It happened in the days of Ahasuerus—that Ahasuerus who reigned over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia.
Why was there a gezeira for the Jewish people to be annihilated?
in the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all the officials and courtiers—the administration of Persia and Media, the nobles and the governors of the provinces in his service.
The students of Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai asked him: For what reason were the enemies of Jewish people, a euphemism for the Jewish people themselves when exhibiting behavior that is not in their best interests, in that generation deserving of annihilation? He, Rabbi Shimon, said to them: Say the answer to your question yourselves. They said to him: It is because they partook of the feast of that wicked one, Ahasuerus, and they partook there of forbidden foods. Rabbi Shimon responded: If so, those in Shushan should have been killed as punishment, but those in the rest of the world, who did not participate in the feast, should not have been killed. They said to him: Then you say your response to our question. He said to them: It is because they prostrated before the idol that Nebuchadnezzar had made, as is recorded that the entire world bowed down before it, except for Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
From a spiritual perspective, how come the Jewish people were deserving of this punishment? We've done many sins without a Heavenly decree of destruction...
Side story: Who was the Messenger between Ester & Mordechai?
וַיַּגֶּד לוֹ מָרְדֳּכַי אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר קָרָהוּ (אסתר ד, ז), אָמַר לַהֲתָךְ לֵךְ אֱמֹר לָהּ בֶּן בְּנוֹ שֶׁל קָרָהוּ בָּא עֲלֵיכֶם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דברים כה, יח): אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ.
השאלות: ותאמר ותצוהו, כפל ללא צורך:
ותאמר, אסתר יראה לשלוח התך שנית אל מרדכי פן יכירו בו אנשי המן שהולך ושב בשליחות מן מרדכי לאסתר, וע"כ אמרה להתך ותצוהו שיראה להגיע הדברים אל מרדכי ע"י שליח אחר:
There are sources who say Hasach (Daniel) was in fact killed by Haman for serving as this messenger.
Earlier we discussed the reason for the gezeira against the Jewish nation. Why didn't Ester stop it earlier?
She's not called to the King for 30 days. She also does something strange:
The Jewish people needed to be stirred into teshuva to end this gezeira, they wouldn't return with full hearts if they knew they had a 'connection' in the castle
Since the decree against the Jewish people was that they weren't unified, the Megilla ends off emphasizing the newfound unity over and over again:
Throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the Jews mustered in their cities to attack those who sought their hurt; and no one could withstand them, for the fear of them had fallen upon all the peoples.
The Mitzvos of the day reflect this unity and the importance of carrying it forward: