| 1 | And the King came with Haman to drink with Esther the Queen.
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| 2 | And the King said to Esther also on the second day at the banquet of wine: "What is your petition, Queen Esther, and it shall be granted to you, and what is your request? Even if it be up to half the kingdom, it shall be done."
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| 3 | Esther the Queen answered and said: "If I have found grace in your eyes, O King, and if it be pleasing to the King, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request;
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| 4 | "For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain and to be exterminated; and if we had been only sold for slaves and bondswomen, I would have remained silent; for the adversary has no consideration for the damage of the King."
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"Had we been sold for slaves and bondwomen I would have remained silent." (7:4)
QUESTION: Why would she be silent if the Jews were sold as slaves?
ANSWER: In business transactions there is a
halachah of
"ona'ah" — "deceit" — i.e. a sale in which the profit exceeds more than one-sixth of the cost and expenses is invalid. It does not, however, apply to the sale of land, and since in the Torah
(Vayikra 25:46) slaves are compared to land, halachically the law of
ona'ah does not apply when they are sold
(Bava Metziah 56b).
Thus, she said to the King, "Had we been sold as slaves I would have kept quiet because though he cheated you in the price, halachically the laws of ona'ah are not applicable. However, since we were not sold as slaves but to be annihilated, then the laws of ona'ah do apply. Obviously, the adversary was not concerned with the financial damage to the King resulting from enormous loss of tax revenues. Hence, I am compelled to speak out and inform you of this."
Alternatively, concerning the pasuk "The edict was given out in Shushan the Capital, and the King and Haman sat down to drink (4:15), the Midrash Rabbah (7:25) says, "Hashem told the tribes, 'You sold your brother (Yosef) while you were in the midst of eating and drinking (Bereishit 37:25); I will do the likewise to you.' "
Hashem's way of punishment is midah keneged midah — measure for measure. Esther therefore said, "Had we been sold for slaves, I would have remained silent because it is Hashem's decision to punish us now for selling Yosef into slavery. To be annihilated, however, is not measure for measure, and since there is no justification for it, I cannot be silent.
"The adversary has no consideration for the damage of the King." (7:4)
QUESTION: What damage was Esther referring to that the King would suffer with the annihilation of the Jewish people?
ANSWER: The
Gemara (
Ta'anit 3b) says that when Hashem said "for like the four winds of heaven I have spread you" (
Zechariah 2:10), He meant that just as it is impossible for the world to exist without winds (due to the humidity and heat that would accumulate — Rashi), so it is impossible for the world to exist without the Jewish people. (Just as the four winds are spread out over the world to sustain it, so is Israel spread out over the world to sustain it through their study of Torah — Rashi).
Esther thus said to Achashveirosh, "You are the King of the entire world. Thanks to the Jews who are spread out throughout your country, your entire land exists. Now if we were sold as slaves, the world would continue to exist and you would rule over it. However, since Haman's plan is total annihilation, then ultimately the world would also be destroyed and cease to exist. If that were to occur, you would suffer tremendous loss, since you would no longer be King."
| 5 | Then spoke King Achashveirosh and said to Esther the Queen: "Who is this, and where is he, whose heart emboldened him to do so?"
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"King Achashveirosh exclaimed... 'Who is this and where is he whose heart emboldened him to do so?" (7:5)
QUESTION: Haman operated with Achashveirosh's consent. Why did he naively ask "Who had the audacity to do this"?
ANSWER: Haman hated the Jewish people and yearned to wipe them out, but he doubted that Achashveirosh would agree. Therefore, he fooled Achashveirosh into issuing a decree to destroy the Jewish people.
Haman had said to Achashveirosh, "Im al hamelech tov yikateiv le'avdam (3:9) — "If the King agrees, letters should be written to make them slaves (le'avdam)." Achashveirosh consented and gave Haman authority to send the letters. Haman did not write "le'abdam," with an ayin, meaning "slavery," but "le'abdam," with an alef — "complete annihilation."
Therefore, Esther said to Achashveirosh, "If we were being sold into slavery as you and Haman originally planned, I would reluctantly keep silent because you are the King and this is your wish, but the scoundrel tricked you and has sent letters in your name ordering the annihilation of the Jewish people."
When Achashveirosh heard that he had been fooled, he became furious and bellowed, "Who is he whose heart embolded him to do so?"
| 6 | And Esther said: "An adversary and an enemy, this wicked Haman." And Haman became terrified before the King and the Queen.
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"And he said to Esther the Queen, 'Who is he, and where is he...?' And Esther said, 'An adversary and an enemy this wicked Haman.' " (7:5-6)
QUESTION: Why did Achashveirosh ask two questions, "Who is he? And where is he...?" Moreover, when Esther responded, she should have said only one word, "Haman"?
ANSWER: In Hebrew grammar the word
"hu" is used for someone not present, and the Hebrew grammatical term for this is
"nistar" — literally "hidden." The word
"zeh" applies to a subject matter which is present and therefore revealed.
