It's the stuff of fairy tales, right? But what if it's more than just a lucky break?
Our story finds Esther caught between a rock and a hard place. Her uncle, Mordecai, is locked in a battle of wills with the wicked Haman. Esther, understandably, is worried. She urges Mordecai to dial it back, to avoid giving Haman any excuse to unleash his hatred – the age-old hatred of Esau towards Jacob – upon Mordecai and, by extension, the entire Jewish nation.
But Mordecai? He's unshakeable. He is absolutely convinced that Esther's destiny is intertwined with the salvation of Israel. It’s a bold claim, isn’t it?
What was it that gave him such certainty?
Well, he saw her whole life as a series of miraculous events, a divine tapestry woven with a purpose. Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, tells us that the very moment Esther was taken to the court, Mordecai had a powerful realization. He thought, "Is it conceivable that God would force so pious a woman to wed with a heathen, were it not that she is appointed to save Israel from menacing dangers?"
Think about that for a second. Mordecai sees Esther's seemingly unfortunate situation—being taken into the palace, marrying a non-Jew—not as a tragedy, but as a divinely ordained mission. He sees the hand of God guiding her every step, preparing her for this very moment. This wasn't just about luck; it was about destiny.
It raises a question, doesn't it? Do we recognize the potential for greatness, the spark of the divine, in the people around us? Do we see the challenges they face as opportunities for them to rise and fulfill their purpose? Or do we only see the surface, the immediate circumstances?
Maybe, just maybe, everyone has a role to play in the unfolding story of the world. And maybe, like Mordecai, we need to have the eyes to see it.