Our Story begins in the ancient Kingdom of Persia where the Jewish people lived as Exiles under the rule of King Xerxes among them was a young and beautiful woman named Esther who would rise to a position of great influence and courageously save her people from destruction in the Citadel of Susa King Xerxes held a Grand Banquet lasting 100 0 days showcasing his Kingdom's wealth and Splendor at the end of this period he hosted A 7day Feast for all the people on the seventh day in High Spirits from wine King Xerxes commanded Queen vashi to appear
before him to display her beauty but Queen vashi refused enraging the king following his advisor's advice Xerxes deposed of vashi stripping her of her title as Queen to find a new Queen a search was conducted across the empire for the most beautiful young virgins they were brought into the king's Haram under the care of hegi the king's unic in charge of the women among these women was Esther also known as hadasa an orphan raised by her cousin morai morai instructed Esther not to reveal her nationality and family background after a year of beauty treatments each
young woman would go to King Xerxes when Esther's turn came she won the favor of everyone who saw her including the King Xerxes was so taken with Esther's Beauty and Grace that he set the Royal crown on her head and made her Queen instead of vashi Esther kept her Jewish identity a secret as morai had advised meanwhile morai who sat at the king's gate overheard a plot to assassinate King Xerxes two of the king's officers big and terish conspired to kill the king morai told Queen Esther about the plot and she reported it to the
king giving credit to morai the matter was investigated found to be true and the two officials were [Music] hanged this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king and agagite named hmon was elevated by King Xerxes to the highest position of authority above all the other Nobles all the Royal officials at the king's gate knelt down and paid honor to hmon and as the king had commanded but morai refused to bow down or pay him honor hmon was filled with rage and sought to destroy not only morai but all
of mori's people the Jews throughout the kingdom of Xerxes to determine the most favorable day to carry out his plan hman cast the lot called per in Hebrew and it fell on the 13th day of the 12th month the month of other Heyman went to King Xerxes and said there is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate their Customs are different from those of all other people and they do not obey the king's laws it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them
if it pleases the king let a decree be issued to get rid of them and I will put 10,000 talents of silver into the Royal treasury the king took his Signet ring from his finger and gave it to hmon to seal the decree the decree went out by couriers to all the king's provinces with the order to kill all the Jews young and old women and children on a single day the 13th day of the 12th month and to plunder their goods the city of Susa was bewildered but the king and hmon sat down to
drink when morai learned of the decree he tore his clothes put on sackcloth and Ashes and went into the city wailing loudly and bitterly in every Province to which the king's edict came there was great mourning among the Jews with fasting weeping and wailing Esther's maids and unics came and told her about morai distressed she sent clothes for him to put on but he would not accept them then Esther summoned hathak one of the king's unic assigned to attend her and ordered him to find out what was troubling morai and why morai told him everything
including the amount of money hmon had promised to pay into the Royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews he also gave him a copy of the edict for their Annihilation to show to Esther and urged her to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people hathak went back and reported to Esther what morai had said then she instructed him to say to morai all the king's officials and the people people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the
inner Court without being summoned the King has but one law that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them when Esther's words were reported to morai he sent back this answer do not think that because you are in the King's house you alone of all the Jews will escape for if you remain silent relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place but you and your father's family will perish and who knows but that you have come to your Royal position for such a time as this then
Esther sent this reply to morai go gather together all the Jews who are in Souza and fast for me do not eat or drink for 3 days night or day I and my attendants will fast as you do when this is done I will go to the king even though it is against the law and if I perish I perish on the third day Esther dawned her royal robes and stood in the inner Court of the palace in front of the king's Hall when King Xerxes saw her he was pleased and extended his golden scepter
sparing her life what is it Queen Esther what is your request even up to half the kingdom it will be given you Esther invited the king and hmon to a banquet she had prepared during the banquet the king asked Esther what she desired Esther invited the king and hmon to another banquet the next day where she would reveal her petition hmon went out happy and in High Spirits but when he saw morai at the king's gate and observed that he neither Rose nor showed fear in his presence he was filled with rage nevertheless hmon restrained
himself and went home calling together his friends and zarish his wife hmon boasted to them about his vast wealth his many sons and all all the ways the king had honored him and that's not all hmon added I'm the only person Queen Ester invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave but all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew morai sitting at the king's gate his wife zarish and all his friends said to him have a pole set up reaching 50 cubits and ask the king to have morai
impa Ked on it then go with the King to the banquet and enjoy yourself this suggestion delighted hyon and he had the pole set up that night the king could not sleep so he ordered the book of The Chronicles to be brought in and read to him it was found recorded there that morai had exposed big th and teresh who had inspired to assassinate King Xerxes what honor has morai received for this the king asked nothing has been done for him his attendants answered the next morning Hyman entered the court to request mori's execution before
