וּמָרְדֳּכַי יָדַע אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה וַיִּקְרַע מָרְדֳּכַי אֶת־בְּגָדָיו וַיִּלְבַּשׁ שַׂק ואֵפֶר וַיֵּצֵא בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדוֹלָה וּמָרָה

Mordekhai, who was a court official, knew everything that was done, as he was presumably one of the first to read a copy of the decree that had been distributed throughout the kingdom. He understood the severity of the situation and its implications for the future of the Jews, even before the rest of the Jews living in Shushan knew what had transpired. He was deeply concerned by the likely effectiveness of Haman’s propaganda, as well as Haman’s growing influence in the royal court. And consequently, Mordekhai rent his garments and donned sackcloth, and placed ashes upon his head, all signs of mourning. He went out in the midst of the city and cried a loud and bitter cry, a cry of prayer and entreaty to God, and a cry of protest against the authorities.

וַיָּבוֹא עַד לִפְנֵי שַׁעַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי אֵין לָבוֹא אֶל־שַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּלְבוּשׁ שָׂק

He came up to before the king’s gate; although he was generally authorized to enter, he did not approach further, as in accordance with the royal dress code, one may not come to the king’s gate in a sackcloth garment.

וּבְכָל־מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה מְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְדָתוֹ מַגִּיעַ אֵבֶל גָּדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים וְצוֹם וּבְכִי וּמִסְפֵּד שַׂק וָאֵפֶר יֻצַּע לרַבִּים

And in each and every province, any place where the word of the king and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, fasting, weeping, and keening; sackcloth and ashes were draped by the multitudes; alternatively, sackcloth and ashes were laid out in the streets for public use.

וַתָּבוֹאנָה נַעֲרוֹת אֶסְתֵּר וְסָרִיסֶיהָ וַיַּגִּידוּ לָהּ וַתִּתְחַלְחַל הַמַּלְכָּה מְאֹד וַתִּשְׁלַח בְּגָדִים לְהַלְבִּישׁ אֶת־מָרְדֳּכַי וּלְהָסִיר שַׂקּוֹ מֵעָלָיו וְלֹא קִבֵּל

Esther’s young women and her chamberlains came and told her of Mordekhai’s actions. Those who were close to Esther knew about her relationship with him, as Mordekhai would inquire about her welfare every day, and it was she who had passed on Mordekhai’s warning about the plot on the king’s life (2:11, 22). And the queen was greatly shocked, as she had not heard anything about what was going on. The king’s decree had not been disclosed to the women, as they were presumed to not be interested in political matters. And as Esther wanted to hear from Mordekhai what was happening, and since she knew that he could not enter while wearing sackcloth, she sent garments to clothe Mordekhai and to remove from upon him his sackcloth, but he would not accept them, refusing to take off his sackcloth.

וַתִּקְרָא אֶסְתֵּר לַהֲתָךְ מִסָּרִיסֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱמִיד לְפָנֶיהָ וַתְּצַוֵּהוּ עַל מָרְדֳּכָי לָדַעַת מַה־זֶּה וְעַל־מַה־זֶּה

Esther called Hatakh, one of the king’s chamberlains, whom he had set before her. Hatakh was no ordinary servant; he had been granted explicit authority to help the queen with whatever she might need. And she commanded him concerning Mordekhai, in order to know what this is, and why this is. She wanted to know the reason for his behavior, and what he wanted.

וַיֵּצֵא הֲתָךְ אֶל־מָרְדֳּכָי אֶל־רְחוֹב הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי שַׁעַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ

Hatakh went out to Mordekhai, to the city square that was before the king’s gate. Since Mordekhai did not approach the king’s gate, Hatakh came out to the square outside it, where he asked Mordekhai to explain his conduct.

וַיַּגֶּד־לוֹ מָרְדֳּכַי אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר קָרָהוּ וְאֵת פָּרָשַׁת הַכֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר אָמַר הָמָן לִשְׁקוֹל עַל גִּנְזֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּיְּהוּדִים לְאַבְּדָם

Mordekhai told him everything that had happened to him. This did not necessarily include his refusal to bow down to Haman, as Mordekhai might have considered Haman’s decree no more than his manifestation of a tradition of hatred for Jews he had inherited from his ancestors, the tribe of Amalek. And he informed Hatakh of the matter of the silver that Haman had said to weigh out for the king’s treasuries concerning the Jews, in order to destroy them. In addition to the decree itself, word had spread of the enormous sum that Haman had proposed to give to the king in his determination to annihilate the Jews.

