After Mordechai convinces her that she must risk her life by going to see the king uninvited, Esther dresses in royalty and enters his room. What ensues in chapter 5 of Megillat Esther sets the scene for the dramatic reversal of fortunes that is one of the main narratives in the text.
As we continue our annual tradition of studying a chapter of the Megillah each year on the Shabbat before Purim, Shabbat Zakhor, consider these questions in advance:
a. What’s the relationship between fasting (which Esther asks Mordechai to instruct all Jews to do for three days) at the end of chapter 4, and the feasting that is planned in chapter 5?
b. When the king says he’s willing to give Esther “half the kingdom,” what does he mean?
c. What do you make of Haman’s rapid transition from joy to anger?
You can find the text of chapter 5 here. We’ll look at the chapter through the prism of these questions and more on Shabbat morning, to get you in the mood for Purim early!
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Wise
