Introduction: Why Two Days and Two Letters Were Needed
The final section of Chapter 9 deals with establishing the days of Purim for future generations. On the surface, everything seems straightforward: there was a war, we were victorious, and a day of rejoicing was instituted. Yet the Malbim demonstrates that every word here is precise, and from these nuances emerges a complete picture: why the residents of unwalled towns specifically were the ones who began to celebrate and not those of the walled cities, why Mordechai needed to dispatch two letters, why two separate days were established - the fourteenth and fifteenth - and why all those deliberations with the Sages of the generation were necessary to establish Purim and to inscribe the Megillah into the Holy Scriptures.
The Days of Rest - The Unwalled Towns and Walled Cities
בְּיוֹם שְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר לְחֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר וְנוֹחַ בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר בּוֹ וְעָשֹׂה אֹתוֹ יוֹם מִשְׁתֶּה וְשִׂמְחָה׃ - On the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
וְהַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר בְּשׁוּשָׁן נִקְהֲלוּ בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ וּבְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר בּוֹ וְנוֹחַ בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ וְעָשֹׂה אֹתוֹ יוֹם מִשְׁתֶּה וְשִׂמְחָה׃ - But the Jews who were in Shushan assembled on the thirteenth day thereof and on the fourteenth thereof, and rested on the fifteenth day thereof, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
עַל־כֵּן הַיְּהוּדִים הַפְּרָזִים הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּעָרֵי הַפְּרָזוֹת עֹשִׂים אֵת יוֹם אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לְחֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר שִׂמְחָה וּמִשְׁתֶּה וְיוֹם טוֹב וּמִשְׁלֹחַ מָנוֹת אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ׃ - Therefore the unwalled Jews, who dwell in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a festival, and of sending portions to one another.
Three questions arise here. First, it implies that only the unwalled Jews took upon themselves to observe this day for future generations - "make" is in the continuous present tense - whereas regarding the inhabitants of Shushan, it states only that they held feasting and rejoicing in that specific year. Why did the walled cities not accept it? Second, at first they were content with the fourteenth alone, and only later did Mordechai send letters instructing them to observe the fifteenth as well. Why? Third, here it says "gladness and feasting, and a festival", yet Mordechai did not decree a festival with a prohibition of work, but only feasting and gladness, whereas they took upon themselves an actual Yom Tov.
The Malbim explains: in the first year, the Jewish people as a whole did not take upon themselves feasting and gladness, but only the unwalled towns. The reason lies in the fate of the first letters. The sealed dispatches sent by Haman to destroy the Jews were ultimately never published. They were not revoked - for "an edict written in the king's name and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked" - but the ministers understood that it was not worthwhile to cross Mordechai, so they concealed them. Thus, it was never publicly known that permission had also been granted to the enemies of the Jews to kill them. The Jews received only the letters stating that they were authorized to kill their enemies.
Consequently, the Jews thought one of two things: either the rumor they had heard initially, that the gentiles were preparing for a bitter and dreadful day, was merely empty talk; or that the initiative had come solely from Haman and was never a royal edict at all, and therefore had been completely discarded. In either case, they saw no extraordinary miracle here. After all, according to the king's order in their hands, it was decreed that "the Jews should master those who hated them", and that is precisely what happened. There was no reversal, no fundamental upheaval here - only the execution of an order.
Furthermore, there was a fundamental difference between the cities. "Unwalled towns" (arei ha-perazot) are settlements without surrounding walls - perazim sharing a root with parutz, open and breached without a wall. In walled cities, the king's garrison was generally stationed, and there the royal army stood by to assist the Jews. The inhabitants of the walled cities felt that they had never been in danger to begin with - after all, the army was present - and thus saw no reason to establish days of feasting and gladness. But the Jews of the unwalled towns, where there was no royal garrison and where enemies could venture to rise up and fight the Jews based on the initial rumors they had heard - they truly felt that a miracle had occurred for them. Therefore, specifically "the unwalled Jews, who dwell in the unwalled towns" make the fourteenth day a day of gladness and feasting.
