Every Purim we remember the story of Queen Esther. You can read it for yourself in the Bible by reading the book of Esther. Or you can read our version of the story!

Many years after the Jews were exiled from Israel, King Xerxes ruled the biggest empire in the world. King Xerxes was proud of his wealth and power and anxious to show off. In order to do so, he threw a party that lasted for six months. At the end of that time King Xerxes had drunk too much wine. He decided that in addition to his wealth and power it would be a good idea to show off his beautiful wife, Queen Vashti, to all the people at the party.

When she was sent for, Queen Vashti refused to join her husband at his party and be shown off. King Xerxes was so angry that he dismissed Queen Vashti forever from his sight and made a decree saying that she could never appear before his again. The King thought this was a good idea ... until he stopped being angry and got over all the wine he had drunk. Then he missed Queen Vashti and wondered whether he would ever find another woman to set in her place as his Queen.

It was King Xerxes' advisers who suggested that he should gather all the most beautiful girls in his empire together and pick a new Queen from among them. The King thought this was a much better idea than dismissing Queen Vashti had been. He made another decree, ordering that all the beautiful girls in Persia should come to the palace.

Hundreds of beautiful girls arrived at the palace. Among them was a Jewish girl called Esther. She was very beautiful. She was an orphan who lived with her cousin, Mordecai. He treated her as a daughter and she obeyed him as if he was really her father. When Mordecai told Esther to hide her Jewish identity from everyone at the palace, she did so. She settled into the palace, was approved of by the man in charge of the royal-brides-elect, underwent a year of beauty treatments and appeared before King Xerxes. Through all this no one ever found out that she was Jewish.

When Esther appeared before King Xerxes, he was delighted. She was so beautiful that he fell in love with her at once. He crowned her Queen and threw a party in her honour. Every who saw her liked her. Persia had a Jewish Queen, but the only people who knew as much were Queen Esther herself and her cousin Mordecai.

It was soon after King Xerxes chose Esther for his new Queen, that Mordecai saved the King's life. Mordecai worked in the palace and often sat in the palace gate. One day he overheard two of the palace gate-keepers, Bigthan and Teresh, plotting to kill King Xerxes. Mordecai told Esther about the plot. Bigthan and Teresh were executed and the King's life was saved.

The King needed a new Prime Minister and decided to appoint Haman to the position. Haman was a descendent of the Agagites, the ancient enemies of the Jews, a powerful man with ten sons. Once Haman was appointed Prime Minister, everyone who saw him bowed down. Only the King himself was more important in Persia.

It as not long before Haman noticed that when he passed through the palace gate, Mordecai didn't bow down to him. Everyone else did, but not Mordecai. Mordecai insisted that because he was a Jew and believed in the G-d of Israel, he could not bow down to anyone. Haman was furious! He was determined to kill Mordecai, but Mordecai alone was not good enough. Haman decided to kill all the Jews.

In order to kill the Jews, Haman needed King Xerxes permission. He went to the King and presented his idea. He told the King that there was a certain group of people in Persia who were undermining the security and prosperity of the empire. King Xerxes was worried about this and when Haman offered to pay the King for permission to kill the people concerned, the King agreed. King Xerxes gave Haman his royal signet ring and told him to do whatever he liked with the people.

Losing no time, Haman sent out letter to people all over Persia. He said that on the 14th of Adar, everyone was to kill all the Jews they knew and take their possessions for themselves. In Susa, everything was in confusion. When Mordecai heard the news he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes as a sign of mourning. He refused to be comforted.

Queen Esther heard about the confusion in Susa and the sackcloth and ashes of Mordecai. She sent her servants to find out what the matter was. Mordecai sent her a copy of the letter Haman had sent to everyone in Persia. He also sent her a message asking her to go to King Xerxes and intercede for her people.

Queen Esther was horrified when she understood what Haman had planned. She was also horrified by Mordecai's request. She sent a message back to him, explaining that anyone who entered King Xerxes' throne room uninvited was automatically sentenced to be executed. The only exception was when the King held out his sceptre as a sign of forgiveness. Esther felt sure that if she went to see the King uninvited, she would die.

