אסתר, פרק ט׳, פסוק י״ח

The military victory in the capital created a permanent split in the Jewish calendar. While Jews throughout the rest of the empire had already celebrated their survival, the conflict in Shushan continued. For two consecutive days, the Jewish community in the capital gathered to defend their lives and defeat their enemies [עמנואל הרומי, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. While the broader population fought only on the thirteenth day, the fourteenth became a unique day of combat for Shushan, initiated by Queen Esther's request. On this extra day, they faced incredibly strong, highly trained warriors from the lineage of Amalek, and it was only through God's intervention that they were saved from destruction [יוסף אבן יחיא].

Because the fighting lasted longer, the city of Shushan only found rest on the fifteenth day [אבן עזרא], leading them to celebrate a day later than everyone else [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. They established this date as a time for feasting and joy. The feast is prioritized in the description because it defines the true essence of the day. A formal banquet represents a state of completeness and requires advance preparation, whereas joy is a spontaneous, immediate emotion [אור חדש].

This historical delay laid the foundation for a permanent legal distinction between different types of locations. It explains why unwalled towns celebrate on the fourteenth, while cities that have been surrounded by walls since the era of Joshua celebrate on the fifteenth, exactly like Shushan [אור חדש, מנות הלוי]. Beyond the date, the nature of the celebration also differed. Residents of unwalled towns lived without the physical protection of walls, doors, or bars, making the threat to their lives much more severe and tangible. This heightened danger amplified their feeling of salvation, pushing them to elevate the occasion into a full holiday that included sending food portions to one another. The Jews of Shushan, however, kept their observance to feasting and joy. Initially, they hesitated to establish an official holiday because they feared violating the prohibition against adding new festivals to the Torah [מנות הלוי]. Furthermore, the rules of this celebration extend to visitors, meaning that anyone temporarily staying in an unwalled town is treated as a local resident for the purpose of the festivities [מנות הלוי].