On the thirteenth of Adar, as Esther prepared to approach King Ahasuerus and beg him to revoke Haman's evil decree to annihilate the Jews, she and Mordechai gathered the Jews of Shushan to fast for 3 days and pray for God's mercy in defeating their enemies, in order to encourage members of the Jewish community to direct their hearts and prayers to God and to plead for his help in overcoming the decrees that had been made against them. On the third day, she approached the king and enacted her plan to save the Jews, beginning by issuing an invitation to both Haman and Ahasuerus to a feast that lead to the downfall of Haman and his plot against the Jews.

The Sages later instituted a public fast, still observed by religious Jews today, to commemorate the event and to remember the importance of prayer and repentance at times of tragedy and persecution.

On the thirteenth of Adar, the very day Haman sought to annihilate every Jew in Shushan, events were turned about, and the Jews gained the upper hand over their enemies (Esther 9:1) . To achieve this victory, they had to organize and defend themselves, and to involve themselves in a war against their numerous enemies. In times of war, the Jewish nation has had the custom to fast, to pray and to immerse itself in introspection as a means of arousing G-d's sympathy and aid. Our Rabbis also teach us that when the Jews fought with Amalek in the Book of Exodus, Moshe declared a fast day.

It is interesting to note that in order to prevent celebration at a time when Persian non-Jews were losing their lives in battles against the Jews, the fast was held on a day when the fighting was still going on; the festivities could only begin a day later, when the bloodshed was finally over.

The fast begins at sunrise and ends at sunset. In the morning (Shacharit) and the afternoon(Mincha), the Torah reading comes from Exodus 32:11 - 14; 35 1 -10. The Haftara in the afternoon is read from Isaiah 55:6 - 56:8.

"Then Esther spoke to Mordechai, "Go, assemble all the Jews who may be found in Shushan and fast for me; do not eat and do not drink for a three-day period, night and day. I and my maids will also fast in this way..." (Esther 4:15-16)

On the thirteenth of Adar, as Esther prepared to approach King Ahasuerus and beg him to revoke Haman's evil decree to annihilate the Jews, she and Mordechai gathered the Jews of Shushan to fast for 3 days and pray for God's mercy in defeating their enemies, in order to encourage members of the Jewish community to direct their hearts and prayers to God and to plead for his help in overcoming the decrees that had been made against them. On the third day, she approached the king and enacted her plan to save the Jews, beginning by issuing an invitation to both Haman and Ahasuerus to a feast that lead to the downfall of Haman and his plot against the Jews.

The Sages later instituted a public fast, still observed by religious Jews today, to commemorate the event and to remember the importance of prayer and repentance at times of tragedy and persecution.

On the thirteenth of Adar, the very day Haman sought to annihilate every Jew in Shushan, events were turned about, and the Jews gained the upper hand over their enemies (Esther 9:1) . To achieve this victory, they had to organize and defend themselves, and to involve themselves in a war against their numerous enemies. In times of war, the Jewish nation has had the custom to fast, to pray and to immerse itself in introspection as a means of arousing G-d's sympathy and aid. Our Rabbis also teach us that when the Jews fought with Amalek in the Book of Exodus, Moshe declared a fast day.

It is interesting to note that in order to prevent celebration at a time when Persian non-Jews were losing their lives in battles against the Jews, the fast was held on a day when the fighting was still going on; the festivities could only begin a day later, when the bloodshed was finally over.

The fast begins at sunrise and ends at sunset. In the morning (Shacharit) and the afternoon(Mincha), the Torah reading comes from Exodus 32:11 - 14; 35 1 -10. The Haftara in the afternoon is read from Isaiah 55:6 - 56:8.I and my maids will also fast in this way..." (Esther 4:15-16)

On the thirteenth of Adar, as Esther prepared to approach King Ahasuerus and beg him to revoke Haman's evil decree to annihilate the Jews, she and Mordechai gathered the Jews of Shushan to fast for 3 days and pray for God's mercy in defeating their enemies, in order to encourage members of the Jewish community to direct their hearts and prayers to God and to plead for his help in overcoming the decrees that had been made against them. On the third day, she approached the king and enacted her plan to save the Jews, beginning by issuing an invitation to both Haman and Ahasuerus to a feast that lead to the downfall of Haman and his plot against the Jews.

The Sages later instituted a public fast, still observed by religious Jews today, to commemorate the event and to remember the importance of prayer and repentance at times of tragedy and persecution.

On the thirteenth of Adar, the very day Haman sought to annihilate every Jew in Shushan, events were turned about, and the Jews gained the upper hand over their enemies. (Esther 9:1) To achieve this victory, they had to organize and defend themselves, and to involve themselves in a war against their numerous enemies. In times of war, the Jewish nation has had the custom to fast, to pray and to immerse itself in introspection as a means of arousing G-d's sympathy and aid. Our Rabbis also teach us that when the Jews fought with Amalek in the Book of Exodus, Moshe declared a fast day.

It is interesting to note that in order to prevent celebration at a time when Persian non-Jews were losing their lives in battles against the Jews, the fast was held on a day when the fighting was still going on; the festivities could only begin a day later, when the bloodshed was finally over.

The fast begins at sunrise and ends at sunset. In the morning (Shacharit) and the afternoon(Mincha), the Torah reading comes from Exodus 32:11 - 14; 35 1 -10. The Haftara in the afternoon is read from Isaiah 55:6 - 56:8.