Megilat Esther is one of the most important lessons in Emunah, Bitachon and Hashgacha Pratit. Therefore, as we get ready for Purim, I would like to spend the coming days discussing lessons from Megillat Esther. As long time listeners know, we suspend our regular syllabus during holiday seasons, in order to prepare for the Hagim. People don’t usually have the time to sit and read for hours, but these five minutes a day should suffice.
The first thing we must do, before we read Megillat Esther and go into the details, is to get an overview. We need to see the whole picture from afar, which we can do with the aid of Rabbi Hillel Haber’s chart, entitled The 14 Year Reign of Ahashverosh, which you can print out, along with these transcribed lessons, to review at your leisure. A lot happened over the course of time, and this will help you to appreciate the story and comprehend the dates and timeline.
The story of Purim starts in third year of Ahashverosh’s reign, and ends in the 14th year.
For the first three years, nothing happened. Then in the third year (and we will discuss why it took 3 years later on), Ahashverosh made a feast, removed and killed Vashti, and set out to find a beautiful maiden to replace her. That process took four years.
Then, in the seventh year of his reign, Esther was taken to the palace (in Tevet) and crowned as the queen.
Also in the seventh year, Mordechai heard the plans of Bigtan and Teresh, who were plotting to kill Ahashverosh, the king promoted Haman, and Mordechai refused to bow. All of that happened in the seventh year.
If you were watching the story unfold at the time, you wouldn’t necessarily connect what had happened in the third year, with what was going on in the seventh year. The news was just happening.
All the real action happens in the 12th year.
It’s important to point out that because we celebrate Purim in Adar, most people don’t realize that the actual story took place a year prior to Adar, in Nissan. Haman drew the lots on 13th of Nissan, and sent out the scrolls announcing that in 12 months, on the 13th of Adar, the Jews would be destroyed. It was Yad Hashem that the lottery came up for 12 months later. It could have fallen out the next month. G-d gave us a full year to prepare and have time to undo the decree.
Mordechai found out about the decree, and immediately ordered a three day fast, which fell out on the 13th, 14th, 15th of Nissan (which means they fasted on Pesach).
On the 15th of Nissan, Esther went before the king, and invited him and Haman to her party, at which she invited them to a second party the next day.
On this same day, Haman got angry at Mordechai for refusing to bow, and built the gallows to hang Mordechai on.
That night, Ahashverosh could not sleep. Haman came to see him the next morning, on the 16th.
That same day, the 16th of Nissan, Haman led Mordechai through the town on the horse, and then went to Esther’s feast. Esther revealed that Haman was out to destroy the Jewish people, and Haman was hanged. Haman’s ring was then given to Mordechai.
So the whole story, from when Haman decided to destroy the Jewish people, until it was over, was only a few days.
On 23rd of Sivan, almost 2 months later, the second set of scrolls was sent out, to notify the Jewish people that they could fight back on the 13th of Adar (we will get back to why it took 1 1/2 months another day).
Also on the 23rd of Sivan, Mordechai went out in royal garb, and finally,
ליהודים הייתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר
Everyone celebrated the good news about the rescinded decree.
Then, all was quiet until Adar, months later.
Then, on the 13th of Adar, almost a year later, instead of being killed, the Jewish people got the power to fight their enemies. The war took place on the 13th of Adar, which is now Taanit Esther.
They celebrated on the 14th, when the ten sons of Haman were hung (they were actually killed a day earlier), and that’s the day we celebrate Purim in regular cities.
The celebration is also on the 15th in walled cities, to commemorate the additional day of fighting that took took place in Shushan.
Then, in the 13th year of Ahashverosh’s reign, Esther wrote a letter with the story of Purim and sent it out.
Ahashverosh died in the 14th year of his reign, and that’s our story.
Please refer to the attached chart, which we will be using over the next few days, in our explanations of the Megillah.