Midrasch zu Esther 5:1

And the seven prophetesses that prophecied to Israel, who were they? Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah and Esther. Sarah as it is written (Gen. 11, 29) The father of Milcah and the father of Yiscah. And R. Isaac said: "Yiscah refers to Sarah, but why was she called Yiscah? Because that signifies seeing, and she was a seer through the Holy Spirit and this is derived from the passage (Ib. 21, 12) Whatever Sarah tells you hearken to her voice. Miriam, as it is written (Ex. 15, 26) Then took Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron. Was she then Aaron's and not Moses' sister." "This means," said R. Nachman, in the name of Rab, "that she had prophecied even when she had been only Aaron's sister [before Moses' birth] saying, 'In the future my mother will give birth to a child that will deliver the Israelites.' Finally, when Moses was born, the whole house was filled with light, and her father arose, and kissed her on her head, and saying to her, 'My daughter, thy prophecy is fulfilled.' Afterward, when he was cast into the river, her mother rose, saying to her, 'My daughter, what has become of thy prophecy?' And thus we understand the passage (Ib. 2, 4) And his sister placed herself afar off, to ascertain what would be done to him, to mean to know what would be the outcome of her prophecy." Deborah, as it is written (Jud. 4, 4) Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth. R. Isaac said: "This means that she prepared wicks for the lights in Mishkai. Hannah, as it is written (I Sam. 2, 1) And Hannah prayed and said, 'My heart is glad in the Lord, my horn is exalted through the Lord.' My horn is exalted, and not my flask. This refers to David and Solomon, who were anointed with oil taken from a horn, their dynasty endured; but Saul and Jehu, who were anointed with oil from a flask, their dynasties did not endure. (Ib. 2) There is none holy as the Lord; for there is none besides Thee; Neither is there any rock like our God." R. Juda b. Manassia said: "Do not read, Ein Biltecha [none besides Thee] but read Ein Lebalathecha [nothing could wear you out] . Come and see that the nature of the Holy One, praised be He! is not like the nature of frail man. The work of frail man exhausts its maker, but the Holy One, praised be He! is not so; He exhausts His work." Neither is there any rock like our God; Do not read Ein Tzur (rock), but read Ein Tzayer, (there is no sculptor like our God) for the custom of the world is to form a shape on the wall, but he can put into it neither breath, nor soul, nor entrails, nor bowels, but the Holy One, praised be He! He forms a shape within a shape (creates a body within a body) and puts into it breath, soul, entrails and bowels. Abigail, as it is written (I Sam. 25, 29-31) And the soul of my lord will be bound in the bond of life with the Lord thy God. When she departed she said to him. And when the Lord will do *** ood my Lord. She prophecied that he would be king. R. Nachman said: "This is the meaning of the current statement, 'A woman handles the shuttle while she talks,' or 'the duck bends its head down in walking, and its eyes look all around (it follows two pursuits at the same time.'" Huldah, as it is written (II Kings 22, 14) And Chilkiyaha the priest, and Achikam, and Achbor and Shaphan and Assahyah went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah. But how did Huldah prophecy in the place where Jeremiah lived? At the school of Rab it was explained that Huldah was a relative and therefore he was not particular about it. But why did King Joshiyah himself ignore Jeremiah and send a committee unto Huldah? R. Shila said: "Because women are compassionate." R. Jochanan said: "Because Jeremiah was not there, for he went to bring the ten tribes back [from the exile]." And whence do we infer that he did bring them back? It is written (Ex. 7, 13) For the seller shall not return to that which is sold. It is possible that the prophet should prophecy the suspension of the jubilee law when the law had already been abolished? We must therefore say that Jeremiah had caused the return [of the ten tribes] and Joshiyah b. Amon reigned over them. Whence do we infer this? It is written (II Kings 23, 17) What king of monument is that which I see? And the men of the city said to him, "It is the grave of the man of God, who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which thou hast done against the altar of Beth-El.' What had Joshiyah to do with the altar of Beth-El? From this we infer that Jeremiah returned [the ten tribes] from captivity when he began to practice the jubilee law and Joshiyah was king over them. And Esther, as it is written (Est. 5) Now it came to pass on the third day that Esther put on her royalty. It should be written, royal apparel. "Infer from this," said R. Elazar, in the name of R. Cahnina, "that she clothed herself in the Holy Spirit. Here it is written Vatilbash (she put on) and there (I Chr. 12, 18) A spirit, labsha (invested) Amassai. [Just as in the latter place the word Labsha is employed to signify the Holy Spirit, so here also Vatilbash signfies the Holy Spirit]." R. Nachman said: "Pride does not- fit women. Two women were proud, and they both had unlovely names; one was call Bee (Deborah) and the other was called Cat (Huldah). Of Deborah it is written (Jud. 4, 6) And she sent and called Barak but she did not go to him, and of Huldah it is written (II Kings 22, 15) Say unto the man that hath sent you to me; and she did not say, tell the king."

(Est. 5, 1) And placed herself in the inner court of the king's house. R. Levi said: "As soon as she reached the house of idols, the Shechina left her; so she began to say (Ps. 22, 2) My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Doth thou hold guilty one who does a thing unintentionally as though she did it intentionally, and what one is compelled to do as if she did it voluntarily?" (Ib.) And it happened when the king saw Esther the queen. R. Jochanan said: "Three angels came to her help at the same time; one angel raised her head [that the king might see her]; one, who strung a chord of grace (protection) around her, and one who stretched out the sceptre which the king handed out to her." How far did it stretch? R. Jeremiah said: "Its usual length was two cubits and it became twelve cubits long"; and others say it stretched to sixteen. R. Joshua b. Levi said: "To twenty-four." R. Chisda said: "To sixty." So also we find that it happened with the arm of Pharaoh's daughter; and thus also it happened with the teeth of Og, as it is whitten (Ps. 3, 8) The teeth of the wicked Shibarta, and Resh Lakish said: "Do not read Shibarta (hast thou broken) but read it Shibabta (that became ramified)." Rabba b. Uphran, in the name of R. Eliezer, who had heard it from his master, who quoted his master, said: "It became longer by two hundred ells."

“It was on the third day, Esther donned royalty and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, facing the king’s palace, while the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room facing the entrance of the palace” (Esther 5:1).
“It was on the third day, Esther donned” – the garments of her beauty and the jewels of her glory. She took her two young women with her; she placed her right hand on one young woman and leaned on her in accordance with the royal custom, and the second young woman walked behind her mistress supporting her jewels, so that the gold would not touch the ground. She put on a joyful face, masked the worry in her heart, and came to the inner courtyard facing the king, and she stood before him.
The king was sitting on his royal throne in garments of gold and jewels. He lifted his eyes and saw Esther standing before him, and his wrath was greatly enflamed because she had violated his protocol and she came before him without being summoned. Esther lifted her eyes and saw the king’s face, and his eyes were like fire, blazing from the great fury in his heart.
Esther recognized the king’s anger and she was greatly panicked, and her spirit grew faint. She placed her head on the young woman supporting her on the right. Our God saw and took pity on His people, recognized the suffering of the orphan who had placed her trust in Him, invested her with grace before the king, and added beauty to her beauty and magnificence to her magnificence. The king rose from his throne in a frenzy, ran to Esther, hugged and kissed her, and placed his arm around her neck. The king said to her: ‘Queen Esther, why are you afraid? This protocol that we instituted is not incumbent upon you, as you are my beloved and my companion.’ He said to her: ‘Why, when I saw you, did you not speak to me?’ Esther said: ‘My lord the king, when I saw you, my soul was startled due to your greatness.’