Amidst dire persecution in Persia , the Jewish people confronted immense adversity . However , Mordecai and Esther refused to surrender to despair , holding onto the unwavering belief that change was possible through their influence . Despite the looming threat of personal peril and death , they courageously embraced faith and responsibility to take decisive action . Their unwavering determination to confront the situation was bolstered by a steadfast attitude that informed their responses in the face of hardship .
In the Torah , Moshe passionately implores his people , emphasizing the profound power of choice that Adonai had given them . The Hebrews are urged not to succumb to the influences of the nations around them or the challenges they encounter daily . Instead , they are reminded that their destiny hinges on the decisions they make — whether to embrace Adonai and His teachings or to forge their own path based on personal desires and their own perceptions of what is right .
At each pivotal point , the avoidance of action due to fear of personal risk or failure could have upended the survival of the Jewish people .
In Man ’ s Search for Meaning , Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl marvels that , “ Everything can be taken from a man but one thing : the last of the human freedoms — to choose one ’ s attitude in any given sort of circumstances , to choose one ’ s own way .”
“ I call the heavens and the earth to witness about you today , that I have set before you life and death , the blessing and the curse . Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live , by loving Adonai your God , listening to His voice , and clinging to Him . For He is your life and the length of your days , that you may dwell on the land that Adonai swore to your fathers — to Abraham , to Isaac and to Jacob — to give them .“ Deuteronomy 30:19-20 TLV
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