This also answers the question regarding the festival (Yom Tov). Seemingly, one cannot invent a Yom Tov on one's own initiative - the Torah has already established what the festivals are, and designating a new day on which work is prohibited falls under the prohibition of "do not add" (Bal Tosif). However, initially only the unwalled Jews observed it as a Yom Tov, and this was not a decree upon all of Israel, but a private festival that a specific group established for itself. The residents of unwalled towns are regarded as individuals, and an individual is permitted to accept a particular day upon himself as a Yom Tov, with no halachic obstacle. That is why they specifically observed the fourteenth, and why they specifically observed it as a Yom Tov.
The Letters of Mordechai - Revealing the Miracle to the Walled Cities
וַיִּכְתֹּב מָרְדֳּכַי אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיִּשְׁלַח סְפָרִים אֶל־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל־מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הַקְּרוֹבִים וְהָרְחוֹקִים׃ - And Mordechai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were throughout all the provinces of King Achashverosh, both near and far.
What are "these things" that Mordechai wrote? The Malbim explains: when Mordechai saw that the residents of the walled cities had not accepted the days of Purim upon themselves - because they did not perceive the magnitude of the miracle, assuming instead that the king's army had simply protected them and that nothing supernatural had occurred - he was compelled to write to them. In truth, they too had been in mortal danger on that day, for Haman's decree remained fully in effect. Their entire deliverance was due to the fact that the dread of Mordechai had fallen upon the royal ministers and they concealed the first letters - and that itself was a miracle. Mordechai therefore dispatched letters detailing everything from start to finish, so that the inhabitants of the walled cities would realize: do not imagine that the king's army merely defended you; a miracle occurred here. The substance of this account is elaborated below in verses 24-25: the first letters were never rescinded, you were in grave danger, and this miracle demands heartfelt thanksgiving.
Why Two Days?
לְקַיֵּם עֲלֵיהֶם לִהְיוֹת עֹשִׂים אֵת יוֹם אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לְחֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר וְאֵת יוֹם־חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ בְּכָל־שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה׃ - To establish for themselves to observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and the fifteenth day thereof, each and every year.
The Malbim asks: Why does Mordechai command the observance of both the fourteenth and the fifteenth? Is one day not enough? More puzzling still: just because the Jews in Shushan did not rest until the fifteenth, should all walled cities observe the fifteenth? What connection do they have to Shushan? Let Shushan have its own Purim - in Shushan they fought through the fourteenth and rested on the fifteenth, so let them celebrate on the fifteenth - but why should every walled city observe the fifteenth? If one suggests that this was done out of respect for the capital city, it should have been instituted that Purim be kept on the fifteenth everywhere! Furthermore, what honor is it to Shushan that other walled cities observe Purim on the fifteenth?
Rather, explains the Malbim, based on what was explained above, the distinction becomes clear. Haman's decree was "to destroy, slay, and annihilate all the Jews... on a single day." The decree certainly was not restricted to mean that one was forbidden to kill on the fourteenth, fifteenth, or sixteenth! Haman's intent was that the slaughter begin on the thirteenth, and if they did not finish in time - take your time, another two days, another week, so long as the Jews are wiped out. He certainly had no intention of sparing anyone. "On a single day" meant: make every effort to finish the job that very day, but if you cannot, finish at your own pace. Moreover, if someone hid on the thirteenth - hunt him down on the fourteenth, in every hole and crevice, until all who hid are found; and if someone fled to another city to escape - pursue him even after the thirteenth.
In contrast, in the second letters, which granted the Jews permission to strike down their enemies, only the thirteenth day was explicitly specified. Mordechai's letters did not declare "to destroy, slay, and annihilate" all oppressors from young to old, children and women - there was no mandate for total destruction, but rather a single day was granted. Once that day passed, the authorization expired. With Haman, whose declared goal was total annihilation, it was understood that if you did not finish today, you continue tomorrow. But with Mordechai, where there was no order to wipe everyone out, but merely to strike at their enemies on a designated day - if you did not finish in time, your permission was gone. Proof of this lies in the fact that when Esther requested an additional day, she needed explicit royal authorization. Were it an open-ended mandate that could simply be carried over, why would she need royal permission to continue on the fourteenth and fifteenth? Clearly, authorization had not been granted, which is why a royal edict had to be issued in Shushan permitting them to do the following day as they had done that day.
