אסתר, פרק ט׳, פסוק י״ז

After enduring intense anxiety and the looming threat of destruction, the people finally experienced a transition from warfare to a celebration of victory. The primary approach among commentators is that a clear timeline unfolded during these critical days. The battles took place on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. By the fourteenth day, the fighting ceased, and this day was set aside for joy and celebration over their survival [יוסף אבן יחיא, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The pause in conflict brought a much-needed period of recovery [עמנואל הרומי]. The physical combat and the effort required to defeat their enemies exacted an enormous toll, leaving the fighters in need of genuine physical rest [אבן עזרא]. However, the need for rest went beyond mere physical exhaustion and reveals the emotional complexity of the moment. This underlying psychological state explains why the celebrations did not begin immediately on the thirteenth day as soon as the battles ended. During the actual fighting, the people lacked any peace of mind. They were fighting for their very survival in a state of deep fear, marking a time of distress and fasting.

Even after the active combat stopped, their anxiety lingered. There was a real fear that on the following morning, the surviving relatives of the defeated enemies might rise up to seek revenge. Consequently, as the fourteenth day began, the people remained on high alert, standing guard. It was only when they saw that a deep fear had fallen upon their enemies, and they realized that God had granted them complete and absolute quiet from all directions, that their own dread finally faded. This profound sense of safety and true peace of mind, which only materialized on the fourteenth day, is what finally allowed them to celebrate. For this reason, the day of rest, rather than the day of the actual victory in battle, became the designated time for feasting and joy [אלשיך].