Delving into the Daf by Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

Delving into the Daf

When Purim Was on Pesach

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

Although the events of the Purim story transpired over a lengthy period of time, the main action occurred over a few days. The Megillah specifically states that Haman’s letters stating that the Jewish nation should be decimated were sent out on the 13th of Nissan. Mordechai responded by asking Esther to immediately request an audience with Achashveirosh. Esther agreed on the condition that the Jews in Shushan fast for three days. The exact timeline at this point is not so clear.

The Gemara states that the threeday fast occurred on Pesach. Mordechai’s directive to fast caused the Jews to override the prohibition against fasting on the first day of Pesach. The Beis Yosef cites an opinion that fasting on Chol Hamoed is biblically forbidden. Yet, the Gemara did not mention that this prohibition was overridden during the times of the Purim miracle. One possible interpretation of the Gemara is that the Jews fasted on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of Nissan. They only fasted on one day of Pesach, namely the 15th of Nissan. They did not fast on the 16th of Nissan, which is considered Chol Hamoed according to Torah law.

There are some issues with this approach. If the letters only went out on the 13th of Nissan, how did the Jews know to fast that same day? Moreover, the rule is that when one accepts a fast that is not calendared, he must do so during the Mincha prayers before the fast. To fast on the 13th, they would have had to accept the fast during Mincha on the 12th.

Some suggest that the first day of the three-day fast was only a partial fast. They began fasting mid-day on the 13th of Nissan when Mordechai proclaimed a fast. The first day of the fast was not considered a halachic fast since it was not a whole day and was not accepted the day before.

The Alshich suggests that Mordechai knew in advance of the decree even before the letters were sent out. While some have suggested that Haman’s lottery took place on the 13th of Nissan, that is not written in the Megillah. The Alshich suggests that the lottery was made earlier in the month, and on the 12th of Nissan, Mordechai proclaimed that the next three days, the 13th, 14th, and 15th , would be fast days. People were able to accept this fast during Mincha on the 12th of Nissan.

The problem with this approach is that it appears from the Gemara (Megilla 16a) that the fast extended to the 16th of Nissan. Haman went to call Mordechai to parade him through the streets as directed by Achashveirosh. Mordechai was studying with his students the laws of kemitza. Had the Beis Hamikdash been standing, the korban omer from newly grown barley would have been brought on the 16th of Nissan, the second day of Pesach. Kemitza is performed by a kohen who takes a handful of grain from the korban omer. Mordechai was specifically studying these laws with his students. Since they, unfortunately, could not bring the korban omer that day, they were studying its laws instead. (Rashi) This event, therefore, took place on the 16th of Nissan.

The Gemara states that when Mordechai returned from being paraded through the streets, he went back to his sackcloth and fasting. It is clear he was fasting on the 16th of Nissan. The Rashash surmises that this issue forced Rashi to declare that the three-day fast took place on the 14th, 15th, and 16th of Nissan and did not start on the 13th. Why didn’t the Gemara declare that the fast overrode the law against fasting on Chol HaMoed, the 16th day of Nissan? (According to the Torah law, the 16th day of Nissan is actually Chol HaMoed.) The Rosh Yosef says it is evident that Rashi is of the opinion that one may fast on Chol HaMoed at least biblically. According to Rashi, we can say that the Jews found out about the harsh decree on the 13th of Adar together with everyone else. Therefore, Mordechai decreed that there should be a fast for the next three days starting on the 14th. Everyone accepted the fast on the 13th of Adar during Mincha. Still, the pasuk says clearly that Esther approached Achashveirosh for an audience on the third day. Most assume this means the third day of the fast. If the fast was on the 14th, 15th, and 16th, that means that Esther first approached Achashveirosh on the 16th of Adar. Yet that can’t be! Rashi says that Haman was hanged on the 16th of Adar (or the night immediately following the day of the 16th). Yet, Achashveirosh’s sleep needed to be disturbed the night after Esther, for the first time, invited Haman and him to a party. In fact, the Gemara says this is one of the reasons why Achashveirosh couldn’t sleep. He thought Esther and Haman were plotting against him. One must conclude that, according to Rashi, Esther approached Achashveirsoh, not on the third day of the fast, but on the third day after the decree, the 15th of Adar.

There is a Medrash that states that the night Achashveirosh couldn’t sleep was Pesach night. The Chida says that it must be according to Rashi, that the medrash is talking about the rabbinic second night of Pesach, the night when Jews in the Diaspora observe a second seder.

The Rashash defends those who say the fast was on the 13th, 14th, and 15th. While it is true that Mordechai fasted on the 16th as well, that was a personal fast. Most, if not virtually all, of the Jews were not fasting on the 16th of Nissan. Mordechai, however, continued to fast until the decree was annulled. (The Aruch L’ner suggests the fasts only took place during the day. They were able to eat at night and were thus able to observe the Pesach seder.)

However one calculates the days of the three-day fast, it is clear that the main events in the Purim story happened over Pesach. The letters with the harsh decree were sent out on the 13th of Nissan. Haman was already hanged on the 16th of Nissan. The Mishna Berura (490:2) writes that it is appropriate on the second day of Pesach to make a remembrance for Esther during the yom tov meal. This will serve to recall that Haman was hanged on the second day of Pesach.

Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow is a rebbe at Yeshiva Ateres Shimon in Far Rockaway. In addition, Rabbi Sebrow leads a daf yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempstead, NY. He can be contacted at ASebrow@gmail.com.