It follows that when the fourteenth arrived, the Jews were in immense danger: Haman's decree had no expiration date, permitting enemies to slaughter Jews until the task was finished, whereas Mordechai's authorization expired at the end of the thirteenth. From the fourteenth onward, the Jews no longer had royal license to strike at the enemies rising against them. Had their enemies risen against them on the fourteenth or fifteenth, the ministers could not have rescued them or given them sanction to fight, as their mandate had lapsed. The only active royal decree left would have been for the enemies of the Jews to kill and destroy young and old. Only after the fourteenth passed did it happily become clear that the ministers had suppressed the letter permitting the gentiles to slaughter the Jews, and no enemies lifted a hand. From here, consider what a tremendous miracle the Holy One, blessed be He, performed: were it not for the fact that the ministers concealed the first letters because the dread of Mordechai had fallen upon them, our entire deliverance would have lasted for the thirteenth alone, and on the fourteenth the enemies could have risen against us once more.
And from this, says the Malbim, Purim was established on the day on which they rested from their enemies. When did the residents of walled cities truly rest? Only on the fifteenth, for throughout the fourteenth they remained in suspense: would the enemies attack them, possessing unlimited authority while the Jews had only time-limited authorization? Therefore, Mordechai commands that the walled cities celebrate on the fifteenth. And why specifically walled cities? Because the ministers who received the royal letters sat in the fortified cities, the royal administrative centers, not in the open, unfortified towns. The first letters never reached the unfortified towns at all; consequently, once the Jews there overcame their foes on the thirteenth, the danger had passed, and by the fourteenth they were already at rest. They were completely unaware of the first letters' ongoing threat. Therefore, Mordechai instituted the fourteenth for the unfortified towns and the fifteenth for walled cities, because the dwellers of walled cities truly rested from their enemies and foes only on the fifteenth.
Feasting and Gladness, Sending Portions, and Gifts to the Poor
כַּיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר־נָחוּ בָהֶם הַיְּהוּדִים מֵאֹיְבֵיהֶם וְהַחֹדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר נֶהְפַּךְ לָהֶם מִיָּגוֹן לְשִׂמְחָה וּמֵאֵבֶל לְיוֹם טוֹב לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹתָם יְמֵי מִשְׁתֶּה וְשִׂמְחָה וּמִשְׁלֹחַ מָנוֹת אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ וּמַתָּנוֹת לָאֶבְיֹנִים׃ - As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a holiday, to make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
"As the days wherein they rested" - each group is to observe Purim on the day on which they rested from their enemies: the dwellers of unfortified towns who rested on the fourteenth celebrate on the fourteenth, and the dwellers of walled cities who rested on the fifteenth celebrate on the fifteenth, as explained. Now the verse explains why they were commanded in feasting and sending portions: "and the month which was turned unto them" - two things were transformed in that month: from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a holiday. Corresponding to gladness are "days of feasting and gladness." And corresponding to mourning, for had the decree unfolded, Heaven forbid, all would have been killed, it was fitting to make it a festive holiday.
However, Mordechai could not institute a full Yom Tov, for no prophet is permitted to introduce anything new from that time on, and doing so would violate Bal Tosif (the prohibition against adding to the Torah). What did he do? He instituted Matanot La'evyonim (gifts to the poor): that a person should give money to the needy, enabling them as well to create a bit of a Yom Tov for themselves. The Malbim explains that the ultimate purpose of a Yom Tov is for a person to withdraw from worldly vanities to engage in the service of Hashem and His Torah - and when you give charity, the poor do not need to work on that day; instead, they eat from the money you gave and from the Mishloach Manot, so there is no need to decree upon the day the formal status of a full Yom Tov. Why, then, did the unwalled Jews make it a Yom Tov? As the Malbim explained earlier: the unwalled Jews were not the entirety of Klal Yisrael but only a part of them, and a subgroup may voluntarily accept upon itself a Yom Tov; but to decree a Yom Tov upon all of Klal Yisrael - that would be a problem of Bal Tosif.
