Our Gemara on Amud Aleph tells us that Esther requested of the Sages, that the Holiday of Purim be established for posterity. Rashi here adds:

“For a holiday, and to read the Megilla to be a remembrance of my name.”

One might ask, what is legitimate about the second part of her request? Isn’t it self-aggrandizing? Part of me thinks, Esther was doomed in a marriage to a Gentile, and she realized that as a Jew, she may be completely forgotten. When we consider her plight through that lense, it certainly makes her request seem reasonable. However, there is a simpler answer.

There is nothing wrong ethically with wanting a mitzvah memorialized in your name. Mishna Berura (154:59) quotes a Rashbah in this regard. “If someone donated an object to a shul, such as a curtain for the Ark, silver covers and the like, and he wishes his name be written on it, the congregation may not refuse his request (so long as they accept the donated object). The Rashbah points out that the Torah itself takes space to note and publicize the actions of those who perform mitzvos. (I presume the Rashbah is referring to the gifts of the Nesi’im, as outlined in Chapter seven of Bamidbar.)

This is a wonderful reminder of the Torah’s basic acceptance of human nature. A little narcissism and pride in an accomplishment is perfectly acceptable.