Sichot HaRan Chapter 107
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
אֶסְתֵּר בֵּינוֹנִית הָיְתָה, לֹא אֲרֻכָּה וְלֹא קְצָרָה (מְגִלָּה יג.) הָעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל (שָׁם:): "בִּשְׁבִיל צְנִיעוּת שֶׁהָיְתָה בְּרָחֵל זָכְתָה וְיָצְאָה מִמֶּנָּה שָׁאוּל וּבִשְׁבִיל צְנִיעוּת שֶׁהָיְתָה בְּשָׁאוּל זָכָה וְיָצְאָה מִמֶּנּוּ אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה".
The Talmud teaches that Esther was of average height, neither tall nor short (Megilah 13a). This is the reason. Our Sages teach us, “Because of Rachel’s modesty, she was worthy of being a progenitor of Saul. And because of Saul’s modesty, he was worthy of having Esther as a descendant” (ibid., 13b).
וּבְרָחֵל כְּתִיב "רָחֵל בִּתְּךָ הַקְּטַנָּה". וּבְשָׁאוּל נֶאֱמַר "מִשִּׁכְמוֹ וָמַעֲלָה גָּבוֹהַּ מִכָּל הָעָם".
Regarding Rachel, it is written, “Rachel, your little daughter” (Genesis 29:18) — meaning, small in stature. Regarding Saul, it is written, “He was taller than any of the people” (I Samuel 9:2).
וְאֶסְתֵּר מְמֻצָּע בֵּין שָׁאוּל וְרָחֵל – בֵּינוֹנִית הָיְתָה.
Esther, the descendant of, was therefore of average stature.