Mordechai told them to relay to Esther: ‘Do not think that you shall escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish; and who knows whether you came to royalty for such a time as this? (Esther 4:13-14)

In one of the most dramatic moments of the book of Esther, Mordechai convinces the queen to actively and heroically plan the rescue of the Jews.  What does his closing line convey?  Ibn Ezra explains that Esther should seriously consider the possibility that she entered the royal house solely for this moment of opportunity to save the Jewish people.  Divine providence set up potential salvation and Esther’s human initiative will help finish it.

According to Rashi, the phrase “a time as this” actually refers to the following year.  Perhaps Esther thinks the threat does not affect her personally since she sits safely ensconced on the queen’s throne.  Mordechai tells her that Achashverosh may not want her as his wife in a year from now and she could suffer the same fate as her people.  The king’s capricious character has already led him to send away Vashti and Esther has no reason to feel safe from her husband’s whimsical moods.

The previous interpretive question also impacts on why Mordechai raises the specter of Esther and her house perishing.  For Rashi, Achashverosh’s angry fits threaten the queen and her relatives.  How would Ibn Ezra explain the threat?  Vilna Gaon says that those who can help save others and refrain from doing so receive a harsh punishment.  If Esther passed up an opportunity to rescue her brothers and sisters from annihilation, thereby missing the entire point of her royal status, she would find herself subject to divine wrath.

Perhaps we can broaden Ibn Ezra’ point to encompass all life’s vicissitudes.   Human experience includes peaks and valleys, each an opportunity for religious and moral growth.  Success, in particular, challenges its beneficiaries to utilize those victories for positive goals.  A woman who merits the wealth, authority, and influence of becoming queen must ask how these privileges enable a real contribution.  Esther understands this point and responds with distinction.