Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Tovas Mareh

The Torah describes Rivka as "tovas mareh". How is this different from "yifas mareh"? Rav Hirsch suggests that "tovas mareh" denotes spiritual and ethical beauty. What we would call today "Yiddishe chein". A girl who is beautiful in a wholesome way. This would certainly describe Rivka Emeinu. He adds that he would be sure that this is the correct meaning if not for the fact that none other than Vashti is described by the megilla as "tovas mareh"....

Then R"H shocked me. He says that maybe Vashti ALSO was beautiful in a wholesome way[!]. That is why she refused to appear in front of the men when called by her husband.

The text of the megilla tells us almost nothing about her but Chazal had an extremely negative view of her. They also didn't see her refusal to appear [unclothed] in front of the men as an act of tzniyus but because she suddenly broke out into a terrible rash which severely detracted from her beauty.

What then is the difference between tovas mareh and yifas mareh? The jury is still out....