Right after Shabbos all of Israel will come to hear the Megillah, with all the nuances and not to even miss a letter or syllable. Although this is the only megillah that was written by a woman, but perhaps it is specifically for this, and it is even called by her name – Megillas Esther. Literally, right before we come to the reading of the megillah, we want to understand what is so special in Megillas Esther which is read, in fear and love, in all of Israel. We also want to understand why the whole story was written in such length, unlike all the other stories of the historic times of the Jewish nation.
If we consider the story of the megillah, we see that the story took place over a number of years; the megillah begins in the third year of the reign of Achashverosh when Israel participated in the banquet of the wicked one, and afterwards, seemingly unconnected and four years later, 'ותלקח אסתר אל המלך אחשורוש... בשנת שבע למלכותו' – ‘Esther was taken into the palace to King Achashverosh... in the seventh year of his reign’ (2:8,16). And when he elevated Haman, another five years had passed, 'בשנת שתים עשרה למלך אחשורוש הפיל פור' – ‘in the twelfth year of King Achashverosh, the lot was cast’ (3:7). Also, when Mordechai went out into the street to cry out, his brother Jews were surprised, “You antagonize Haman and then you shout out?!” They did not think for a minute that it was connected specifically to them, but the righteous Mordechai and Esther knew and understood, Haman is angry? There is a decree? This did not start here, the story began much earlier, about twelve years earlier.
So too was the salvation, through a series of events that occurred. It happened that Esther became queen, and Mordechai HaTzaddik heard the plot of Bigsan and Seresh, Achashverosh could not sleep and just then he heard the story how Mordechai saved him just as Haman came to ask that Mordechai be hanged, and it just happened that Haman’s daughter got confused and poured on his head and she died, and so on.
But Mordechai and Esther saw the connection between all these ‘events’ and connected them. In order to teach this for the generations, 'ותכתוב אסתר המלכה ומרדכי היהודי' – ‘Then Queen Esther and Mordechai the Jew wrote’ (9:29) this megillah, 'לקיים את ימי פורים כאשר קים עליהם מרדכי היהודי ואסתר המלכה' – ‘To establish these days of Purim as Mordechai the Jew and Queen Esther enjoined them’ (9:31), to extend in all generations to understand what happened to us as they saw things, and we should remember that everything that happens to us has a direct connection, even this work and teaching that you are holding in your hand and you are reading.
– Tiv HaMoadim - Purim
