Tafsiran Ester 4:7: Tze'enah Ure'enah & Rashi

“And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him” [4:7]. Here one asks a question about the verse. Why does Mordecai say, what happened to him? What happened to him more than to all of Israel? The explanation is that Mordecai says that the troubles come from me, because I did not bow down to Haman. He let him tell Esther that Haman wrote the letter with the secret to destroy all of Israel, heaven forbid. That is why I also ask you to go to the king to plead for Israel.

Here one asks a question. How is it that such a pious woman should have to be asked and would not go of her own accord. The explanation is that Esther did not want to go on her own accord since it is a sin that she should go to a gentile because Ahasuerus would then sleep with her. Therefore, Mordecai said: I permit it, just like a rabbi that you should go to Ahasuerus and plead for Israel. Esther said: I have not been called in thirty days. That is to say, the king also observes that he does not sleep with a woman when she is menstruating [niddah] and it is thirty days from the time that the king would call me. Therefore, Esther wanted to wait. Esther said to Mordecai: it is written in the book of the king that, whoever comes to the king unbidden, will be killed. Mordecai said to Esther: do not think that you will escape death more than all the Jews. One asks a question here. Is it possible that Esther would let herself be afraid of going to the king and she did not go because of fear? The explanation is that Esther said to Mordecai. You say to me that I should go to the king and I should commit a sin for the sake of Israel? Mordecai responded: you Esther are mistaken. It is also a danger for you and therefore, you are allowed to commit a sin for your own sake, to go to the king. Mordecai said to Esther: who knows if you will be a queen in a year? Therefore, don’t delay and go to the king before you are called.

And of the silver. The explanation of the silver.³Mordechai wanted to make it clear to Esther that the king could not be bribed. He therefore provided her with an explanation of the silver, i.e., that Achashveirosh was reluctant to accept the 10,000 silver kikars offered by Haman.