Before we started learning Esther, we had to learn some background information and clear up some questions. To start off, when and where did the story take place? We learned something slightly upsetting. The Jews had been exiled to Persia and were going to be for 70 years. They were told to get comfortable there because they would be there for quite some time. But they got a little bit to comfortable it seems. Then they were told that they could finally return to Yerushalayim when the second Beit Hamakdash was built and Hashem would return to them. If the Jews would return to       G-d, G-d would return to them. They would be able to have the strong relationship that they once had, again. But, many of them did not return. Instead of going to Yerushalayim, like the plan was, they stayed and the Purim story took place.