Megillat Ester: Lessons in Character

(5) In the fortress Shushan lived a Jew by the name of Mordecai, son of Yair son of Shimei son of Kish, a Benjaminite. (6) [Kish] had been exiled from Jerusalem in the group that was carried into exile along with King Jeconiah of Judah, which had been driven into exile by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.— (7) He was foster father to Hadassah—that is, Esther—his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was beautiful and comely; and when her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.

"...a Jew": Since our sages taught us in the first chapter of Tractate Megillah, that all of the names are also hints about Mordechai, it is possible to make a moral interpretation here. "a Jew" meaning that he (Mordechai), did not defile his mouth and did not benefit from the feast of that wicked one (Ahashverosh) and therefore, Mordechai was called "a Jew". If you say "Mordechai was completely righteous, is it right that he should have suffered along with his generation?!" Regarding this, the verse states "son of Yair" ("Yair" meaning "gives light"), that he illuminated the eyes of the Jewish people and warned them that they not go (to the feast) but they did not listen, however, he himself would have been rescued. In fact, God wanted to bring an end to the Jewish people and start over with Mordechai just as God wanted to with Moshe...This is why Mordechai is called "ben Shimi" (from "Shama" or "listen"), because he listened to the will of God. Finally, he is called "ben Kish" (from "nakash" meaning "to strike") because he knocked on the doors of mercy, to pray for the Jewish people just as Moshe did, and they opened them for him. Mordechai was not interested in his own greatness.

Before we delve into the topic, let us pay attention...that the Blessed One arranged two redeemers, while one would have been enough. One should not respond, "Mordechai was the central one, as it is written, 'and he was' meaning that he was positioned for the redemption, however, Esther was only a helper". For behold, our sages said that "she had no father or mother", this is because the people declared "we are (like) orphans without a father". (Therefore, God declared) by your life! The redeemer I send will not have a father or mother...behold then, Esther was a redeemer herself.

(Esther) was called "Hadassah"(Myrtle). This like what the sages taught about the verse, "and he stands among the myrtle" (Zechariah 1:11). They taught, "why are the righteous compared to the myrtle? Because just as the myrtle's leaves do not wither in summer or winter, and instead they flourish, so the righteous have a portion in this world as well as in the world to come." Also, what is written about Esther, even though she was an orphan, "she had no father or mother" to guide her, nevertheless, she taught herself to be righteous.