MPV Commentary

Esther Pleads for Her Own Life and the Life of Her People.

In this passage, Esther emphasizes the gravity of Haman's plan to destroy her people. She highlights the cruel and deceitful nature of his scheme, which aimed at their complete extermination in exchange for a large sum of money.

However, if they had been sold into slavery instead, Esther would have remained silent. While enslavement would have brought financial gain to the national treasury, it would not have been an irreparable loss like the destruction of her people. The value of the Jewish community's contributions and talents cannot be measured in monetary terms; their loss would have been a devastating blow that could never be fully compensated.