A whisper in the ear of the king, a decree sent throughout the land, women oppressed and plans are made to annihilate an entire population.  What a story.  Years ago I learned how to chant chapter 7 of  Megillat Esther .  As I went over the lines hundreds and hundreds of times I became impressed how in chapter 7, Esther finds her voice and was emboldened to take matters into her own hands and save the Jewish people. This year I committed myself to learning to chant verses 16-21 in chapter 1.  Learning the chanting is difficult for me, first I have to pronounce the words and then learn the chanting going over it again and again. When I listen to the Megillah as a congregant, I usually am challenged just to hear the words as the seasoned rabbi reads them so quickly. When I learn it, it is different. I stumble over and over the words and meaning jumps out at me.   read more