Esther is a Jewish girl who becomes Queen to King Xerxes of Persia, and through her bravery, is able to thwart an attempt to slaughter all the Jews living in Persia at that time. Purim commemorates Esther’s courage in saving the Jewish people living in Persia 2000 years ago from extermination.
What made Esther so special?
Queen Esther acted courageously when she made the decision to gather Shushan’s Jews, fast and approach the king. She had courage to plan the feasts and her timing to make her requests. She further had courage to beg King Ahasuerus to save the Jews after Haman’s demise and make further requests. Courage breeds courage.
What was Queen Esther known for?
Queen Esther, also called Hadassah, the heroine of the biblical Book of Esther, is considered one of the pivotal females in scripture because, according to Jewish tradition, she was divinely ordained to save her people from genocide.
Was Queen Esther a real person?
There is no reference to known historical events in the story; a general consensus, though this consensus has been challenged, has maintained that the narrative of Esther was invented in order to provide an aetiology for Purim, and the name Ahasuerus is usually understood to refer to a fictionalized Xerxes I, who ruled …
Who did Queen Esther invite to her banquets?
“And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”
What happened to Vashti?
The Babylonian Rabbis cast Vashti in a negative light. In contrast, their counterparts in Erez Israel portrayed her in a positive manner. Vashti came to an end when Memucan, one of the seven eunuchs of King Ahasuerus, counseled the king to depose Vashti.
Who was Mordecai’s wife in the Bible?
The Babylonian tradition maintains that Esther was Mordecai’s wife. Esth. 2:7 states: “Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter [literally: took her le-vat],” which the midrash understands as: Mordecai took her le-bayit, that is, as a wife (BT Megillah loc.