14 Adar, 5769 Vol. 10, No. 20 Purim
The Midrash is teaching us the delicate sensitivity of the human personality. Even the greatest and most righteous among us can be challenged when confronted with criticism and correction. No one is immune from having some degree of hurt and insult when we are rebuked. Together with our noble essence, as beings created in the image of Hashem, we carry a sensitivity to any lowering of that dignity. Mordechai, the leader of his generation, was acutely aware of this delicate aspect of human nature. Had he not ended on that positive note, Esther might not have been able to fully absorb his message, and perhaps her actions might have reflected that difference.