Before us is the ninth essay in the sefer Zera Shimshon on Megillat Esther, focusing on the verse that introduces Esther's entry before the king. The verse notes that this occurred on the third day, and our Sages derived from this an allusion to the merit that protected the Jewish people at that moment. Let us examine the words of the Midrash, the difficulty that arises from it, and the wonderful explanation offered by the Zera Shimshon.
וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַתִּלְבַּשׁ אֶסְתֵּר מַלְכוּת וַתַּעֲמֹד בַּחֲצַר בֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְ הַפְּנִימִית נֹכַח בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַמֶּלֶךְ יוֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתוֹ בְּבֵית הַמַּלְכוּת נֹכַח פֶּתַח הַבָּיִת׃ (ה, א) - Now it came to pass on the third day that Esther put on royal apparel and stood in the inner court of the king's house, opposite the king's house; and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal palace, opposite the entrance of the house. (5:1)
The Midrash expounds upon the verse, "On the third day, Avraham lifted up his eyes," and states: This is what is written, "Now it came to pass on the third day that Esther put on royal apparel." In other words, in what merit did Esther clothe herself in royalty, enter before Ahashverosh, and succeed in nullifying the decree? On this point, the Sages disagree: The Rabbanan say it was in the merit of the third day of the Giving of the Torah, as it is said, "And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning," when there were thunder and lightning, a thick cloud upon the mountain, and the voice of a shofar exceeding loud, and all the people in the camp trembled. And Rabbi Levi says it was in the merit of the third day of Avraham, as it is said, "On the third day Avraham lifted up his eyes" - the merit of the Akeidah.
The Zera Shimshon asks: What was Rabbi Levi's reasoning for disagreeing with the Rabbanan? Is not the merit of the Torah the merit of the multitude, and surely such a merit carries greater weight than the merit of Avraham as an individual? When considering in whose merit Esther entered before Ahashverosh, we would certainly grant greater precedence to the communal merit of the Giving of the Torah - which is the merit of the entire generation - over the merit of an individual. Why, then, does Rabbi Levi specifically point to the third day of Avraham, rather than the third day of the Giving of the Torah, which embodies both the merit of the Torah and the merit of the multitude?
The Yefe To'ar sensed this difficulty and explained that Rabbi Levi wished to derive this from the "third day" of Avraham because it appears earlier in the Torah than the "third day" of the Giving of the Torah. However, this answer is insufficient, for what does chronological precedence matter when the merit of the Giving of the Torah carries vastly greater significance?
It appears, therefore, that Rabbi Levi did not come to disagree at all, but rather to resolve a difficulty in the words of the Rabbanan. For when the Rabbanan stated, "In the merit of the third day of the Giving of the Torah" - one may ask: what merit is there in this for the Jewish people? The verse "And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning" speaks only of the thunder and lightning, all of which was the handiwork of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and not an action performed by Israel. When reckoning merit, what occurred on that third day that could serve as our support? Thunder and lightning, the descent of the Shechinah upon Mount Sinai - that is not our merit; it is a gift that the Holy One, Blessed be He, bestowed upon us.
The Zera Shimshon explains: Certainly, had the Midrash said, "In the merit of 'And be ready against the third day,'" it would be readily understood. That verse implies that the merit lies in the Jewish people preparing themselves for the Giving of the Torah, which is truly our own active merit - and regarding that, it is wonderful to say that they merited Esther entering before Ahashverosh. But to cite as a merit the very descent of the Shechinah, which was entirely an act of the Holy One, Blessed be He - that was the difficulty that troubled Rabbi Levi.
We could still explain the Rabbanan's reasoning in another way: Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, descend on the third day to give us the Torah? Because we said Na'aseh VeNishma ("we will do and we will hear"). It turns out that the descent of the Shechinah on the third day was itself in our merit, in the merit of Na'aseh VeNishma. Perhaps this is why the Rabbanan consider it a merit. But Rabbi Levi had a different perspective. In his view, "on the third day" by itself does not show any inherent merit on Israel's part. If so, a question arises: What is the Rabbanan's reasoning that Esther approached in this merit?
Therefore, Rabbi Levi came to resolve this and explain: In the merit of the third day of Avraham. That is, why did Israel merit that the Shechinah arrived early "when morning came" on the third day? In the merit of the third day of Avraham, as it is said, "And Avraham rose early in the morning," having hastened with zeal to fulfill the commandment of his Creator. Now everything is beautifully resolved, for Rabbi Levi and the Rabbanan do not disagree at all; rather, Rabbi Levi comes to explain their words. Indeed, it was the merit of the third day of the Giving of the Torah that enabled Esther to find favor in the eyes of the king, but that third day of the Giving of the Torah itself came about on account of the third day of Avraham.
How wonderful this is: there is no dispute here. All agree that the merit of the Torah - the third day of the Giving of the Torah - is what helped Esther find favor in the king's eyes and enter on the third day. Rabbi Levi came only to reveal the root of that third day of the Giving of the Torah. Through what did we merit that the Holy One, blessed be He, preceded us and arrived early, "when morning came"? Because our first forefather rose early to bind Yitzchak. The merit of Avraham's early rising is what brought about the early rising Above.
This beautifully clarifies Rabbi Levi's exact phrasing. After all, he did not say "in the merit of the third day of Avraham" (bizchut yom hashlishi shel Avraham), as the Rabbanan had said "in the merit of the third day of the Giving of the Torah" (bizchut yom hashlishi shel Mattan Torah). Instead, he altered his expression and said "in the merit of that third day of Avraham" (bizchuto shel yom hashlishi) - meaning that the third day of the Giving of the Torah came about through another third day, the day of Avraham who acted with zeal for the mitzvah of his Creator. This change in phrasing proves that he is not disputing, but providing the underlying reason: Rabbi Levi agrees that Esther entered in the merit of the Giving of the Torah, and he is merely explaining how we merited the Giving of the Torah - through the power of Avraham.
And all alacrity in performing mitzvot we learn from Avraham Avinu, who is the source of it all. "The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious."
"And it came to pass on the third day that Esther donned royal apparel" - the third day on which Esther stood before the king rested upon previous third days that preceded it. The Rabbanan attributed this to the merit of the third day of the Giving of the Torah, while Rabbi Levi attributed it to the merit of the third day of Avraham. The Zera Shimshon explains that there is no dispute here at all: Esther entered in the merit of the Giving of the Torah, but the very merit that the Shechinah arrived early "when morning came" stems from the early rising of Avraham, who hastened to fulfill the mitzvah of his Creator. Every merit of the Jewish people rests upon a root of action, and the root of all holy alacrity is Avraham Avinu.