Accordingly Mordecai made arrangements for a fast and a prayer-meeting.
On the very day of the festival, he had himself ferried across the
water to the other side of Shushan, where all the Jews of the city
could observe the fast together. (142) It was important that the Jewish
residents of Shushan beyond all other Jews should do penance and seek
pardon from God, because they had committed the sin of partaking of
Ahasuerus's banquet. Twelve thousand priests marched in the procession,
trumpets in their right hands, and the holy scrolls of the law in their
left, weeping and mourning, and exclaiming against God: "Here is the
Torah Thou gavest us. Thy beloved people is about to be destroyed. When
that comes to pass, who will be left to read the Torah and make mention
of Thy name? The sun and the moon will refuse to shed their light
abroad, for they were created only for the sake of Israel." Then they
fell upon their faces, and said: "Answer us, our Father, answer us, our
King." The whole people joined in their cry, and the celestials wept
with them, and the Fathers came forth from their graves.
After a three days' fast, Esther arose from the earth and dust, and
made preparations to betake herself to the king. She arrayed herself in
a silken garment, embroidered with gold from Ophir and spangled with
diamonds and pearls sent her from Africa; a golden crown was on her
head, and on her feet shoes of gold.
After she had completed her attire, she pronounced the following
prayer: "Thou art the great God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and the God of my father Benjamin. Not because I consider myself
without blemish, do I dare appear before the foolish king, but that the
people of Israel may not be cut off from the world. Is it not for the
sake of Israel alone that the whole world was created, and if Israel
should cease to exist, who will come and exclaim 'Holy, holy, holy'
thrice daily before Thee? As Thou didst save Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah out of the burning furnace, and Daniel out of the den of lions,
so save me out of the hand of this foolish king, and make me to appear
charming and graceful in his eyes. I entreat Thee to give ear to my
prayer in this time of exile and banishment from our land. By reason of
our sins the threatening words of the Holy Scriptures are accomplished
upon us: 'Ye shall sell yourselves unto your enemies for bondmen and
for bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.' The decree to kill us has
been issued. We are delivered up unto the sword for destruction, root
and branch. The children of Abraham covered themselves with sackcloth
and ashes, but though the elders sinned, what wrongs have the children
committed, and though the children committed wrongs, what have the
sucklings done? The nobles of Jerusalem came forth from their graves,
for their children were given up to the sword.
"How quickly have the days of our joy flown by! The wicked Haman has
surrendered us to our enemies for slaughter.
"I will recount before Thee the deeds of Thy friends, and with Abraham
will I begin. Thou didst try him with all temptations, yet didst Thou
find him faithful. O that Thou wouldst support his beloved children for
his sake, and aid them, so that Thou wouldst bear them as an
unbreakable seal upon Thy right hand. Call Haman to account for the
wrong he would do us, and be revenged upon the son of Hammedatha.
Demand requital of Haman and not of Thy people, for he sought to
annihilate us all at one stroke, he, the enemy and afflicter of Thy
people, whom he endeavors to hem in on all sides.
"With an eternal bond Thou didst bind us unto Thee. O that Thou wouldst
uphold us for the sake of Isaac, who was bound. Haman offered the king
ten thousand talents of silver for us. Raise Thou our voice, and answer
us, and bring us forth out of the narrow place into enlargement. Thou
who breakest the mightiest, crush Haman, so that he may never again
rise from his fall. I am ready to appear before the king, to entreat
grace for my inheritance. Send Thou an angel of compassion with me on
mine errand, and let grace and favor be my companions. May the
righteousness of Abraham go before me, the binding of Isaac raise me,
the charm of Jacob be put into my mouth, and the grace of Joseph upon
my tongue. Happy the man who putteth his trust in God; he is not
confounded. He will lend me His right hand and His left hand, with
which He created the whole world. Ye, all ye of Israel, pray for me as
I pray in your behalf. For whatsoever a man may ask of God in the time
of his distress, is granted unto him. Let us look upon the deeds of our
fathers and do like unto them, and He will answer our supplications.
The left hand of Abraham held Isaac by the throat, and his right hand
grasped the knife. He willingly did Thy bidding, nor did he delay to
execute Thy command. Heaven opened its windows to give space to the
angels, who cried bitterly, and said: 'Woe to the world, if this thing
should come to pass!' I also call upon Thee! O answer me, for Thou
givest ear unto all who are afflicted and oppressed. Thou art called
the Merciful and the Gracious; Thou art slow to anger and great in
lovingkindness and truth. Hear our voice and answer us, and lead us out
of distress into enlargement. For three days have I fasted in
accordance with the number of days Abraham journey to bind his son upon
the altar before Thee. Thou didst make a covenant with him, and didst
promise him: 'Whenever thy children shall be in distress, I will
remember the binding of Isaac favorably unto them, and deliver them out
of their troubles.' Again, I fasted three days corresponding to the
three classes Israel, priests, Levites, and Israelites, who stood at
the foot of Sinai, and said: 'All the Lord hath spoken will we do, and
be obedient.'"
Esther concluded her prayer and said: "O God, Lord of hosts! Thou that
searchest the heart and the reins, in this hour do Thou remember the
merits of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that my petition to Thee may not
be turned aside, nor my request be left unfulfilled.' (143)