וְאֶת־פַּתְשֶׁגֶן כְּתָב־הַדָּת אֲשֶׁר־נִתַּן בְּשׁוּשָׁן לְהַשְׁמִידָם נָתַן לוֹ לְהַרְאוֹת אֶת־אֶסְתֵּר וּלְהַגִּיד לָהּ ולְצַוּוֹת עָלֶיהָ לָבוֹא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהִתְחַנֶּן־לוֹ וּלְבַקֵּשׁ מִלְּפָנָיו עַל־עַמָּהּ

He also gave him, Hatakh, a copy of the written decree to destroy them, the Jews, that was issued in Shushan in order to show it, the decree, to Esther, to inform her of the situation, and furthermore to command her in his name to go to the king, to plead with him, and to request before him on behalf of her people. Only she could stop Haman, who enjoyed such privileged status in the kingdom. Mordekhai himself was not close to the king, whereas Esther lived in the palace and was beloved by Ahashverosh. Since the decree was essentially motivated by emotion, Mordekhai hoped that she had the power to annul it through her entreaties.

וַיָּבוֹא הֲתָךְ וַיַּגֵּד לְאֶסְתֵּר אֵת דִּבְרֵי מָרְדֳּכָי

Hatakh came and told Esther the words of Mordekhai.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר לַהֲתָךְ וַתְּצַוֵּהוּ אֶל־מָרְדֳּכָי

Esther said to Hatakh, and commanded him to take back the following message for Mordekhai:

כָּל־עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְעַם מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ יֹדְעִים אֲשֶׁר כָּל־אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר־יָבוֹא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִית אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִקָּרֵא אַחַת דָּתוֹ לְהָמִית לְבַד מֵאֲשֶׁר יוֹשִׁיט־לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־שַׁרְבִיט הַזָּהָב וְחָיָה וַאֲנִי לֹא נִקְרֵאתִי לָבוֹא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ זֶה שְׁלוֹשִׁים יוֹם

The rules of entering to see the king are well known: All the king’s servants in the court, and the people of the king’s provinces, know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner courtyard who has not been summoned and has not been granted permission, there is but one rule for him: To be put to death. It was forbidden to enter without special invitation, as the king had quasi-divine status. Esther continued: This fate is the rule, except for one to whom the king will extend the golden scepter,who lives. If the king does not want a person who has entered without permission to be executed, he stretches forth his golden scepter to the person. Esther concludes: And I have not been summoned to come to the king these thirty days. Although I am the king’s beloved queen, he has thousands of wives and concubines. I do not know his current mood, but the fact that he has not invited me for a month does not bode well. If I simply march in to see him, I will be endangering my life.

וַיַּגִּידוּ לְמָרְדֳּכָי אֵת דִּבְרֵי אֶסְתֵּר

They told Mordekhai Esther’s words.

וַיֹּאמֶר מָרְדֳּכַי לְהָשִׁיב אֶל־אֶסְתֵּר אַל־תְּדַמִּי בְנַפְשֵׁךְ לְהִמָּלֵט בֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְ מִכָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים

Mordekhai said to respond to Esther: You feel protected in the palace, and you suppose that you will be spared any harm from Haman’s order. However, you are wrong; do not imagine escaping because you are in the king’s palace, that out of all the Jews you will be safe.

כִּי אִם־הַחֲרֵשׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי בָּעֵת הַזֹּאת רֶוַח וְהַצָּלָה יַעֲמוֹד לַיְּהוּדִים מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר וְאַתְּ וּבֵית־אָבִיךְ תֹּאבֵדוּ וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם לְעֵת כָּזֹאת הִגַּעַתְּ לַמַּלְכוּת

For if you are silent and do nothing at this time, I trust that relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place. The decree does not go into effect for another eleven months, and I have faith in God that He will deliver us before then, but I am sure that you and your father’s house will perish, as you did not act at the opportune time to save the Jews. Destruction will be visited upon you and your family, including myself. Who knows whether you have attained royalty for a time like this? You came to a position of power without planning to do so, and now you find yourself in a situation where you can act to change the course of events and thereby save your people. Don’t you think that this apparent coincidence is significant? Can’t you see that it is a sign from Heaven?

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר לְהָשִׁיב אֶל־מָרְדֳּכָי

Esther, as usual, accepted Mordekhai’s instructions. Esther said to respond to Mordekhai:

לֵךְ כְּנוֹס אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים הַנִּמְצְאִים בְּשׁוּשָׁן וְצוּמוּ עָלַי וְאַל־תֹּאכְלוּ וְאַל־תִּשְׁתּוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים לַיְלָה וָיוֹם גַּם־אֲנִי וְנַעֲרֹתַי אָצוּם כֵּן וּבְכֵן אָבוֹא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־כַדָּת וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָבַדְתִּי אָבָדְתִּי

Go, assemble all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and pray and fast on my behalf; do not eat and do not drink for three days, night and day, an unusually severe fast. Also I and my young women will fast in this manner, as we must all pray for my success; and then I will go to the king, against the rule, and if I perish, I perish. Perhaps the day when I approach the king will be the last of my life.

וַיַּעֲבֹר מָרְדֳּכָי וַיַּעַשׂ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוְּתָה עָלָיו אֶסְתֵּר

Mordekhai went on his way, and acted in accordance with everything that Esther had commanded him. He gathered together all the Jews, informed them of the evil decree and of Esther’s situation, and instructed them to pray and fast. The Jews’ high regard for Mordekhai inspired them to rally behind him and follow his instructions.