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Why did Esther invite Haman to both banquets instead of immediately revealing his plot? The shiur shows that Esther's entire strategy was planned from the beginning - she would fast through both banquets and use Haman's presence to arouse divine mercy. Meanwhile, Ahasuerus assumed she wanted to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash as a monument to his glory.
This shiur provides an in-depth examination of chapter 5 of Megillat Esther, focusing on the critical timeline and strategic elements of Esther's approach to King Ahasuerus. Rabbi Zweig begins by resolving a chronological challenge regarding 'the third day' mentioned in the text. He demonstrates that this cannot refer to the third day of fasting, as that would create inconsistencies with other events in the story, particularly Mordecai's encounter with Haman learning hilchos kemitzah on the 15th of Nissan. Instead, he argues that 'the third day' refers to the third day since the evil decree was issued on the 13th of Nissan. The analysis reveals that Esther's strategic planning was more complex than initially apparent. She fasted for three days not just to prepare for her initial approach to the king, but because she already planned to invite him to a second banquet where she would make her actual request. This means Esther was fasting during both banquets she hosted, creating the unusual situation where the hostess could not partake in the wine at her own wine banquets.
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Megillat Esther 5:1-8
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