“There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples.” Haman said that in his view, we will succeed in destroying the Jews because they are separated from one another; hence, our force against them will certainly prevail, as it causes separation between man and God. And the Creator will not help them anyway, since they are separated from Him. This is why Mordecai went to correct that flaw, as it is explained in the verse, “the Jews gathered,” etc., “to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life.” This means that they had saved themselves by uniting.”

Baal Ha-Sulam. “Shamati”

DAUGHTER OF THE JEWS

The white royal dress. In gold. The forehead is framed in a halo of the precious crown.

The eyes resemble stars.

They are turned on Him.

The heart is pounding. There is an appeal in it. An address. Shrill. Like a cry.

“Hadassah! Where are you? Get down from the roof! When are you going to stop? Be caaareful!”

But it’s already too late; the little girl falls head over heels and lands into the strong hands of her mother.

“You have your head in the clouds again?”

She recalls one of her childhood memories. Dad and Mom are holding out something.

“A reminder of the connection with our God.”

The girl put the decoration around her neck. And suddenly, its tiny sparkles hit the walls turning into magnificent stars!

“The Star of King David,” the father spoke in a low voice.

Soon after that, the parents passed away. The whole village became desolated because of the ‘black plaque’. Hadassah survived.

A relative, Mordecai, took her to live with him.

The girl stopped speaking. Just kept silent. A lot of patience was needed.

He taught her slowly. Read and thought aloud. Hadassah listened.

Her speech restored little by little.

Mordecai knew about her gift — to see through time. Both the cause and the consequence in parallel. She learned to put images into words.

… INEVITABLE APPROACHING OF CHANGES…

Since recently, the girl has become curious about the royal palace, asked questions about the king, his wife. And one day, she whispered:

“The king needs a new wife.”

“How can you say that?” Mordecai covered her mouth with his hand. “Be silent!”

“Vashti can no longer give him strength. With her, he won’t do what he has to do,” freeing herself from her uncle’s hand, Hadassah continued calmly.

Mordecai was struck dumb. Hadassah looked straight ahead as if there was not a wall in front of her but infinity.

She began to change rapidly. Blossomed.

Resembled a myrtle tree — delicate features, huge eyes, luxuriant black hair.

“Tell me about our kings,” she asked time and again.

‘Our’. He already knew: Jewish. And he began: about Saul, Solomon, David….

Hadassah corrected him at times.

“Is it true,” she asked one day, “that our king gives a feast, the likes of which had never been seen before?”

“Yes, dear, our king wants to show his greatness. And this is an event Shushan had never experienced.”

“And I…I” the girl began to stammer again. “I would like very much to see the king at least once. I’ve heard that for kids and young guests, there would be a tent too; take me there, please.”

Mordecai was silent. Perhaps, for the first time, he saw very clearly the inevitable approaching of changes.

ESTHER

The square in front of the palace resembled a huge colorful lake.

The feast given by the king was in full swing.

“Ah, I wish I could see Queen Vashti now…” Hadassah whispered dreamily.

The wind blew. The noise grew louder.

“Vashti! Queen Vashti is coming here!” someone in the crowd shouted.

The crowd rushed to the palace to see Ahasuerus’s chosen woman.

“Vashti! Vashti!” the crowd called out in different voices.

The guards couldn’t hold back the onslaught. They had to use weapons. Some people were wounded. Cries were heard.

Panting with excitement, Mordecai picked up Hadassah, and they ran away from the palace through the royal garden. Got past the guards by a miracle.

“I wasn’t afraid at all. I knew I should follow you,” the girl was no longer stammering; her eyes were shining.

He clearly saw that Hadassah was the favorite of the One who fulfills every wish. All you have to do is voice a request, and your wish will come true.

Unable to tear himself away, Mordecai looked at her: here it is, the real love of the Creator.

Further events moved at a fast pace.

Vashti disobeyed the king and was sent away from the palace. The king needed a new wife. The guards brought young girls from all over the kingdom to his harem.

“Don’t reveal you’re Jewish. Say your name is Esther. Keep it in mind.”

Mordecai was anxious.

“Why do people dislike the Jews and are so afraid of them?”

“They aren’t afraid of the Jews,” he became thoughtful. Paused. “They’re afraid of the great Spirit which our God instilled in His chosen ones. And it gave us such fearlessness and faith that others don’t comprehend. The incomprehensible frightens.”

In the morning, the guards came to get her. Brought to the palace.

KING

A whole year, girls were getting ready for a future encounter with the king. Ointments, incenses, rules, and manners.

She immediately drew the attention of the chief eunuch, Hegai.

Seven maids were appointed to look after Esther. She asked for them to be foreigners, wanted to learn their languages in a year.

“We’ve never had such a wise girl here,” said Hegai. “Let them be foreigners. Most importantly, not Jewesses. We need no one of this people.”

One night, when it was very late already, Hegai walked into Esther’s quarters.

“Let’s go.”

She understood everything.

They were going in silence through the vast palace to the king’s chamber.

A light cool wind blew in the long galleries.

The blue lighting made the girl seem transparent as if flying in the wind. The long dress enveloped the figure.

“Sit down and read,” said Hegai as they entered the king’s chamber.

Esther sat on a small bench.

The light silk curtains hid the One whom she should read to.

Her heart is directed towards Him…

She pronounced with confidence and calmness everything that was written in the “Chronicles of Ahasuerus” book. Esther raised the head.

The king stood near her.

Her exceptional purity, confidence, desire, wisdom — struck him.

