Esther: The Courageous Jewish Queen | Leo & Layla's History Adventures | PragerU Kids

foreign exhausted from volleyball no I'm mentally exhausted I thought you said your classes weren't that hard it's not school work either I'm just tired of all the gossip at school my friends are constantly in each other's business so much drama it's like I'm living in a soap opera you like soap operas on TV Leo I don't want my life to be one we'll be an influencer huh remember when you got bangs none of your friends had them and then boom like within two weeks all your friends had bangs if you want your friends to stop gossiping I bet you can say something about it and they'll listen I don't know I'm kind of scared to what if they turn on me for speaking up weren't you a little scared about being the first to get bangs true we're always using the history app to give me pep talks let's find a historical influencer to give you one um okay influencer [Music] oh where are we it's so beautiful somewhere a long long long time ago welcome to shoe Sean capital of ancient Persia this has got to be a palace ooh royalty let's go find a monarch that's gonna be the queen over there who are these children before me it is I Leo and this is my sister Layla I am Esther Queen of Persia are you the new staff no ma'am I mean your highness I'm pretty sure she's Esther like the book in the Bible Esther oh cool we're time travelers from the future and we're searching for an important influencer can you help us well thanks to my influence I did save all my people from complete Annihilation so yes I think you're in the right place Layla is one of the most popular girls in her school and I'm telling her she could influence her friends to not gossip and be nicer to each other but she's kinda scared to speak up if they think I'm going against them my friends could make my life seriously miserable I completely understand I've been in your shoes and it's very difficult to influence people if they think you're working against them you will have to work strategically and persuasively to lead your friends in a positive direction that sounds complicated you're right complicated and difficult but not impossible I'll tell you how I did it as a young girl my cousin Mordechai raised me as his own daughter imagine if our cousin Brad raised us that would be a total disaster yeah but we could have ice cream for breakfast fortunately Mordechai was a wonderful Father Figure though I was never fed any of this iced cream you speak of you should get your staff on that so during this time all of Persia was ruled by the powerful King he often had enormous parties where he boasted about his wealth possessions and even his wife he sounds really stuck up people who always show off are the worst he could be awful for instance one day akashvarosh summoned his wife Queen vashti to stand before him and his party guests so he could show off how beautiful she was wow that's super rude hey everyone it's time to stare at my wife awkward how did she feel about that she refused to participate and as a result took away her royal title and began to search for a new Queen so he hosted a royal beauty pageant since many have told me I'm blessed with beauty I joined the pageant with many other lovely young girls from Persia well that's sad for the old Queen but sounds like fun for you it wasn't all fun I had to go through intense training before I even had a chance to meet the king oh like sports camp she needed to impress the king Leo not the little league coach it was more like intense Persian beauty treatments and learning the Customs to act properly Royal ooh that's my kind of training the training was difficult and I also had to keep a big secret from everyone what was it that I'm Jewish why couldn't you tell people you're a Jew well here in shushan the Persians are in charge so they treat their fellow Persians better than they treat other people like the Jews my cousin knew that no matter how beautiful I am a Jewish girl would not be treated fairly so he told me to keep my identity secret I trusted him so I told no one when it was finally my turn to meet King ahashra Rush he was amazed and I was crowned queen I know it sounds like life couldn't get any better but it definitely became more complicated how so well soon after I became Queen cousin Mordechai discovered that two Royal officers were plotting to kill my husband the king I immediately reported the conspiracy my report was confirmed and my husband's life was saved Akash barosh was grateful to my cousin and had the happenings recorded in the king's official book of events ooh official sounds important it became very important to Mordecai and me once our lives were in danger what you and your cousin saved the King's life you should have been super safe a few years went by and Akash barosha's highest nobleman a man named Haman decided he wanted to have all the Jews in Persia killed what why because my cousin wouldn't kneel before him your cousin seems to always be mixed up in Royal drama why did he refuse to kneel like all Jews Mordecai was loyal to God not to noblemen like Haman that's the first commandment Thou shalt have no other gods before me you're exactly right Layla I memorized all 10 in Sunday school when I was younger Heyman was Furious that Mordecai wouldn't obey him so he lied and told akashvarosh that the Jewish people living in Persia followed their own laws and not his loss I bet a hashvaro probably didn't like that very much he didn't and he told Haman he could do whatever he wished to the Jewish people my people and what Haman wanted was death what did you do had you ever told a hashvirosh that you are Jewish no I hadn't and so perhaps I was safe but I had to do what I could to help my people I had to convince Akash barosh to save the Jews of Persia it was time to be brave and use my influence oh but weren't you scared a hashbrush would turn on you like he did with the last queen I thought he might but I had to stand up for my people and our obedience to God over Earthly Authority I had to be Brave and Bold but I couldn't just barge into his Chambers and start making demands I had to be strategic and persuasive if I was going to have influence I love strategizing what did you do well first since it's technically punishable by death to see akashva Rush without being summoned I made sure I looked my best so he would be happy to see me and it worked he welcomed me and held out his golden scepter what does that mean is that good oh yes holding out the gold and scepter meant that I was welcome to be in his presence and he wouldn't put me to death for intruding on him without an invitation oh I need one of those Layla you are welcome to come into my room and escape death this time you're such a nerd so Queen Esther did you then ask him to save your people not yet getting him in a positive mood was only the first step I needed to be very careful how I eventually made my request for him to save the Jews so I didn't tell him what I wanted just yet instead knowing how much akashvarosh loves feasting and boasting I asked him if I could organize a magnificent banquet in his honor ah I see what you're doing strategy like how I always butter Layla up before I asked to borrow her phone so that's why you've been so nice lately I don't quite understand why you would put butter on your sister things must be very different in the future but anyway remember when I said akashvirosh's official book of events will become very important well God made it to where akashva Rush wasn't able to sleep that evening and at his request the record of his Reign was read to him huh his life must be boring help me to fall asleep by reading all about me before he fell asleep akashvarosh was reminded of the time Mordecai saved his life and so he decided to publicly honor him before the feast I was organizing I bet that Heyman guy was so mad he wanted the Jews killed because of your cousin Haman was not happy and made even more Furious because he had to help honor Mordechai that night at the banquet the King was in a great mood and lovingly asked what I wished for and said that he'd make it come true now was my best opportunity to make my request a hashbrush was so happy with you he was probably going to go along with whatever you asked I told hashbrush that my life and the lives of my people were in danger and asked that we be spared upset and Confused the king demanded to know why and who would do such a thing that's when I revealed my Jewish identity and told him about haman's evil plan to have the Jews killed thanks to my influence akashvarosh had a new decree written and my people were saved the Jewish people still celebrate this event every year with a two-day holiday called Purim I definitely think I understand how I can talk to my friends now and get everyone to stop being so gossipy gonna be easy but as long as I'm not hostile or stuck up I think I'll be able to make a positive impact thank you your highness God put me in a position of influence for a reason and I believe he's doing the same for you good luck Leila it looks like you had a better day it was great I use strategy to keep the conversation positive and then the gossip started disappearing little by little it's like my friends wanted to match the tone I was setting whenever someone did start gossiping I kindly asked to change the subject and luckily nobody turned on me at all that's awesome it's amazing what you can do with a little influence speaking of which if I host a pizza feast in your honor do you think I can borrow your phone if you'd like to time travel with Leo and Layla again please visit pragerukids.com and watch more of their Adventures