"That Which They Had Begun to Do, and That Which Mordechai Had Written"
וְקִבֵּל הַיְּהוּדִים אֵת אֲשֶׁר־הֵחֵלּוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר־כָּתַב מָרְדֳּכַי אֲלֵיהֶם׃ - And the Jews undertook that which they had begun to do, and that which Mordechai had written to them.
The Malbim asks: aren't these one and the same thing - to observe days of feasting and joy? What does "that which they had begun to do" add to "that which Mordechai had written"? Rather, the verse relates that all of Israel accepted both things: "that which they had begun to do" refers to the unwalled inhabitants, who accepted the fourteenth day upon themselves and began observing it on their own initiative, as among them there was truly a spontaneous joy; and "that which Mordechai had written to them" refers to the walled cities, to whom Mordechai wrote, for they did not realize at all that there was cause here for a day of feasting and joy. The unwalled inhabitants accepted that which they had begun to do, and the walled inhabitants accepted it upon themselves according to what Mordechai wrote to them in the letter.
The Content of the Letter: The Hatred of Agag and the Casting of the Lot
כִּי הָמָן בֶּן־הַמְּדָתָא הָאֲגָגִי צֹרֵר כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים חָשַׁב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִים לְאַבְּדָם וְהִפִּל פּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל לְהֻמָּם וּלְאַבְּדָם׃ - For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and cast a pur, that is the lot, to crush them and to destroy them.
Two questions arise here: First, why does the text repeat what we have already read? Is the reader of the Megillah dozing off? We have already seen that Haman the son of Hammedatha wanted to destroy the Jews and cast a lot. Second, why does it state at first "to destroy them" (le'abdam), and subsequently "to crush them and to destroy them" (lehumam u-le'abdam)?
The Malbim explains: These verses contain the message that Mordechai wrote in his letter, referring back to "and Mordechai wrote." Mordechai describes to them: Know that a tremendous miracle occurred here; do not imagine that this unfolded in a natural manner and that the king's army protected us. Furthermore, do not think that his hatred stemmed merely from the fact that Mordechai would not bow to Haman - had that been the case, all the Jews would not have needed to suffer and face a decree of annihilation. Rather, he was "Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite" - because he was an Agagite, he harbored the ancestral enmity from when Shmuel cut Agag into pieces, which is why the verse mentions his lineage. For this reason, he was "the adversary of all the Jews" and sought to wipe them all out; he carried an ancient hatred within him.
Moreover, he informed them that even the celestial alignment itself stood against the Jews at that time, as understood through astrology - the fortune of Israel was at an ebb, while the fortune of Amalek was in the ascendant. The proof of this is that initially he planned only "to destroy them" (le'abdam), which means destroying the identity of the nation and its religion, forcing them to abandon their faith. But when he cast the lot, and the lot showed that the fortune of Amalek was so auspicious and our fortune so low, he resolved "to crush them and to destroy them" (lehumam u-le'abdam) through slaughter and total ruin. In other words, at first his goal was not to kill them all, but to eradicate their religion; only after he saw that the lot was favorable to him did he decide to go all the way - "to crush them and to destroy them," completely wiping out the entire existence of the nation, including putting them to death.
"Le'abdam" - "Lo Be-dam" (Not in Blood)
It is related that when the decree was issued against the Jews, Moshe Rabbeinu sent Eliyahu HaNavi to inform Mordechai that the decree had been sealed in clay and not in blood. For had the decree been sealed in blood, it could not have been annulled; but clay can be broken, and a decree sealed in clay can be revoked.
