The story of Purim

OWN CORRESPONDENT
On the seventh day of this party, Ahasuerus’ heart “was merry with wine”, and he commanded Vashti to appear before the partying men to show them her exquisite beauty. Vashti baulked at this request and Ahasuerus ordered her execution.
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Ahasuerus became lonely for a wife. His servants suggested that there should be a beauty pageant. All beautiful girls would be brought to Ahasuerus; the girl who would find favour in his eyes, would be the new queen.

A Shushanite resident named Mordechai was leader of the Jews. He had a cousin, Esther, who was orphaned as a young girl. Mordechai raised her and treated her as a daughter. Esther was forcibly taken to the king’s harem, to participate in the contest.

All the other contestants beautified themselves with perfumes and lotions, but Esther did nothing. But G-d had His own plans. When Esther appeared before the king, he liked her and she became the new Queen of Persia. As per Mordechai’s directive, Esther didn’t divulge her nationality – even to the king.

Shortly after Esther became queen, Mordechai overheard two of the king’s chamberlains discussing a plot to assassinate the king. Mordechai had them reported, and they were hanged.

Meanwhile, Haman, a virulent Jew-hater, one of Ahasuerus’ ministers, was promoted to prime minister.

After his promotion, the king issued a decree ordering everyone to bow down whenever Haman appeared. Haman would walk around with a large idol hanging from a chain around his neck. When Mordechai, a proud Jew, refused to bow down, Haman was infuriated.

He resolved to take revenge against all the Jews and threw lots to determine the “lucky” day when he would implement his plan. The lot fell on the 13th day of the Hebrew month of Adar.

Haman offered Ahasuerus 10 000 silver talents in exchange for permission to exterminate the Jews. Ahasuerus, who was no friend of the Jews either, told Haman: “The money is yours to keep, and the nation is yours to do with as you please.”

Haman sent proclamations to all the king’s land, ordering the people to rise up against the Jews and kill them all on the following 13th of Adar.

Mordechai became aware of the decree. He sent a message to Esther, asking her to approach the king and beg him to spare her people. Esther responded that according to the rules, anyone who entered the king’s presence un-summoned would be put to death, unless the king extended to that person his golden sceptre. “And I,” Esther said, “have not been summoned by the king for 30 days already!”

Mordechai sent another message: “Do not think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews by being in the king’s palace. For if you will remain silent at this time, relief and salvation will come to the Jews from another source, and you and the house of your father will be lost. And who knows if it is not for just such a time that you reached this royal position.”

Esther agreed to approach the king, but she asked Mordechai to gather all the Jews in Shushan and let them fast for three days and nights. After this fast she would put her life in her hands and approach the king.

The Jews of Shushan for three days fasted, repented and prayed to G-d.

Esther donned royal garb and entered Ahasuerus’ chambers. Immediately, the king extended his sceptre. “What is it?” Ahasuerus asked. “What is your request?”

“I would like to invite the king and Haman to a small feast I have prepared,” Esther responded.

The king and Haman joined Esther for a wine-feast, during which the king again asked Esther whether she had anything to request. “Yes,” Esther responded. “I would appreciate if tomorrow, again, the king and Haman would join me for a feast. And then I will tell the king my request.”

Haman left the party a happy and proud man. But standing at the king’s gate was Mordechai – who still refused to bow to Haman. Haman was enraged. When he arrived home, his wife and advisers counselled him to erect a gallows and then to go to the king and request permission to hang Mordechai. Haman went ahead and put up the gallows.

The king could not sleep that night, so he asked his servants to read for him from the Royal Chronicles. They read how Mordechai had saved the king’s life when two of his chamberlains hatched a plot to kill him.

“Was he rewarded for this fine act?” Ahasuerus asked. “No he was not,” the servants responded.

At that moment Haman entered the king’s courtyard, to ask the king’s permission to hang Mordechai. Before Haman could talk, Ahasuerus addressed him: “My Haman, in your estimation, what shall be done to a person whom the king wishes to honour?”

Haman, who was certain that the king wished to honour him, responded: “Bring royal garment and a royal horse. And let one of the king’s nobles dress the man and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘So is done for the man whom the king wishes to honour!'”

“Great idea,” Ahasuerus responded. “Now go get the garments and the horse and do so for Mordechai the Jew!”

Haman had no choice but to comply. On the next day he went and honoured Mordechai as the king had ordered, and then immediately rushed to join the king and Esther for the second feast.

“What is your request?” Ahasuerus asked Esther.

“If it pleases the king, let my life be granted me by my plea, and the life of my people by my request. For my people and I have been sold to be annihilated, killed and destroyed!” Esther identified Haman as the evil person who wished to perpetrate this.

The king was angered. When he was told that Haman had built a gallows for Mordechai, he ordered that Haman be hanged on that very gallows.

Haman was dead, but his evil decree was still in effect. Mordechai was appointed prime minister in Haman’s stead.

According to Persian law, once a king issues a decree it cannot be rescinded. But the king gave Mordechai and Esther permission, and they wrote up a decree that countermanded Haman’s edict. This granted the Jews permission to defend themselves against their enemies. And the Jews in Shushan were very happy!

On the 13th of Adar that year, the Jews throughout the Persian Empire mobilised and killed the enemies who had wanted to kill them. In Shushan, among the dead were Haman’s 10 sons.

Esther asked the king’s permission for the Jews in Shushan to have one more day to destroy their enemy – and the king agreed. On that day, the 14th of Adar, the Jews worldwide celebrated, and the Jews of Shushan killed more of their enemies, and also hung Haman’s sons. The Jews of Shushan then rested and celebrated on the 15th of Adar.

Mordechai and Esther established a holiday to commemorate these events. Jews worldwide celebrate on the 14th of Adar, while residents of walled cities – like Shushan – celebrate on the 15th of Adar, the holiday called Purim, the most joyous holiday on the Jewish calendar.

Reprinted  by kind permission of Chabad House