Throughout Tanach, Hashem uses prophecy to guide Jewish leaders. Hashem’s clear guidance meant that leadership generally consisted of merely transmitting His directives to the people and inspiring them to follow.

Today, without prophecy, we lack this clarity. This reality demands a different kind of leadership. Without Hashem’s explicit guidance, leaders must discern His will from the signs He leaves us in the Torah, history, and current events.

Megillat Esther, a book that lacks prophecy (and even the mention of G-d’s name), presents models of such leadership. Though left to their own devices to determine a course of action, Mordechai and Esther succeed in saving the Jewish people from annihilation. They offer powerful models of leadership in the post-prophecy era.

Mordechai: Determining and Acting Upon G-d's Will

Initially, the Megillah portrays Mordechai as dominant and proactive and Esther as passive. Mordechai is formally introduced^[1], adopts Esther^[2], discovers and foils the plot to kill Achashverosh^[3], and actively responds to Haman’s decree^[4].

In contrast, Esther is taken to the palace with the other women and, eventually, to Achashverosh^[5]. Her decision to hide her nationality is based on Mordechai’s command^[6]; her first independent action appears only in the fourth perek, when she attempts to convince Mordechai to remove his mourner’s clothes^[7]. Indeed, when Mordechai directs her to beg Achashverosh to prevent the genocide of the Jewish people, she is initially paralyzed by fear^[8].

Mordechai responds with a sharp rebuke: “If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows – perhaps it was for [action at] this moment that you attained royalty”^[9].

Though Mordechai received no prophecy regarding the correct course of action – hence the term “perhaps” – this does not prevent him from issuing clear directives to Esther. He reflects on the situation and discerns what action Hashem expects from both of them.  

Mordechai's leadership continues after the miraculous turn of events, as he authors the letters that reverse the decree^[10] as well as those that establish Purim as a Jewish holiday^[11].

From Megillat Mordechai to Megillat Esther

Given Mordechai’s central role in the narrative, we wonder why the Megillah is named after Esther rather than him.

The explanation lies in Esther’s dramatic response to Mordechai’s rebuke. Beyond taking action, she seizes the reins of leadership. More than consenting to Mordechai’s charge, she changes and expands the course of action. She plans parties for Achashverosh and Haman, and includes the Jewish people in the process. They will fast and pray for three days to support her efforts^[12].

With her initiative, Esther shifts from the passive to the active voice. She demonstrates that Mordechai is not the only leader. Moreover, Esther reminds us that Jewish salvation depends not only on the heroic actions of individual martyrs but also on their ability to inspire others to join the mission. Esther's emergence as the leader not only eclipses Mordechai, who fades into the background of the story, but also transforms him into a follower^[13].

In the Megillah's central chapters – when the miraculous flip (“v'nahafoch hu”) occurs – Esther, not Mordechai, plays the active role, and she reintroduces Mordechai only after Haman's plot is revealed and he is hanged^[14]. Though Mordechai records the story, Esther's leadership and heroics dominate the narrative. Mordechai was the initial leader, but Esther ultimately played the pivotal human role in facilitating the heavenly miracle.

Through her actions, Esther honors her ancestry. Her heroic, risky act of faith vindicates the ancestry that Mordechai warned would be lost if she failed to act. This explains why the Megillah, when mentioning Esther's authorship, refers to her as “bat Avichayil”^[15] for the first time. By playing the role expected of her, Esther confirms her place as a trusted link in her familial chain.

Leadership Takeaways

Each of the Megillah’s leadership models offers vital lessons. Mordechai teaches us to consider why we find ourselves in the positions we do, to determine what actions are expected of us, and to ensure that we and others fulfill the roles intended for us. Esther reminds us that even those led by others must take initiative and creatively consider the best path forward.

Moments arise in every person’s life when we are called upon to lead and draw others into the circle of action. May Mordechai and Esther inspire us to rise to these occasions.

Rav Reuven Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Educational Director of World Mizrachi and the RZA.

His new book, Essentials of Judaism, is available at rabbireuventaragin.com.

^[1] Esther 2:5-6

^[2] Ibid. 2:7

^[3] 2:22

^[4] 4:1-2

^[5] 2:8-16

^[6] 2:10

^[7] 4:4-5

^[8] 4:11

^[9] 4:13-14

^[10] 8:9

^[11] 9:20

^[12] 4:15-16

^[13] 4:17

^[14] 8:1

^[15] 9:29