A story is told of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, who was accustomed to distribute charity to the poor on Erev Purim, and all the town's paupers would come to him and wish him "Purim Same'ach." On one occasion, a poor man said to him, "Honored Rabbi, if the Rav gives me one more coin, I will share a novel Torah insight with you." The Rav gave him another coin. The pauper said to him, "It is written that the decree was sealed in clay and not in blood - and where is this hinted at in the Megillah?" The Rav asked, "Where?" The traveler replied, "'Who plotted against the Jews le'abdam' (to destroy them) - do not read it le'abdam, but lo be-dam ('not in blood')." Rabbi Chaim was deeply pleased and gave him yet another coin. Afterward, he went and related the matter to the Vilna Gaon, who was renowned for possessing Ruach HaKodesh (divine inspiration). The Gra asked him, "Did you greet that traveler with 'Shalom'?" Rabbi Chaim asked, "Why?" He replied, "Because had you greeted him with Shalom, you would have merited 'Praiseworthy is he who greeted him with Shalom and to whom he returned Shalom' - for the one who came and told you this insight on the day of Purim was the very one who revealed to Mordechai back then that the decree was sealed in clay and not in blood, and it turns out you experienced a revelation of Eliyahu."
"And When It Came Before the King, He Said with the Letter"
וּבְבֹאָהּ לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אָמַר עִם־הַסֵּפֶר יָשׁוּב מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׁב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִים עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וְתָלוּ אֹתוֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָיו עַל־הָעֵץ׃ - "And when it came before the king, he commanded with the letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows."
This verse is puzzling: "And when it came" - who came? And what is the meaning of "with the letter" - with which letter? What does it mean that "with the letter his wicked scheme should return"?
The Malbim explains that Mordechai adds and makes known: aside from the great miracle in its own right, which went against the celestial constellations and against the heavenly order - for Haman was a great astrologer and knew that Israel's fortune was at a low point and Amalek's was ascendant - that very day was also a miracle in itself. "And when it came before the king" refers back to the previous verse: that scheme which Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite devised against the Jews to destroy them - when it came before the king, meaning when the king realized what Haman's evil plot truly was. And the king, as we recall, could not revoke the first letters, for an edict written in the king's name cannot be revoked. Therefore he said: "with the letter" - together with the first letter, with the first missives that Haman sent, "his wicked scheme shall return upon his own head."
In other words: since the king could not revoke the first letters, leaving them technically in effect, and wrote the later letters to counter them, there was a real concern that people might act on the first ones and strike at the Jews. Therefore the king said: so that Haman's wicked scheme may return upon his own head, I must hang him on the gallows. When the new letters arrive at the governors and princes, they will be faced with two letters: one ordering them to destroy the Jews, and one permitting the Jews to destroy Haman's followers, Amalek. What will they do? They will see that Haman was hanged on the gallows, and they will understand the king's true policy and direction - to eliminate the Amalekites, not the Jews. Although, as we explained, there is no direct contradiction between the edicts, fear will nonetheless decide the matter: the governors will say to themselves, "Why put ourselves in danger? Look at what happened to Haman, who plotted to destroy the Jews - he was hanged on the gallows! Better to follow the second letters rather than the first." In this way, the officers disregarded the first letters and obeyed only the later ones, ensuring that Haman's wicked scheme would not come to fruition.
Why They Were Called Purim
עַל־כֵּן קָרְאוּ לַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה פוּרִים עַל־שֵׁם הַפּוּר עַל־כֵּן עַל־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הָאִגֶּרֶת הַזֹּאת וּמָה־רָאוּ עַל־כָּכָה וּמָה הִגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם׃ - "Therefore they called these days Purim, after the name of the pur. Therefore, because of all the words of this letter, and what they had seen concerning this, and what had happened to them."
Two questions arise: What is the significance of the name "Purim," and what is the meaning of the second "therefore" - "therefore, because of all the words of this letter, and what they had seen concerning this, and what had happened to them"?