hmon could speak the king asked what should be done for the man the king Delights to honor assuming the king meant him Hayman suggested a royal robe the king had worn a horse the king had ridden one with a Royal Crest then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king's most noble princes let them robe the man the king Delights to honor and lead him on the horse through the city streets proclaiming this is what is done for the man the king Delights to honor to his horror the king commanded hmon
to honor morai in this way after parading morai hmon rushed home in grief only to be summoned to Esther's second banquet during the banquet King Xerxes again asked Esther her request Queen Esther answered if I have found favor with you your majesty and if it pleases you grant me my life this is my petition and my people this is my request for I and my people have been sold to be destroyed killed and annihilated King Xerxes asked who is he where is he Esther said an adversary an enemy this vile hmon then hmon was terrified
before the king and queen the king got up in a rage and went out into the palace Garden hey stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life just as the king returned hmon was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining the king exclaimed will he even harm the queen while she is with me in the house as soon as the word left the king's mouth they covered haymon's face then harona one of the unic said a pole reaching 50 cubits stands by haymon's house he had it set up for morai the king said
take him to it so they took hmon to the pole he had set up for morai after that the king's Fury subsided that same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of hmon and morai came into the king's presence for Esther had told how he was related to her the king took off his sign ring which he had reclaimed from hmon and presented it to morai Esther appointed him over haymon's estate for me Esther again pleaded with the King falling at his feet and weeping she begged him to put an end to haymon's evil
plan then the King extended the gold scepter to Esther and she stood before him if it pleases the king she said and if he regards me with favor let an order be written overruling the dispatches that hmon devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces for how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people King Xerxes replied because hmon attacked the Jews I have given his estate to Esther now write another decree in the king's name in behalf of the Jews as as seems best to you and seal it
with the king's Signet ring for no document written in the king's name and sealed with his ring can be revoked at once the Royal secretaries were summoned they wrote out all mori's orders to the Jews and to the Nobles of the 127 provinces morai wrote In The Name of King Xerxes sealed the dispatches with the king's signant ring and sent them by mounted couriers the king's edict granted the Jews the right to assemble and protect themselves to destroy any Armed Force that might attack them the day appointed for the Jews to do this was the
13th day of the 12th month the month of Adar the couriers went out spurred on by the King's Command and the edict was issued in the Citadel of Susa when morai left the king's presence he was wearing Royal garments of blue and white a large crown of gold and a purple robe and the City of Susa held a joyous celebration for the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy gladness and Honor on the 13th day of the 12th month the edict was to be carried out on this day the enemies of the Jews
had hoped to overpower them but the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand the Jews assembled in their cities and attacked those who sought to destroy them no one could stand against them for fear of the Jews had seized all the people in The Citadel of Susa the Jews killed 500 men they also killed the 10 sons of hmon but they did not lay their hands on the plunder the number of those killed in the Citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day the king said to Queen Esther the
Jews have killed 500 men and the 10 sons of hmon in the Citadel of Susa what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces now what is your petition it will be given you Esther answered give the Jews S A permission to carry out this day's edict tomorrow also and let Hon's 10 Sons be put on poles just like their father so the king commanded that this be done meanwhile the Jews in the king's provinces assembled to protect themselves and got relief from their enemies they killed 75,000 of them but did not lay
their hands on the plunder this happened on the 13th day of Adar and on the 14th they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy morai recorded these events and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes to have them celebrate annually the 14th and 15th days of the month of ADA as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies he wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor the Jews
agreed to continue the celebration they had begun doing what morai had written to them therefore these days were called puim from the word Pur the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants should without fail obser observe these two days every year these days of purm should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews nor should the memory Die Out Among their descendants King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the Empire all his acts of power and might together with a full account of the greatness of Mori are written in the
annals of the kings of midia and Persia Mori the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes preeminent among the Jews and held in high esteem by his fellow Jews because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews the life of Esther is a powerful reminder of courage and Faith her bravery and wisdom in the face of great danger saved her people and left a lasting Legacy of Hope and deliverance through her story we learn about the importance of standing up for what is right even
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