The Hebrew noun orah (אוֹרָה) means light, brightness, and by extension joy or happiness. It is the feminine form closely related to or (H216, אוֹר — "light"), appearing in contexts where light signifies blessing, divine favor, and the reversal of darkness. It is used in the famous declaration of Esther 8:16.
Orah powerfully captures the biblical theology of light as God's gift. When God reverses the decree against Israel in Esther's time, the result is described as orah and simchah — light and joy. This is not accidental: in Hebrew thought, light and salvation are inseparable. The same connection appears in Psalm 97: "Light is shed upon the righteous." Jesus declared Himself "the Light of the world" (John 8:12), the ultimate fulfillment of every orah — God's brightness breaking into human darkness.