The Malbim explains: The name Purim was given after the pur so that we would remember the magnitude of the miracle - that Haman's pur was transformed into our pur. A pur is a lot, a destiny, a celestial sign. Haman's lot and astrological constellation, which indicated that on the thirteenth of Adar his fortune was ascendant and ours was low, was inverted to become our fortune. This is why these days are called Purim, for the situation was overturned through Divine Providence, which upended the celestial order. As the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Avraham: "Avram cannot bear children, but Avraham can - leave your astrology," for Israel is above astrological fate and possesses the power to overturn cosmic forces and constellations through prayer and good deeds. Here too, Hashem overturned the celestial order and transformed the destiny.
And the second "therefore" connects to the following verse: because of all the words of this letter, in which Mordechai and Esther detailed everything - the nature of the miracle and its extraordinary power - and through it the people came to understand "what they had seen concerning this," meaning what motivated Mordechai and Esther to institute a festival, "and what had happened to them," all the details of what had occurred to them. And out of this:
"They Confirmed and Accepted" - Four Novel Dimensions
קִיְּמוּ וְקִבְּלוּ הַיְּהוּדִים עֲלֵיהֶם וְעַל־זַרְעָם וְעַל כָּל־הַנִּלְוִים עֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר לִהְיוֹת עֹשִׂים אֵת שְׁנֵי הַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה כִּכְתָבָם וְכִזְמַנָּם בְּכָל־שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה׃ - "The Jews confirmed and accepted upon themselves and upon their descendants and upon all who join them, without fail, that they would observe these two days according to their script and at their appointed time, every year."
What is the meaning of "and it shall not pass," and why would you think it might pass? And what is the emphasis of "according to their writing and at their appointed time"? The Malbim explains that they took four things upon themselves. First, that the acceptance of Purim would not be for their generation alone, but for all future generations - "upon themselves and upon their descendants": this is not a holiday that we establish just for ourselves, but a festival established for all generations. Second, "and it shall not pass" - that this is not like other rabbinic decrees, where a subsequent Beit Din that is greater in wisdom and numbers can overturn the rulings of an earlier Beit Din; here they stipulated from the outset that no Beit Din may nullify it. Just as a Beit Din cannot abolish Pesach, Shavuot, or Sukkot, so too no Beit Din can abolish Purim. Third, "these two days" - two days were instituted, the 14th and the 15th: unwalled towns on the 14th and walled cities on the 15th. Fourth, "according to their writing and at their appointed time" - "according to their writing" means reading it from the text, which refers to the reading of the Megillah; and "at their appointed time" means each at their designated time.
וְהַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה נִזְכָּרִים וְנַעֲשִׂים בְּכָל־דּוֹר וָדוֹר מִשְׁפָּחָה וּמִשְׁפָּחָה מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וְעִיר וָעִיר וִימֵי הַפּוּרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֹא יַעַבְרוּ מִתּוֹךְ הַיְּהוּדִים וְזִכְרָם לֹא־יָסוּף מִזַּרְעָם׃ - And these days shall be remembered and celebrated in every generation, by every family, province, and city; and these days of Purim shall not perish from among the Jews, nor their remembrance fade from their descendants.
"Remembered" - how? Through the reading of the Megillah, just as in the verse, "We will recall your love more than wine" (Shir HaShirim 1:4), which refers to Kiddush, and "Remember the Sabbath day" - remember it with words recited over wine. Here too, the remembrance is through the reading of the Megillah. "And celebrated" - in practice, with feasting, rejoicing, and sending portions of food to one another in every generation. And these days are celebrated in each and every place; "and shall not perish from among the Jews, nor their remembrance fade from their descendants" - that their descendants too will read the Megillah.
The Second Letter - Esther Writes the Megillah
וַתִּכְתֹּב אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה בַת־אֲבִיחַיִל וּמָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי אֶת־כָּל־תֹּקֶף לְקַיֵּם אֵת אִגֶּרֶת הַפֻּרִים הַזֹּאת הַשֵּׁנִית׃ - Then Queen Esther, daughter of Avichayil, and Mordechai the Jew wrote with full authority to confirm this second Purim letter.
