One Moment of Tefillah Is Better Than 1,000 Hishtadluyos
לה ויגידו וסריסיה אסתר נערות ותבואנה” להלביש בגדים ותשלח מאד המלכה ותתחלחל (ד ד) “קבל ולא מעליו שקו ולהסיר מרדכי את
We need to understand Mordechai’s actions: One would think that the best hishtadlus he could do to nullify the decree would be to apprise Esther about Haman’s plans so that she could influence the king to cancel them. But not only did Mordechai not do this, even when Esther asked him to take off his sackcloth so that he could come before her – he refused. Why?
Rav Avraham Yisrael Moshe Salamon, the Rav of Kharkov, explained:
Mordechai was afraid that when his Jewish brethren would see him removing his sackcloth to speak to Esther, they would pin their hopes on Esther and would desist from their tefillah and teshuvah. Therefore, he chose to convey the information to her in secret, via Hasach.
The Mashgiach, Rav Chaim Friedlander, further explained:
Mordechai knew that in order to nullify the decree – one moment of tefillah is better than the best hishtadlus and efforts, and therefore he declined to remove his sackcloth even for a short time to come before Esther and speak to her. The Gra indicates this in his explanation of the passuk, on the words “velo kibel” to mean “he did not want לבדול משקו to separate from his sackcloth for even one minute.”
Nesivos Hakodesh al HaTorah Umoadim p. 125; Sifsei Chaim Moadim Beis, p. 180
Strengthen in Tefillah Until the Yeshuah Is Complete
לפניו לנפל החלות אשר מרדכי היהודים מזרע אם” (יג ו) “לפניו תפול נפול כי לו תוכל לא
The Malbim explained that Haman said to his wife Zeresh and his supporters the following:
Because Mordechai was descended from the Jews, he is watched over with Hashgachah pratis, and if so, then surely “asher hachilosa linpol lefanav” did not happen coincidentally, but rather because he is engaged in praying and fasting. Therefore “lo suchal lo,” unless “nafol tipol lefanav” – make yourself as if you have capitulated to him completely, and when he will think that he has seen salvation from his troubles and will desist from his tefillah, then you will be able to prevail over him again, “but as long as you fight against him, he will raise his arms in prayer – and when Mordechai raises his hands then Am Yisrael prevails.”
The tzaddik Rav Zev Edelman related:
“It was at the height of the War of Independence in 1948. One day, there was a pause in the fighting between the two sides. Harav Yitzchak Zev of Brisk used the break to go out of his house and breathe some of the fresh air of Yerushalayim.
On his way, he met my brother. When the Rav asked about the situation in the city, he was told that although the day before had been especially difficult, because the shelling was stronger than ever, today, baruch Hashem, was better...
When the Brisker Rav heard this he said: ‘Indeed, yesterday the situation was very bad, but specifically today we need tremendous rachamim. Because while yesterday everyone was galvanized to daven due to the difficult situation, the calm today distracts people and causes them to return to their routine. And that’s something to worry about...’
The Brisker Rav then added: ‘That is the way of the world. When a person sees some reprieve from his troubles, he calms down and rejoices, but really, he should not be happy before the entire yeshuah is complete. Because this is what Mordechai Hayehudi did – although he had some reprieve when Haman began to fall before him, still, he did not rejoice, and continued davening with his sackcloth and fasting until the yeshuah was complete, as Chazal explain (Megillah 16a) on the passuk (ibid 6:12): ‘Vayashav Mordechai el sha’ar hamelech” – “he returned to his sackcloth and his fasting.”’
She’al Avicha Veyagedcha Vol. III p. 100
Mordechai’s Tefillah Was Answered Right Away
לפניו לנפל החלות אשר מרדכי היהודים מזרע אם” “...מדברים עודם ;לפניו תפול נפול כי לו תוכל לא (יג ו)
Rav Moshe Chaim Ephraim of Sedlikov explained:
In Maseches Taanis (25b) it is explained that it is a praise for the tzibbur when their tefillah is answered right when it ends, and this is what Haman’s wise men and Zeresh said: “Im mizera haYehudim...lo suchal lo,” why? Because he is so beloved by Hashem that “ki nafol tipol lefanav – odam medabrim” – their yeshuah comes to them as soon as they finish their tefillos.
Degel Machaneh Ephraim, Drush LePurim
