Every day Mordecai took a walk in front of the harem’s courtyard to learn how Esther was doing and to see what was happening to her.

When they had warned him day after day and he still would not listen to them, they told Haman to see if Mordecai’s actions would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.

Then the king told Haman, “The money and people are given to you to do with as you see fit.”

Still, none of this satisfies me since I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King’s Gate all the time.”

The king’s attendants answered him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.”

“Have him enter,” the king ordered.

Once again, on the second day while drinking wine, the king asked Esther, “Queen Esther, whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you seek, even to half the kingdom, will be done.”

For how could I bear to see the disaster that would come on my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my relatives?”

The king said to Queen Esther, “In the fortress of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men, including Haman’s 10 sons. What have they done in the rest of the royal provinces? Whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you seek will also be done.”

Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, famous among the Jews, and highly popular with many of his relatives. He continued to seek good for his people and to speak for the welfare of all his descendants.