He felt: what was happening now had been very familiar…and already experienced.

Ahasuerus suddenly understood the meaning of his dreams, in which he was looking for a star all the time.

‘Setara’. Esther. He already called her name… And her eyes — the stars seen before….

The king embraced her.

“Here she is. My Guiding Star,” his heart prompted.

The wheel of history continued to turn….

And in the morning after that night, it was announced that Esther would be the queen of Persia.

MORDECAI AND HAMAN

Mordecai served as a gatekeeper at the royal palace. He saw everyone who came in and out through the secret gate. One day the prime vizier, Haman, stumbled into the palace through the back door supported by two servants. He was completely drunk — because of the huge amount of wine and the limitless power vested in him by the king. His eyes fell on Mordecai.

“You…! Swamp rat! Why don’t you bow?”

“I only bow before my God,” Mordecai replied.

Haman flared up; his face resembled a wolf’s grin:

“Nobody dares talk to the king’s vizier like that! I’m going to hang this spawn!”

Supported by the servants, Haman continued to hail curses.

“I’ll destroy them. Men, women, children — all and at once.”

HAMAN AND AHASUERUS

“Great King, there is a certain people scattered among other peoples….”

“Get to the point.”

“And their laws are different….”

“There can only be one law!”

“They refuse to work one day a week, cheat on taxes, save up money.”

“How can we solve this problem?”

“The problem has to be eliminated. Exterminate them. They can devise a plot. They already hold senior positions in all parts of the kingdom. It’s dangerous!”

“What kind of people is this?”

“A small insignificant tribe.”

“I’ll grant you the powers. And I don’t want to hear about it anymore.”

MORDECAI AND ESTHER

“Esther, my girl, wake up…”

“What happened?” Esther asked, alarmed.

“You must ask the king to annul the decree on the extermination of the Jews.”

“I may not come to see him myself. And he hasn’t called me for many days…” Esther said bitterly.

“But you and I understand,” their eyes met, Mordecai kept silent for a while, “that this is what you were brought to the palace for. Your people’s lives are in danger.”

Yes. She clearly saw this Governing law.

She saw Mordecai, the power of good and love.

Haman — hatred and separation.

The king who rules the world with love and hatred.

And Esther…the underlying system of universal interdependence.

She clearly saw that history would repeat itself. She could see Amalek in the past.

Haman in the present. She could see Nazism, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism — the different names of the same separation, hatred for each other.

STRENGTH OF ESTHER. STRENGTH OF THE WOMAN.

“Tell the Jews to pray and fast for three days and three nights. I’ll also pray for three days. And I will go to the king.”

The city of Shushan these days was like one big heart appealing to the Creator. It seemed that one mouth was saying:

Let it be Your will, not ours,

Direct our hearts and thoughts to You….

We are in despair because of our powerlessness —

Help your people get closer to You,

Correct us!

Esther prayed together with her people in one prayer.

At the end of the third day, she felt the wishes of all the Jews in her heart.

She was ready to pass them on to the king.

Esther began to dress herself.

The woman does it at all times.

For the man, she puts on her best clothes and jewelry.

Chooses precious oils. To touch his heart.

To draw his attention. To declare her wish. So that he fulfills it.

For her and for all the people.

And in these moments, the woman is in the perfect glow of her beauty.

Wearing the white royal dress, she recalled she had already seen it — as a child, in her imagination.

The heart filled with awe….

“Thank You for guiding and leading me.

Give me the strength to do whatever You expect me to do.

For Your sake,” she said to the Creator.

“Hegai! Give me the tippet! I’m going to see the king.”

“You can’t do it now, my queen. The king is in the throne hall. You may not enter there without being invited.”

The queen threw the door open and came out.

ESTHER AND AHASUERUS

Esther walked alone. Across the square — straight to the throne hall. Raindrops were falling on her like arrows. The beautiful dress was totally wet.

She was so feminine and fragile….

Esther felt as if she didn’t exist.

Just the heart fixed on her king.

In the heart, the prayer for her people. And love for the king.

She knew she would be able, had to unite this.

The noble gasped when they saw her. Their swords glittered in the raised hands.

Absolute silence.

The king looked at Esther.

There was the shocked silence. The tension grew.

He stretched out his scepter to her. Allowed coming nearer.

Her greatness and beauty shook Ahasuerus.

“Come up, Esther. Speak.”

“Save my people.”

“What threatens your people?”

“Haman issued the decree on the extermination of all the Jews. Which means me too.”

The king frowned.

“He deceived you,” Esther continued. “As Mordecai did not bow before him, Haman has ordered to kill all the Jews. Your subjects.”

There was silence in the throne hall. No one dared move.

“Execute Haman!!!” The king’s rage was overwhelming. “Traitor!!!”

PURIM

Haman was executed.

The Jews were saved.

Ahasuerus, Esther, and Mordecai presented themselves to the people at the square in front of the palace. To deliver the address.

The voice of the great prophetess was heard through centuries.

“Jews!” Esther said, “Listen to what Haman told the king.”

“There is a certain people scattered. And it doesn’t keep the king’s laws….”

“The will of the King, our only God,

Is that Jews are united.

Our salvation is in being not dispersed

But united.

This is what our strength is in.

And in commemoration of this choice, let’s celebrate Purim!

————-

“Every Purim we must appreciate the great inner repository of our blessedness and our essential trait of unity, which will vanquish our divided side.”

Rav Kook, Articles.

© Copyright English translation Evgenia Kononova 2020