A Dangerous Request

Esther’s demand for a three-day fast seems excessive and dangerous. Indeed, the Rama (Orach Chaim 624:5, citing the Ohr Zarua) objects to those Chutz LaAretz residents who fast on Yom Kippur for two days (due to Sefika D’Yoma), noting its danger. Furthermore, the Shaar HaTziyun (624:21) notes that most of the community cannot withstand a two-day fast. So why did Mordechai acquiesce to Esther’s demand for a three-day fast?

Ibn Ezra Versus Rashi

Ibn Ezra (to Esther 3:16) mitigates our problem, arguing that the fast would only last until the beginning of the third day. Thus we would not fast for more than 50 hours.

Others suggest that the pasuk notes that Esther called for fasting day and night. However, they contend, Esther permitted eating when it was not day or night. The Gemara (Shabbat 34a) describes, “bein hashemashot—the time between sunset and nightfall,” as “safek yom vesafek layla—possibly day or night.” Thus, according to this view, Esther permitted eating during this interval.

However, Rashi (to Esther 4:17) expresses the mainstream view that Esther called for no less than a full and uninterrupted three-day fast. How do we explain this radical and seemingly unreasonable demand?

Correcting the Other Extreme

The Rambam (Hilchot Deot 2:2) famously prescribes one who has fallen to one extreme of behavior to temporarily go to the other to, ultimately, arrive at a proper balance. So, in Megillat Esther, we had enjoyed Achashverosh’s extreme parties, and we had to go to the other extreme to correct our misguided path.

Moreover, the indulgence in Achashveirosh’s parties reflected a deep assimilation into Persian society. A three-day fast forced us to drop out of Persian culture temporarily. Avraham Avinu (Bereishit 23:4) teaches us to balance being a ger (different from society) and a toshav (integrating into the general community). In Persia, we became too much of a toshav. The three-day fast forced us to temporarily go to the other extreme of being a ger. At the end of Megillat Esther, we find Mordechai exemplifying a proper balance between contributing to the broader community’s welfare while being a “gadol laYehudim,” addressing particular Jewish matters.

Extreme Tefillah to Hashem

Masechet Taanit gradually increases the intensity of fasting in case of a communal crisis, such as no rainfall. However, in Esther’s case, there was an immediate crisis of an enormous magnitude that required going from “zero to 120” in an instant. Esther aimed to impress Am Yisrael and Hashem with the hour’s dire urgency. Esther hoped to rally us to teshuvah and prompt Hashem to reverse His punishing us with Haman to help us overcome him. Esther’s gambit worked perfectly!

Esther’s tactics seem similar to that of Rabbi Eliezer, described in Taanit 25b: “The Sages taught: An incident occurred involving Rabbi Eliezer, who decreed a complete cycle of 13 fasts upon the congregation, but rain did not fall. At the end of the last fast, the congregation began to exit the synagogue. He said to them: ‘Have you prepared graves for yourselves? If rain does not fall, we will all die of hunger. All the people burst into tears, and rain fell.’”

Like Rabbi Eliezer, Esther impressed upon us the threat of our imminent demise, which rallied us to tefillah and teshuvah. As Tehillim says (51:19), “Lev nishbar venidkeh, Elokim lo tivzeh—Hashem does not despise a contrite and broken heart.”

Supporting Esther

Esther does not make her very large demand in a vacuum. On the contrary, she does so to support her taking an enormous risk to her life. After consenting to Mordechai urging her to appear before Achashverosh—despite the grave danger of doing so without being summoned—Esther demanded that we support her with a commitment of unparalleled dimensions.

Esther expects we match her level of commitment and risk. In this way, Esther feels she does not enter Achashverosh’s chamber alone. Instead, her fellow Jews support her by similarly placing their lives at risk to spur Hashem’s involvement.

The Ramban (Shemot 25:10) explains all of Am Yisrael built the Aron since all intended to do so. As a result, we felt “we are all Betzalel.” Similarly, the three-day fast created a solidarity expressing “we are all Esther,” boosting Esther’s confidence when approaching Achashverosh and prompting Hashem to support His unified children.

Conclusion: Unifying the Am Mefuzar Umeforad

Haman (3:8) diagnosed our vulnerability to Achashverosh, noting we are an “am mefuzar umeforad—a scattered and disunified people.” With the three-day fast, Esther sought to correct this problem and bind us as a people. She continued this goal by instituting mishloach manot and matanot l’evyonim when celebrating Purim.

Hashem—Rashi (to Bereishit 11:9 and Bamidbar 16:27) notes—hates machloket, implying that He loves “shevet achim gam yachad,” when His children unite. Esther achieved her intended goals with her brilliant instruction to engage in a three-day fast. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Esther’s demand was the right decision at a critical time and saved our people. May we continue to internalize its messages for eternity.

Rabbi Jachter serves as the rav of Congregation Shaarei Orah, rebbe at Torah Academy of Bergen County and a get administrator with the Beth Din of Elizabeth. Rabbi Jachter’s 19 books may be purchased at Amazon and Judaica House.