This weekend, Jews around the world will come together to celebrate the holiday of Purim, recounting the miracles that occurred in ancient Persia leading to a reversal of fate when the Jewish community at that time was faced with certain death. Our sages through the generations have guided our practice to come together and read aloud the episode’s written history, commonly called the Megillah, or the Book of Esther.

At a pivotal moment in the story, Mordechai, the leader of the Jews of the capital city of Shushan, is faced with a key question of strategy, one that could have led to his niece's early demise or the success of her saving the Jewish people, and instead of taking charge chooses to guide with humility, and that is something that world leaders today can learn from.

The story begins with an episode regarding the Persian King Ahasuerus (who scholars believe to be Xerxes I) who during an extended party called for his wife, Vashti, to present herself at the party being held for men. Vashti refuses, her husband has her killed, and ultimately, he emboldens the wicked Haman as his viceroy.

Ahasuerus realized the loneliness of the bachelor lifestyle and worked with Haman and his other deputies to devise a beauty contest that would ultimately choose his new wife. A Jewess, Esther ended up being........

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