziselula zaza zanikwa ithuba elandisiweyo lokuba zilungiswe zibe ntle.
“Kwandula ke, xa [ithenwa likakumkani] liqikelela ukuba ezi ntombi zinyulu zifumene inyameko eyaneleyo . . . yaye ngoku zazikulungele ukuza kumandlalo kakumkani, lathumela enye suku ngalunye ukuba ilale nokumkani, owayesithi, emva kokuba neentlobano zesini kunye nayo, athi ngoko nangoko ayithumele kwithenwa elo. Kodwa, xa kweza uEstere kuye, wakholiswa nguye waza ke, emthandile, wamenza umfazi wakhe ngokwasemthethweni baza batshata.”—Jewish Antiquities, Incwadi XI, 184-202, eguqulelwe nguRalph Marcus, (Incwadi 11, isahluko 6, isiqendu 1, 2, njengoko iguqulelwe nguWilliam Whiston).
Le ngxelo yehlabathi ibinokukhokelela ubani ekucingeni ukuba ezo ntombi zinyulu zaba nesabelo ekuziphatheni okubi ngokwesini nokumkani nokuba umahluko ekukuphela kwawo kuEstere yayikukuba ukuziphatha kwakhe okubi kwakhokelela emtshatweni nasekubeni ngukumkanikazi. Noko ke, iBhayibhile, isinika inkcazelo echane neyanelisa ngakumbi.
Emva kokuchaza oko kulungiswa kwazo zibe ntle, iBhayibhile ithi: “Ngelo xesha ke ibe isithi intombi [nganye] ukuya kukumkani . . . Ibisakuya ngokuhlwa, ngengomso ibuyele kweyesibini indlu yabafazi, ephantsi kogcino lukaShahashgazi, ithenwa lokumkani, umgcini wamashweshwe. Ibingabi saya kukumkani, engayinanzanga ukumkani, ayibize ngegama.”—Estere 2:13, 14.
IZibhalo zithi uEstere “wasiwa” “kwindlu yabafazi” ebudeni bethuba elide nelalichazwe kwangaphambili lokwenziwa mhle: “Wasiwa ke uEstere kukumkani uAhaswerosi . . . Ukumkani wamthanda uEstere ngaphezu kwabafazi bonke; wambabala, wamenzela inceba ngaphezu kweentombi zonke; unkontsho lobukumkanikazi walubeka entlokweni yakhe, wamenza ukumkanikazi esikhundleni sikaVashti.”—Estere 2:8, 9, 16, 17.
Ngaba uphawule ukuba ngokusuka kwingxelo yeBhayibhile ayesisiwa phi na la mabhinqa emva kokuba echithe ubusuku nokumkani? ‘Ayesisiwa kwindlu yesibini yabafazi, ephantsi kogcino lomgcini wamashweshwe.’ Ngoko ayesiba ngamashweshwe. UMordekayi, umbhali wencwadi yeBhayibhile kaEstere, wayengumYuda ibe phakathi kwabantu bakowabo, emva apho ishweshwe lalisiba kwimo yomfazi wesibini. Umthetho kaThixo wanikela ilungelo lokuba indoda engumSirayeli yayinokuyithabatha intombi yasemzini eyayithinjwe ebudeni bemfazwe, yaye yayiza kuba lishweshwe layo, okanye umfazi wesibini, elinamalungelo athile nelikhuselwayo ngumthetho. (Duteronomi 21:10-17; thelekisa iEksodus 21:7-11.) Abantwana abazelwe kubushweshwe obungokwasemthethweni obunjalo babengabasemthethweni yaye babenako ukulizuza ilifa. Oonyana bakaYakobi abali-12, ooyisemkhulu bezizwe ezili-12 zakwaSirayeli, babeyinzala yabafazi bakhe namashweshwe akhe angokwasemthethweni.—Genesis 30:3-13.
Inkqubo yayikukuba emva kokuba ezi ntombi zinyulu zilele nokumkani wamaPersi, zazisiya kwindlu yamashweshwe. Oku kubonisa ukuba zazisiba ngabafazi bakhe besibini.
Kuthekani ngoEstere? IBhayibhile ayitsho ukuba walala nokumkani waza ngaloo ndlela wazuza ukuthandwa nguye. Ayithethi ngaye esisiwa kwindlu yamashweshwe, kodwa nje ithi: “Wasiwa ke uEstere kukumkani uAhaswerosi, endlwini yakhe yobukumkani . . . Ukumkani wamthanda uEstere ngaphezu kwabafazi bonke.” Khumbula ukuba ngaphambilana, ngaphandle kwako nakuphi na ukuyekelela okungokwesini ngenxa yemeko yakhe yokuba enyulu, woyisa ngokuthi enzelwe “ububele” ‘nguHegayi umgcini wabafazi.’ Ngaphezu koko: “UEstere wababalwa ngabo bonke abambonayo.” (Estere 2:8, 9, 15-17) Ngoko uEstere ngokucacileyo wamchukumisa ukumkani yaye wazuza ukuhlonelwa nguye, kwananjengokuba wazuza ukuhlonelwa nangabanye.
Hayi indlela esinokuba nombulelo ngayo ngokuba nezibakala nokuqonda iBhayibhile esinika kona! Nangona kuyiminyaka engamawaka zenzekayo ezo ziganeko, ngaloo ndlela sinesizathu sokuba nentembelo yokuba uEstere wenza isenzo esimsulwa ngokwenene yaye wenza ngokuvisisana nemigaqo kaThixo.