The Ramban tells us that the special spice called "מר דרור" was taken from a “free” and uncaptured deer. A captured deer cannot produce this extremely fragrant spice and even the small amount that he does make does not have a very strong, sweet smell. Chazal ask: “Where is Mordechai (from the Purim story) found in the Torah? From מר דרור.” Mordechai is not only the symbol of a sweet smelling spice but he is the one who teaches us how to create it! Just as a deer can produce this spice only when he is free, unfettered and uninhibited - his “Mor” is abundant with a wonderful aroma; so too, when the Jewish people keep Torah and mitzvos from our own free choice, not because we are forced to but because we WANT to serve Hashem, then our actions produce a sweet fragrance up in Heaven! When we do the mitzvos begrudgingly - not because we want to but because we HAVE TO, the fragrance of our deeds is diminished. Of course, a person still gets שכר if he does a mitzvah unhappily - but it cannot compare to the sweet smell of nachas and קרבת אלקים that comes from doing mitzvos with love and joy. 

     This is exactly what was achieved by Mordechai and Esther on Purim. "קימו מה שקבלו כבר" - At Har Sinai, Hashem held the mountain above the heads of the people and “forced” them to do what was truly good for them - to accept the holy Torah. This is how the Torah was fulfilled for close to one thousand years. But after the miracle of Purim took place, the Jews accepted the Torah with LOVE; they took it to the next level of avodas Hashem. This is the message of Mordechai, the lesson of Purim, and the most crucial idea that we must pass on to our children. Don’t just keep the Torah like a captured animal; LOVE Hashem, embrace the mitzvos, learn Torah with a fire - and may the fragrance of our deeds bring joy to Hashem (and to ourselves!)