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Be like Esther!
Of all of the Jewish Holidays throughout the year, only Purim has at its very center a woman, Queen Esther. The midwives in Egypt and the prophetess Miriam who play a central role in the story of the Exodus from Egypt do not appear in the Haggadah.
So why Esther? There are those who claim that Esther was merely a pawn of her Uncle Mordechai and the other men in the story. There are those who claim that Esther was an integral part of saving the Jews of Shushan from annihilation. There are some who deride Esther for participating in what was a Persian version of Miss America with the winner joining the King's harem, not getting a scholarship for college!
What we can all agree on about Esther is that she had courage. Whether Mordechai was in charge or if she came up with the ideas herself - it was only Esther who put herself at risk to carry out her mission of saving her fellow Jews. She could have failed or she could have died, but she was still motivated by her inner compass of knowing what she had to do. The Megillah never states whether that inner compass is God, in fact God's name never appears in the entirety of Megillat Esther. Literally read, it is the victory of a small nation that secures its right to live within a bigger one.
Today, Jews do not only live in Eretz Yisrael. They live all over the world and like Esther, they are sometimes called upon to defend their faith. Yet, They also have succeeded in building Masorti communities that blend support of Israel with pluralism and tradition.
Be like Esther! Stand up and be counted as a Masorti Jew wherever you are. Take action for those causes you know are just.
.ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר. כן תהיה לנו Grant us the blessings of light, gladness, joy, and honor which the miracle of deliverance brought to our ancestors. Esther 8:16
Kol tuv,
Rabbi Tzvi Graetz
Executive Director, Masorti Olami & MERCAZ Olami
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