Mordecai answered Esther's doubts at once. He told her that if Esther did not risk her own life and go to King Xerxes even though she was uninvited, she would die anyway. Her royal position would not save her from Haman's decree. Mordecai again urged Esther to go to the King and intercede for her people. Esther realised that he was right and agreed to go to King Xerxes in the throne room. She asked Mordecai to tell all the Jews in Susa to fast and pray for her for three days, promising that she and her maids would do likewise.

After three days, Esther put on her most beautiful clothes and went into King Xerxes' throne room. the King saw her coming and held out his sceptre. Esther approached the King and he asked her what was troubling her, offering to give her half his kingdom if that was what she wanted. Instead of immediately attempting to beg for the salvation of the Jews, Esther invited King Xerxes and Haman to come to a banquet she had prepared. The King agreed at once!

King Xerxes and Haman came to the banquet. Again the King asked Esther what was troubling her and offered to give her half his kingdom if that was what she wanted. Esther asked him to come to another banquet she would prepare the next day. The King agreed and Haman was delighted with the honour he felt he was receiving.

On the way home from the banquet, Haman passed through the palace gate and, as usual, Mordecai refused to bow down to him. This made Haman furious. Attempting to comfort him, Haman's wife suggested that he build a huge gallows seventy foot high, get the King's permission to hang Mordecai, and hang him before going to Esther's second banquet. Haman liked this idea so much that he set his servants to work at once, building the gallows seventy foot high.

That night, King Xerxes couldn't sleep. He asked one of his servants to read aloud to him from the Royal Chronicle. The servant read about the plot of Bigthan and Teresh, the palace gate keepers to kill the King. For the first time the King learned that it was Mordecai who discovered the plot and saved his life. The King decided to honour Mordecai with a reward.

King Xerxes was wondering how to reward Mordecai when Haman arrived to ask the King for permission to hang Mordecai. Before Haman could speak, the King asked him how he could reward a man who had pleased him. Haman assumed that King Xerxes was referring to him, his Prime Minister. He suggested a grand parade through Susa for the man, who was to ride the King's horse and wear the King's crown. When King Xerxes agreed to Haman's plan and told him to arrange the parade to reward Mordecai, Haman was shocked. He did as the King told him, then hurried home. He was so angry that he didn't know what to do.

Later, King Xerxes and Haman attended the second banquet Esther had prepared. The King again asked Esther what was troubling her and offered to give her half his kingdom if that was what she wanted. Esther told him that her life and the lives of her people were under threat. She begged King Xerxes to save her and her people.

The King was astonished. He demanded the name of the man who would dare to threaten the Queen of Persia and her people. Esther told him that she was Jewish and that it was Haman who had dared to do such a thing. King Xerxes was so angry that he left the banquet and walked out into the garden to think. When he came back, he found Haman begging Esther for protection from the King's anger. Haman was so close to Esther that the King assumed he was threatening her. That sealed Haman's fate. Just then a message arrived from Haman's servants to tell him that the seventy foot gallows to hang Mordecai on was finished. King Xerxes ordered Haman to be hung on it instead of Mordecai. Only when Haman was dead did the King's anger cool.

King Xerxes was now left without a Prime Minister. He decided to appoint Mordecai in Haman's place, giving him purple, blue and white robes and a gold crown. The first thing Mordecai did was send out letters all over Persia, giving the Jews permission to defend themselves against those who attacked them on the 14th of Adar. Messengers were sent all over Persia with these letters and all the Jews rejoiced.

Everyone else was impressed by Mordecai's authority. Many were so scared of the power given to the Jews that they converted to Judaism. When the 14th of Adar arrived, the Jews were able to overcome their enemies. Many people helped the Jews to defend themselves, the ten sons of Haman were hung, and the Jews were victorious.

Mordecai wrote this story down and sent letters to all the Jews, telling them to celebrate annually their miraculous deliverance from evil. He told them to be joyful, to have a feast, to send presents to each other and give gifts to the poor. Esther used her influence to establish Purim as an annual feast for the Jews. To this day, Purim is celebrated and G-d's deliverance of the Jews through the hand of Esther is remembered!

Copyright J.E. Allen MET