Talmud – Chullin 139b
Where do we hear about Esther in the Torah? [It says in Deuteronomy 31:18:] "And I will hide, really hide my face from them."
Midrash – Esther Rabba 87:13
Satan stood before God and told Him [that the Jews sinned at the feast] and said: “Master of the Universe – until when will you stick to this nation who remove their hearts from you?”… At that time, God said: “Why do I need this nation for whom I have done many miracles. I will obliterate them from existence…” Immediately God said to Satan: “Bring me a scroll and I will write destruction upon it.”
Book of Esther 2:5-7
There was a Jewish man in Shushan the capital whose name was Mordechai, the son of Yair… from the tribe of Binyamin… He reared Hadassah, she is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, because she did not have a father or mother. The girl was beautiful of form and appearance, and when her parents died, Mordechai adopted her as his daughter.
Talmud Megillah 13a
Hadassah: myrtle leaves are sweet smelling, and used as a metaphor to describe righteous people. Esther: from the root of "hester," hidden, as she kept her words hidden (when she refused to disclose her nationality when chosen as queen). Also, it is similar to the Persian word "estehar" which means moon/crescent, a reference to her beauty; the nations would see her and say she is beautiful like the moon.
Megillah 15a
Esther is actually considered one of the four "beauties" of the world.
Midrash – Breishit Rabba 71:5
Rachel excelled in the art of silence (when keeping from Yaakov the switching of Leah at her wedding). And so did all her descendants hide information: Binyamin knew about the sale of Yosef and did not tell. Shaul: "and the matter of the (coronation to) kingship he did not tell.” Esther: "Esther did not tell of her birthplace or her nation."
Esther 2:20
She did not tell of her nationality or birthplace, because Mordechai commanded her. Esther continued to do as Mordechai told her, as she had done when under his care.
Talmud – Megillah 13b
In the reward of Rachel's tzniut, she merited that Shaul descend from her. And in reward of Shaul's tzniut, he merited that Esther descend from him.
Esther 2:15
When Esther’s turn arrived… to come to the king, she didn't ask for anything. Whatever Hagai… the guard of the women said, she did, and Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.
Menot HaLevi, Rabbi Shlomo Elkabetz
Esther’s approach was the opposite of the other women: They wanted to beautify themselves before the king, but Esther preferred to be looked down upon, so that she could quickly return to the house of Mordechai.
Tifferet Tzion – Breishit Rabba 73:5
Rachel was always meant to be Yaakov's wife, as opposed to Leah who was initially destined to marry Esav. As a result, her (Leah's) descendants don't have the necessary strength to be Esav's spiritual nemesis.
Esther Rabba 87:9
In general, it seems that the descendents of Yosef and Binyamin are destined to fight and overcome Amalek throughout the generations. Specifically, Mordechai, from the tribe of Binyamin, has a distinct aversion to bowing down to Haman, while the other Jews rationalized that the danger outweighed any halachic difficulties:
Mordechai said: "Moshe warned us in the Torah: 'Cursed is the man who makes a statue'… This evil man (Haman) makes himself into an idol! Especially I [should not bow], since I was born in the home of the king (i.e. all the tribes were born outside of Israel, and my ancestor was born in Israel)."
Immediately, this was reported to Haman, who sent back: "Your grandfather Yaakov bowed down to my grandfather [Esav]."
Mordechai answered: "Binyamin was not yet born at that event."
Mechilta Beshalach – Amalek 52
“Every day Mordechai walked in front of the palace." Mordechai said: “Could it be that this righteous woman should be married to such a despicable man? Maybe something will happen to the Jewish people in the future and she will be in the position to save them.”
Esther 4:1
- crying a loud and bitter cry.
Esther 4:4
The queen was very shaken .
Esther 4:11 (paraphrased)
Mordechai tells Esther that Haman is a descendant of Amalek and poses a serious threat to the Jewish people. He asks Esther to "go to the king and beg and request for her nation." Esther at first answers with hesitation: "Everybody knows that if a man or woman goes to the king uninvited, the law is that he be killed. And I have not been called to the king in 30 days
Esther 4:13-14
Don't imagine you might escape in the house of the king out of all the Jews. Because if you are silent now, relief and salvation will come to the Jewish people from another place, and you and your father's house will be lost.
Esther 4:16-17
Go and gather all the Jews… and fast for me for… three days and nights, and I and my maidens will do the same. And I will go the king, not according to the law. And if I am lost, I am lost.” And Mordechai passed (transgressed) and did everything Esther commanded him to do.
Esther Rabba 8:7
"Three days and nights:” these are the dates 13, 14 and 15 of Nissan. Mordechai sent her: “But isn't one of those days the first night of Passover?” She sent back: “Elder of Israel, if there are no Jewish people left, for whom is Passover?” Immediately Mordechai heard and admitted she was right.
Talmud – Megillah 15a
"And Mordechai passed:” He transgressed, i.e. he fasted on the first day of Passover.
Talmud – Megillah 15a
I will go to the king, not according to the law. And if I am lost, I am lost (Esther 4:16). [Esther was saying:] “As I will be lost from my father's house, so I will be lost from you, [Mordechai].”
Talmud – Megillah 15b
Rabbi Levi said: “As Esther approached the house of idols, the presence of God left her, she said, ‘God, Oh God why have You left me’ (Psalms 22). Could it be that You judge me as premeditating and willing, instead of as one who is coerced to transgress?"
Talmud – Megillah 15b
So that the Jewish people will not say: "We have a sister in the house of the king" and consequently will not beg wholeheartedly for mercy.
Talmud – Megillah 16a
"An evil man and an enemy is this bad Haman" (Esther 7:6). Rabbi Eliezer said: “This teaches that she pointed at Achashverosh [even as she said: "Haman"] and an angel came and pushed her hand to be directed at Haman."
Talmud – Shabbat 88a
The Torah was (initially) forced upon the Jewish people, as God held the mountain above their heads… Rava said: “However, they accepted it later out of choice, in the days of Achashverosh, as it says (Esther 9:27): ‘The Jews accepted and kept all the words’."
Maimonides – Megillah 2:13
“And the days of Purim will not pass from amongst the Jews, and their memory will never cease from their descendants.” (Esther 9:28)
All the books of the prophets and all the writings are destined to be cancelled out in the days of the Messiah, except for the Megillah of Esther which – like the Five Books of Moses and the Oral Law – will never be nullified."
Pachad Yitzchak, Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner
Why is it that certain holidays will cease in the messianic era, except for the story and holiday of Purim? Imagine two people walking in the dark, each with a mission to find their friend in the darkness. One uses a flashlight and quickly finds his acquaintance, but the other, without the benefit of a light, is forced to use his other senses. Through listening carefully, feeling his way through the obstacles, and even sniffing the air for subtle nuances of scent, he finally learns to recognize his friend. When the sun comes up, the first fellow no longer would need his flashlight and discards it as unnecessary. However, the second person, who has groped his way through the darkness, has developed a skill in the process and sensitized himself to unique aspects that he’d never have realized had he not been lacking his eye-sight. Therefore, for him, even when the sun has risen, he retains the internal richness he has gained, and the relationship with his friend benefits from the intimacy that was reached as a result of the nocturnal experience.