Which Mitzva Did Mordechai Command Not To Fulfill?

When we think of Mordechai Hatzadikk, we usually think of Purim. When we think of Purim we usually think of the many mitzvos associated with the holiday. For example, we think of the reading of the megilla, giving money to the poor, sending mishloach manot and the fun we have at the seuda. We may also conjure up the cute costumes that we saw last Purim or other Purim related themes. For example, Purim shpiels, drunk men, Yeshivas Mordechai Hatzaddik.

But one thing for sure we don’t think about is the fact that Mordechai commanded the Jews of Shushan, not to fufill a certain mitzva. Actually, many mitzvos.  According to the gemarah, Megilla, 16a, the 3 day fast started on the 14th and ended on the 16th of Nissan. Which means that on the 15th of Nissan, otherwise known as Leil Haseder, the Jews were not fufilling the mitzvos of eating matza, marror nor were they drinking the 4 cups. Now while some of these mitzvos are only rabbinically ordained, the eating of matza is biblical. So is the mitzva of simchos yom tov. It is interesting that the halocho is that mitvas sippur yetzias mitzrayim is supposed to be done with matza and marror in front of you on the table. It is unlikely that the Jews in the midst of their sackcloths, repenting, davening and fasting would have stopped in the middle of it all and performed this mitzva. So that could be another mitzva that was not fulfilled.

The reasoning behind this ruling was that pikuach nefesh overrides all other commandments. Another aspect is that the rabbis have the power to stop people from fulfilling even biblical commandments if they are not actively uprooting the mitzva but instead passively not fulfilling it.

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