“Perhaps It Was Precisely for This Kind of Moment That You Have Risen to Your Position of Authority!” (Esther 4:14)

Purim is approaching, and at this time of year, we say to one another, “Be happy, it’s Adar” and wish for everyone days of ‘exhilaration, joy, rejoicing, and glory’ (Esther 8:16). Purim is, of course, our holiday celebrating the biblical story of Persia’s ancient Jewish community, which had confronted antisemitism and the threat of annihilation, and was ultimately victorious.

Today’s Purim parties, shpiels, and synagogue carnivals teach many of the holiday’s messages: We jeer the villain Haman, we elevate the heroes Esther and Mordechai, and we feast and make merry just as Esther did at the climax of her story. Through our celebrations, we transmit the message that Jewish identity will survive, as it always has, despite the roadblocks and threats.

There is one critical moment of the Purim story that should move us. It occurs at a time of great anxiety about Haman’s murderous plot, when Mordechai challenges Esther – because of her position as Queen – to approach the King and reveal to him Haman’s genocidal plan to destroy the Jews. She was a Jew in a position of influence – if not power – and she might have the means to save her people. Mordechai puts it this way: “Perhaps it was precisely for this kind of moment that you have risen to your position of authority!” (Esther 4:14)

Esther rises to this challenge by inviting the King and Haman to attend a banquet together, where she ultimately discloses one ramification of Haman’s plot – her own death – and identifies Haman as the culprit. The King is enraged, Haman is impaled, and Esther and Mordechai move to undo Haman’s wicked plan and save the Jews in Persia.

Mordechai’s challenge and Esther’s successful strategy remind us that fate can place any of us in positions of significant opportunity – or maybe even influence. We must........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)