Essay: Queen Esther

Queen Esther, a beautiful young woman who took the world by storm, saving her people, the Jews, from death and destruction around roughly 465 B.C., has died. Her story will live on for centuries to come as an example of the enduring nature of the Jewish people and her own strength of mind and spirit.
Esther, the orphan child of Abihail, grew up as the adopted daughter of her cousin Mordecai. Mordecai was an exceedingly kind and gentle man, always providing all that he could for Esther and doing what was best for her wellbeing. As a child, Esther was demure and obedient, eventually growing into a graceful and mature young woman, often catching the eyes of men unknowingly. Mordecai raised Esther as a devout Jew and taught her to live out God’s word.
As Esther was growing up, King Ahasuerus and Queen Vashti were the reigning couple of Persia. Queen Vashti, a bold and determined woman was banished from Persia due to her insubordinate actions against the King. King Ahasuerus had ordered Queen Vashti to come to his banquet in order to show off her physical beauty to his male friends. When Queen Vashti refused to comply, the King grew furious and denounced her as his wife. King Ahasuerus spread a decree throughout the land that women must obey their husbands and that men were the head of the household. After this incident, King Ahasuerus proceeded to search for a new Queen; beautiful virgins from every province were sent to his palace to see which one he would be most fond of. The King found favor with Esther, and Mordecai released her into the care of Hegai, one of the kings’ eunuchs. Although Esther was saddened to leave Mordecai, and did not feel ready to live in the women’s quarters, she knew that she had been summoned by King Ahasuerus and went willingly with grace and understanding. King Ahasuerus naturally found Esther to be beautiful and charming, and soon became his favorite. Esther was given many maids that tended to her beauty needs in or to prepare her to be in the presence of the king. Esther found this to be rather excessive given her timid nature, but saw the generosity in the kings actions, just as she did with any situation. Even when she was moved to the grandest place in the house of women, Esther did not brag or boast as many others would do, but remained kind and down-to-earth with the other women living in the quarters.
Esther, being a simple woman of practicality and modesty, took nothing into the king’s palace besides the things she was advised to bring by Hegai. This unmaterialistic act tipped King Ahasuerus over the edge, causing him to fall deeply in love with Esther and declaring her the new queen.
Esther had been advised by Mordecai to keep her Jewish heritage to herself. Esther always felt a bit ashamed that she hid her true identity from King Ahasuerus for as long as she did, as she was an extremely loyal person and felt as if she were betraying her husband by not revealing herself fully. Eventually, however, she does share her lineage with her husband when the kings closest advisor, Haman, plans to exterminate the Jewish people.
Haman seeks to inflict pain and suffering on not only Mordecai, but his daughter, and their people because Mordecai would not bow to Haman. Haman convinced King Ahasuerus that there was a group of people working against his rule and that they were a danger and threat to his kingdom. King Ahasuerus signed off on Haman’s decree, not yet knowing that his wife was a Jew, stating that all Jews in the kingdom will be destroyed on the thirteenth day of the last month of the year. Esther was very unaware of this pending decree and therefore did not speak against it at the time.
During this time, Mordecai hears of the decree and mourns his future death and the future demise of his people. Mordecai desperately reaches out to his daughter, pleading with her to say something to the king to change his mind. Esther was extremely conflicted and could not understand why the king would declare such a barbaric thing. Esther up until this time had been living out an extravagant, if not dull, lifestyle. Esther, being an exceedingly intelligent woman, was bored out of her mind and would often make her maids and eunuchs entertain her. The king had not called upon her in quite some time, so when Mordecai implored her to speak to the king, she was at first affronted, but became slowly excited at the prospect of a mentally stimulating task and a possibly deadly challenge. The law at the time was that the king was not to be approached by someone who was not shown the golden scepter. Esther, being the secretively devout Jew that she was, fasted for three days before daring to approach the king. Esther, showing her courage and aptitude, found favor with the king and was shown the golden scepter. Esther, being the classy woman that she was, first invited King Ahasuerus and Haman to a banquet prepared by her. She warmed them up with her glutinous banquets only to tear Haman down in front of the king. Esther shared with her husband her Jewish heritage and the king grew furious at Haman for suggesting such a decree. Esther delighted in her well-executed confession and was proud that her husband was so protective over her. However, Haman was sentenced to die via the gallows that he had made intending to hang Mordecai.
Esther had a suppressed blood thirst, which was satiated when her counter decree, declaring that the Jews kill anyone on the thirteenth day of the last month that threatened to destroy them, resulted in a massive gentile body count. Esther wanted her people to protect themselves for one more day, so the decree was lengthened until the fourteenth day of the last month for the Jews in Shushan.
After this bloodbath, the Jewish people rested; the Jews outside of Shushan on the fourteenth day, and the Jews within Shushan on the fifteenth day. For this reason, Queen Esther created the holiday of Purim, which last from the fourteenth day of the last month to the fifteenth day of the last month. Purim was declared by Esther as a day of peace, rest, and giving within the Jewish community.
Esther’s influence on the Jewish people is hard to match and her inner courage and strength made surprising appearances throughout her lifetime. She has most definitely left a dent in history, which only a handful can say.
Many will miss this magnetic woman, as the worldwide Jewish community has only begun to mourn her loss.