The Esther In Us All — A Purim Reflection

Prefer to listen? Click here to listen to audio version.

Purim is here, and as usual, I am not a fan. The drinking, the chaos, the violence, they are not my thing. Yet, celebrating the holidays is important to me, being part of a community is important to me, and holidays are one way we come together as people. So each year, I ask myself, how can I make this holiday I dislike meaningful to me?

For those who are less familiar with Purim, we read a book called Megillat Esther and tell the story of Queen Esther.

We are first introduced to Esther in Chapter 2, verse 7. The text introduces her through her cousin Mordechai (a Jewish leader) saying:

Vayahi omen et Hadasa - he Esther

He was the foster father of Hadassah - She is Esther

From this, some say her name was Hadassah, Hebrew for Myrtle. But throughout the Megillah, she is called Esther. From the Hebrew root word “star,” Esther means to conceal, hide, or cover. We do not see the name Hadassah in any verse after that. She is referred to by the nickname and/or by the way she showed up in the world as Esther. As someone who hides and conceals their identity.

We do not know much about Esther’s past, the text does tell us that “she was raised by her cousin because she did not have a father or a mother.” One can extract from this that she probably went through some really hard times, losing both her parents. One of the ways she learned to keep herself safe was through hiding.

Until she couldn't any longer.

In chapter 4, verse 14, when there is a decree to kill the Jews, Mordechai tells Esther:

umi yodaya im l’ayt k’zot higaat la’malchut.

And who knows, perhaps it is because of this time that you have attained the royal position.

Mordechai is telling Esther that her life has led her to this moment and that she has a job to do. One that calls on her position in the royal palace as well as her identity as a Jewish woman. He asks her to reveal herself, and do what she can to save her people.

This is a radical departure for Esther. He is asking her to reveal her identity, to show herself, to use the power she now has, to use the privilege of her station, to risk her safety. It is contrary to what she has known, what has kept her safe. This direction goes against who she is and how she has been in the world up until that moment. 

At first, she pushes back and argues. Eventually, she rises to the challenge and finds her voice. She notices she is no longer a parentless child. She realizes that she has privilege, she has power, and she has a job to do.

As in all stories, we find ourselves in it.

Just as Ester did, we all have a job to do. Just as Ester had a unique role, so do each of us. Esther went out of her comfort zone and moved past the way she always did things. 

Where do you need to do the same? Who is calling on you to speak up?

Let us ask ourselves, what gift can I offer? How can I help heal, protect, and enable humanity to thrive?

We all have things that we are called to do, and in a time like this, it is important to pause long enough to ask ourselves, what is my role? Whom can I help? What is the story I tell myself that needs to be adjusted for this time?

How can I show up and use my identity as well as my expertise?

Purim Samayach (Hebrew) 
A freilechen Pirim (Yiddish)
Happy Purim (English)