The Book of Esther is the firsthand account of a turn of events which constituted a dramatic reversal of fortune for the Jewish people. Haman is a man whose hatred for the Jewish people fueled his meteoric rise to power in the court of King Achashverosh, and who sought to use the leverage of his position to bring about the extermination of all the Jews in the Persian Empire. In the end, it was a combination of Mordechai's wisdom, Esther's courage and God's subtle and consistent support which saved Persian Jewry from the closing jaws of a hate-driven leadership and an all too willing population of accomplices.

At the same time these events were unfolding, another reversal was also taking place. The Book of Esther opens with the description of a lavish six-month feast which King Achashverosh hosted. The Talmud informs us that there was a poignant theme to this party which struck at the heart of Jewish identity and consciousness. This feast not only marked the third anniversary of the reign of King Achashverosh, it also marked 70 years since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Achashverosh was keenly aware that the Jewish prophets had foretold the end of the Babylonian and Persian exile after 70 years.

To celebrate his dominion over the Jews, Achashverosh staged an elaborate party where he donned the priestly garments plundered from the Temple. Likewise, the uniquely beautiful Temple vessels, which were a part of the Persian treasury, were proudly displayed for all to see. And of course, Achashverosh invited the Jews. Apparently, in those 70 years of Babylonian exile, the Jews had become desensitized to their national aspirations and enjoyed the feast.

Beneath the surface, the Book of Esther is about an era in which the sensitivity of Jews to their own Jewishness was on the wane. Ironically, there arose at that same juncture an enemy who hated the Jews specifically because of their Jewishness. And, as the Talmud goes on to tell us, the Jewish response to their enemy was not to run from the scourge of their Jewish identity, but to realize that nothing in the world was more precious to them than their very Jewishness.