The Story chapter 20 ’The Queen of Beauty and Courage”

2019-07-02

The book is divided into 10 chapters. Here is a quick summary of their contents: Chapter 1: King Achashveirosh of Persia holds two giant parties, and he has his wife, Vashti, executed. Chapter 2: A search for a new queen results in Esther (cousin of the Torah sage Mordechai) being taken to the palace, but not sharing her Jewish identity. Together, they save the king from two plotting palace staffers. Chapter 3: The evil advisor, Haman, convinces the king to have all the Jews in his...

The book is divided into 10 chapters. Here is a quick summary of their contents:

Chapter 1: King Achashveirosh of Persia holds two giant parties, and he has his wife, Vashti, executed.

Chapter 2: A search for a new queen results in Esther (cousin of the Torah sage Mordechai) being taken to the palace, but not sharing her Jewish identity. Together, they save the king from two plotting palace staffers.

Chapter 3: The evil advisor, Haman, convinces the king to have all the Jews in his empire executed on one day: Adar 13.

Chapter 4: Mordechai prevails upon Esther to intercede before the king.

Chapter 5: Esther invites the king and Haman to a private party, at which she invites both of them to a second party. Haman decides to erect gallows on which to hang Mordechai, who bravely refuses to bow to him.

Chapter 6: The king is unable to sleep, and on that night is reminded that he never rewarded Mordechai for saving his life. He asks Haman to parade Mordechai around town, dressed in royal clothing, riding the king’s horse.

Chapter 7: At the second party, Esther tells the king that Haman wishes to exterminate her people. Enraged, the king has Haman strung up on the gallows he had prepared.

Chapter 8: Orders are issued in the king’s name, authorizing the Jews to defend themselves and kill those who wish to kill them.

Chapter 9: The Jews defend themselves on on Adar 13 and rest on Adar 14. In the capital of Shushan, an extra day is needed, and the rest is delayed to Adar 15. Esther has the events recorded, and scrolls are sent to Jews all over.

(At the point in the story that describes how the 10 sons of Haman were killed and hanged on the gallows, the words in the Megillah are actually stacked in a column, using a format seen in just a few places in scripture.)

Chapter 10: The events are included in the records of Persia and Media, and Mordechai is a wildly popular viceroy.

https://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/3602036/jewish/What-Is-the-Book-of-Esther-About.htm?

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