Esther 8:14, Question 2. Why does the verse use the term daas (“law”)?

• According to Dena Pishra and Yad HaMelech, this verse can be interpreted homiletically as meaning that the Jew accepted the daas (“law”) of the Torah. This was not just an acceptance of the Written Torah, but as daas Torah implies in later works, the Jews accepted Rabbinic authority, especially that of Mordechai (see Esther 8:14).

Esther 3:13, Question 1. Why are the letters delivered by runners?

יג וְנִשְׁלוֹחַ סְפָרִים בְּיַד הָרָצִים אֶל–כָּל–מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהַשְׁמִיד לַהֲרֹג וּלְאַבֵּד אֶת–כָּל–הַיְּהוּדִים מנַּעַר וְעַד–זָקֵן טַף וְנָשִׁים בְּיוֹם אֶחָד בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר לְחֹדֶשׁ שְׁנֵים–עָשָׂר הוּא–חֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר וּשְׁלָלָם לָבוֹז

13. And books were sent in the hands of the runners to all the states of the king to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all of the Yehudim from young to old, infants, and women on one day, on the thirteenth day in the twelfth month – it is Adar – and their wealth to plunder.

• According to the Malbim, Haman used runners to get this message out quickly, so that Achashverosh would not be able to catch up to them and change the decree.
• The Yosef Lekach notes that the verse emphasizes the use of runners in order to contrast him to Mordechai, when he sent out a decree annulling this one. He sent out runners, too, and even gave them horses (Esther 8:14). Since the Talmud (Kiddushin 41a) advises that one take part as much as possible in a mitzvah being performed, Mordechai wanted to have a part in every aspect of the mitzvah of saving Jewish lives.