This verse is perplexing and seemingly out of place: What is this second letter that Esther is writing, and what does "with full authority" mean? What did she add in the second letter that was not in the first?
The Malbim explains: Esther wanted this Megillah to become part of the twenty-four books of Sacred Scripture, and on this point there was a dispute among the Sages, as it is forbidden to add to the Holy Scriptures. As Chazal teach, Esther sent to the Sages: "Establish me for all generations" - include my book among the Holy Scriptures for all time - and initially they did not agree. Furthermore, there was an objection regarding the very institution of these days as a permanent observance, since ostensibly there is a prohibition against adding to what is written in the Torah (bal tosif), which would make this the establishment of a new festival and holiday not stated in the Torah. Therefore, Esther needed to join with Mordechai and write by virtue of the royal authority at her disposal, "to confirm this second Purim letter" - to establish the very scroll she was now sending them, which is the Megillah. They were to validate everything written in it, from "And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus" to "speaking peace to all his seed," endowing it with the full sanctity of Sacred Scripture. This was especially fitting since Esther was a prophetess, one of the seven prophetesses, and thus had the power to send this missive and instruct them - both through her prophetic authority and through her royal authority. This is the meaning of "with full authority."
וַיִּשְׁלַח סְפָרִים אֶל־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים אֶל־שֶׁבַע וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמֵאָה מְדִינָה מַלְכוּת אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ דִּבְרֵי שָׁלוֹם וֶאֱמֶת׃ - And he sent letters to all the Jews, to the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, words of peace and truth.
What is the meaning of "words of peace and truth"? Since there had been a dispute here, she wrote to them to bring peace among the Sages and to pursue the truth in accordance with Halachah - demonstrating that her position was correct, that this was how it ought to be and what must be done. By everyone upholding her words, the controversy would subside and the practice would become accepted by all.
"The Matters of the Fasts and Their Cry" - The Response to the Claim of Bal Tosif
לְקַיֵּם אֶת־יְמֵי הַפֻּרִים הָאֵלֶּה בִּזְמַנֵּיהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר קִיַּם עֲלֵיהֶם מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי וְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וְכַאֲשֶׁר קִיְּמוּ עַל־נַפְשָׁם וְעַל־זַרְעָם דִּבְרֵי הַצּוֹמוֹת וְזַעֲקָתָם׃ - To confirm these days of Purim in their designated times, as Mordechai the Jew and Queen Esther had enjoined upon them, and as they had confirmed for themselves and for their descendants, the matters of the fasts and their cry.
What is the meaning of "the matters of the fasts and their cry"? If one were to suggest that it refers to the Fast of Esther - that does not fit the context, for the Fast of Esther is not the type of "fasts and crying out" that we observe, but rather like the fast held whenever going out to battle. Even if there is an allusion to it, that is not the plain meaning of the verse, especially since the Fast of Esther does not date from the time of Esther itself but from a later era, and there is no mention in the Gemara of fasting on Erev Purim. Furthermore, another difficulty arises: it was already stated earlier that "the Jews confirmed and took upon themselves and their descendants" - and if they had already accepted it, why was it necessary to send letters telling them to observe the days of Purim? And on a broader level, does Purim really require so much persuasion? A person on their own would gladly celebrate ten Purims!
Rather, explains the Malbim, against their argument that we cannot innovate a Yom Tov on our own and cannot establish an everlasting decree of a Yom Tov with feasting and joy for all of Israel - Esther countered: I am not violating bal tosif (the prohibition against adding to the Torah). For we might ask: are not all rabbinic commandments seemingly bal tosif? When King Solomon instituted netilat yadayim (ritual hand washing), was that bal tosif? Are all the protective fences established by the Sages bal tosif? How, then, is there room for the seven rabbinic mitzvot and all the enactments of the Sages throughout the generations? The answer is that bal tosif applies only when someone claims there are not 613 mitzvot but 614, 615, or 616 - that is, adding mitzvot and asserting that the Torah itself added them. But when one comes to make a fence and safeguard, and he is among the Sages who possess the authority to do so - there is no prohibition whatsoever.
