וַיָּב֕וֹא עַ֖ד לִפְנֵ֣י שַֽׁעַר־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין לָב֛וֹא אֶל־שַׁ֥עַר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בִּלְב֥וּשׁ שָֽׂק׃
Il arriva jusqu’aux abords de la porte du roi; car il ne pouvait s’approcher de la porte du roi revêtu d’un cilice.
Rashi
For one could not enter. It is improper to enter the king’s gate dressed in sackcloth.
Tze'enah Ure'enah
“And he came to the front of the king’s gate” [4:2]. Mordecai came in sackcloth until the gate of the king. One is not allowed to go further in the king’s gate. One asks a question. Why did he have to wear sackcloth to tell Esther? He knew very well that he was not allowed to come into the gate of the king in sackcloth. The explanation is that Mordecai did not want to take off his sackcloth in the expectation that he would repent beforehand and a person should know about it. Also, he did not want that Esther should give bribes, but it is correct to first repent and then one should bribe and give presents.