Thursday, which by Jewish definition is Wednesday evening, is Purim, a Jewish holiday. I feel like telling the story in a nutshell. It takes place in Persia and is a story of someone who wanted to annihilate the Jewish people.
There was a man who was the Kings most trusted adviser. He was also a self absorbed egomaniac. He went through Shushan one day and wanted everyone to bow down to him. Mordechai did not bow down. He asked his aides to find out who did not bow down to him. They told him it was Mordechai the Jew.
Mordechai uncovered a plot to assassinate the King. One night, the king could not sleep and asked his advisers to read to him from the royal diaries. They read the story of Mordechai exposing the assassination plot. The king asked if he had rewarded the man and was told he did not.
He called his adviser, Haman, to ask how he should honor someone. Haman, believing it was him (I mentioned he had a big ego), told the king to dress this man in his finest silks and have a high minister lead him on his finest horse through the town saying "This is how the King honors one who he deems worthy." The King said that that sounded like a great idea and told Haman to find Mordechai and do that.
Needless to say, Haman was pissed. He then decided he hated not just Mordechai, but all Jews. As the King's most trusted adviser, he wrote a law and got the king's ring to seal the edict which said that on a certain date all Jews would be killed. Mordechai got word of this.
Unbeknownst to Haman, and the King, the Queen, Esther, was Jewish. She was also Mordechai's Niece. He told her of the edict and told her to act.
Queen Esther went to the King. She had not been invited. At this point, I should mention that she became queen because the previous queen, Vashti, went to the king, unnvited, and he had her executed. So, Esther was taking a great risk.
When she arrived in the king's court, he accepted her. He asked why she would take the risk to see him and she said she wished to invite him to dinner. Oh and please bring Haman as well.
After the meal, the King asks Esther for what purpose she did this. Esther says that Haman wants to kill her. This is news to Haman, who is unaware that she is Jewish. The King revokes the edict and sentences Haman to death. Let's eat
Wed Mar 07, 2012 at 6:26 PM PT: I should have mentioned that this story took place in Persia. Persia is Iran today. One of the most powerful Iranians, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to kill the Jewish people. I wonder how that's gonna work out for him.