This is what Esther said to them: I do not wish to equate this to Biblical law and decree that this is an obligation under Torah law - for then it would indeed be bal tosif. I want this to take effect by virtue of acceptance, akin to a vow (neder) they accepted upon themselves. Just like an Ashkenazi who does not eat kitniyot (legumes) on Pesach; would we say that he added to a positive commandment, that whereas the Torah said "no leaven shall be seen by you," he says "no chickpeas shall be seen by you"? Rather, he does not claim that the Torah prohibited this; instead, as a vow, we accepted upon ourselves to abstain from this as well, as a fence and safeguard. And so Esther said: do not accept this as Torah law, but rather as an ordinance from Esther and Mordechai - and then there is no bal tosif here. This is the meaning of "to confirm these days of Purim in their seasons, as Mordechai the Jew and Queen Esther had enjoined them": an ordinance of Mordechai and Esther, not a commandment of the Torah.
And if you should argue: what difference does it make whether the addition is by Torah law or by force of a vow, in the end the Torah did not command this and you are adding a commandment? To this Esther replied: "And as they had confirmed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry." What will you say about the four fasts - Tzom Gedaliah, the Tenth of Tevet, the Seventeenth of Tammuz? They too are a later enactment recorded in the Prophets and Writings, not by Torah law. And why is that not considered adding to Torah law? Because we do not claim the Torah commanded them; rather, we of our own accord observe this addition and state that it is rabbinic (miderabbanan). If so, said Esther, accept the Yom Tov that I am instituting as rabbinic as well - if you can fast by rabbinic decree, you can also establish a Yom Tov by rabbinic decree. And just as there it is not considered an addition and Israel accepted it upon themselves, so too what I am telling you will not be considered an addition, and Israel will accept it upon themselves.
וּמַאֲמַר אֶסְתֵּר קִיַּם דִּבְרֵי הַפֻּרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְנִכְתָּב בַּסֵּפֶר׃ - And the ordinance of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.
What is meant by "And the ordinance of Esther confirmed"? The Malbim explains: based on her arguments and the statements she wrote to the Sages of that generation, the days of Purim were established. Everyone agreed with her words; they agreed to observe the days of Purim as festive days and to establish them as an everlasting ordinance - the ordinance of Esther caused this to receive confirmation and ratification. Furthermore: "and it was written in the book" - the Sages agreed that the miraculous rescue of Israel in the days of Mordechai and Esther should be written in a book, and that this Megillah should become part of the twenty-four books of the Holy Scriptures. The dispute that had existed initially came to an end, and everyone agreed to uphold the matter and accepted Esther's words.
In summary:
The end of the chapter reveals just how profound the miracle was, and how concealed from sight it had been. The open-town dwellers (perazim), who never received the first letters, already rested on the fourteenth and felt the miracle immediately; therefore, they took it upon themselves to observe a festive day. The walled-city dwellers (mukafim), seeing the king's army around them, did not feel the miracle at all - and only Mordechai's letter revealed to them that the first letters were never revoked, that their own permission expired on the thirteenth, and that their entire salvation depended on the fear of Mordechai falling upon the ministers, who concealed the royal scrolls. For this reason, two days were established, each on the day its inhabitants rested from their enemies. Mordechai instituted feasting and gladness to counter the grief, and gifts to the poor to counter the mourning, in place of a full-fledged Yom Tov which they lacked the authority to decree upon all of Israel. And the name "Purim" was designated to recall that Haman's lot (pur) was overturned into our lot, that Israel transcends astrological fate, and that Hashem upended the natural order. Finally, Esther came forth in the strength of her prophecy and royalty, answered the objection of bal tosif by pointing to the fasts that Israel accepted as rabbinic enactments, and through her ordinance the days of Purim were established for all generations and the Megillah was written in the book, among the Holy Scriptures.