Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Communications consultant Ahikam Moshe-David conveyed the following words regarding Megilat Esther:
"We are accustomed to think that the climax of Megliat Esther, which we will read tomorrow night, is the sentence: 'For the Jews there was radiance and happiness and joy and honor.' Who doesn't want to rejoice, especially after an existential danger has passed? But for me the climactic sentence from the Book of Esther is otherwise. It appears at the height of the crisis, when Mordechai asks Esther: 'Who knows, perhaps for a time like this you have attained royalty.'
Boom. Suddenly all the responsibility passes to her. Will the queen in the palace save the entire people? All of us have a moment like this that suddenly explains why we are here.
The official who does not wish to hear the entreaty of the person asking for help and who needs to close the office -- yet can go beyond himself and with one more drop of attention save the one asking for help.
The teacher who is no longer capable of listening to her students complain and wants to go home to her own kids can, with one glance, in one sentence, with one smile, give a slow student faith and confidence.
And the army officer who can also, with a little extra attention, save a soldier in despair who is fed up with everything.
This is relevant to us all. It's not by chance that we arrived at where we are. At many moments of our lives, we must look at reality, at the distress that surrounds us and ask: Perhaps for a time like this, I have attained royalty".
