אסתר, פרק ב׳, פסוק י״ג

After months of meticulous preparation and beauty treatments, the fateful moment arrived for each young woman to leave the women's quarters and walk toward the royal palace. To mark this transition, royal protocol granted her an extraordinary privilege: she could request absolutely anything she desired to accompany her on her journey to the king. The primary approach among commentators is that this journey took place only after the extensive months of preparation were entirely complete, ensuring the young woman was fully ready [עמנואל הרומי, מנות הלוי, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Some note that this procession occurred during the evening hours [ישע אלהים]. Furthermore, the royal arrangement of granting her every request served a specific purpose: it ensured that she approached the king out of her own free will rather than through coercion [מלבי״ם].

The nature of what the women could request varied widely. Some would ask for musicians and entertainers to accompany them along the way [רש״י, ישע אלהים]. Others requested material wealth, such as special jewelry and gifts from luxury shops located on the route between the women's quarters and the palace [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה]. Even if a woman asked for something massive and highly valuable, the royal staff was obligated to provide it [יוסף אבן יחיא]. Beyond physical items, the women could also request an escort of ministers, royal officials, and dignitaries to walk with them. This grand entourage served to elevate their honor as they faced the possibility of becoming queen [עמנואל הרומי, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Interestingly, the royal ministers themselves would sometimes ask and even pay for the opportunity to escort a young woman, hoping that if she were chosen as queen, their own status in the royal court would improve [מנות הלוי].

There were two main reasons for granting the women this unlimited privilege. On a practical level, it was necessary to keep the young woman from sinking into worry and sadness. A depressed state of mind could negatively affect her beauty and radiance right before her crucial meeting with the king [אבן עזרא]. On a psychological level, the lavish gifts and entertainment were meant to ease her deep anxiety. Each woman knew that after a single night, she might be sent to the concubines' quarters to live out the rest of her days in loneliness and disgrace. The sudden influx of joy and luxury was designed to distract her from this potentially grim future [ישע אלהים].

From a moral perspective, this royal procession serves as a parable for the human experience. A young woman seeking to fulfill her immediate desires and demanding honorable escorts symbolizes a person who is entirely consumed by the physical temptations of this world. By chasing after these fleeting pleasures, such an individual ultimately distances their soul from finding true rest in the world to come [מחיר יין].