Esther told Achashveirosh that the Jewish people were suffering from two enemies: "One openly displays his hatred, while the other hates us deep down in his heart, though he does not say so openly." Achashveirosh asked Esther, "Since you talk of two enemies, please tell me mi hu — who do you refer to as — 'zeh' — 'the open and revealed enemy' — and ve'ei-zeh — who is it that you consider — 'hu' — 'the hidden enemy' "?
Esther responded "Haman hara — the wicked Haman — is 'hazeh' — our open and revealed enemy" and she left it to Achashveirosh's imagination to figure out who was — "hu" — the "concealed" enemy.
| 7 | And the King arose in his fury from the banquet of wine, and went into the palace-garden; and Haman remained to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he saw that evil was fully determined against him by the King.
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"And Haman remained to beg Queen Esther for his life." (7:7)
QUESTION: Everything in the Megillah illustrates the workings of Divine Providence. How does this principle apply to the episode in which Haman pleads with the Queen for his life?
ANSWER: As previously explained (see p. 114), Esther was a descendant of King Shaul, who erred when he did not follow instructions to kill Agag the King of Amalek. Therefore, by bringing about the downfall of Haman, she was in a sense rectifying her ancestor's iniquity.
According to the Rambam (Teshuvah 2:1) ultimate teshuvah is accomplished when all the details of the situation in which the iniquity occurred are repeated and one does not succumb to the temptation. Since Shaul let Agag live out of pity for him (I Samuel, 15:9), Esther was therefore now put through the same test. When she had no pity on Haman and was unyielding to his pleas, her ancestor Shaul received his forgiveness and, "vechamat hamelech shachachah" — "the anger of the King — Hashem, King of the universe — abated" (7:10).
"For he saw that evil was fully determined against him by the King." (7:7)
QUESTION: How did he see that the "evil was fully determined against him by the King"?
ANSWER: When Achashveirosh heard from Esther about the evil adversary, he asked, "Who is this? Where is he whose heart emboldened him to do so?" (7:5) Since in addition to asking about his identity, he also asked about his whereabouts, Haman realized that the King wanted to locate him in order to mete out the proper judgment.
| 8 | When the King returned from the palace-garden to the house of the banquet of wine, Haman was falling on the couch upon which Esther was; then the King said: "Will he even do violence to the Queen before me in the house?" The word had just come out of the King's mouth, and they covered Haman's face.
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"The word had just come out of the King's mouth, and they covered Haman's face." (7:8)
QUESTION: The King uttered a few words, so why does it say, "hadavar" — "the word" — in singular and not "hadevarim" — "the words"?
ANSWER: The Torah writes that, "If a man will commit adultery with a man's wife [willfully], the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death" (
Vayikra 20:10). However, if she was forced and her objection would be to no avail, she is not liable and only he is put to death (Rambam,
Isurei Bei'ah 1:9). If so, when the King accused him of having a relationship with the Queen in the palace, and she had apparently not screamed, why was death not ordered for her too?
The reason is that the King said "lichbosh" — subdue and conquer. By using this word, he implied that he considered her an unwilling participant, and thus, only "the face of Haman was covered" and she was exonerated.
| 9 | Then said Charvonah, one of the chamberlains, before the King: "Behold, there is also the gallows, which Haman has made for Mordechai, who spoke good for the King, standing in the house of Haman, fifty cubits high." And the King said: "Hang him on it."
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"And Charvonah said." (7:9)
QUESTION: Why is Charvonah spelled here with a "hei" although when he is mentioned the first time (1:10) as one of the King's seven chamberlains, his name is spelled with an "alef" at the end?
ANSWER: According to the
Midrash Rabbah (10:9) it was not Charvonah personally who came to offer information, but the prophet Eliyahu, who disguised himself as Charvonah. According to
halachah (Shulchan Aruch, Even Ha'Ezer 129:34), when a secular name is transliterated into Hebrew it is written with an
"alef" at the end, unlike a Hebrew name, which is written with a
"hei" at the end. Thus, originally when we talk of Charvona the Gentile, his name is written with an
"alef." Now, however, that it was used by Eliyahu who was Jewish, it is written with a
"hei."
"And Charvonah said." (7:9)
QUESTION: Our Sages have ruled that one is required to say "Vegam Charvonah zachur latov" — "Charvonah, too, should be remembered for the good" (Midrash Rabbah 10:9). Since he personally did not do anything good, and it was only that Eliyahu appeared in his image (Midrash Rabbah 10:9), why should he receive any recognition?
ANSWER: When one does not have proper attire for a wedding and borrows it from a wealthy friend, it is proper etiquette upon returning to express appreciation and even bring the lender some dainties from the wedding repast. Since Eliyahu disguised himself as Charvonah and through this the hanging of Haman came about, even though Charvonah personally did nothing for the Jews, he is entitled to some honorable mention.
"Behold, there is also the gallows, which Haman made for Mordechai who spoke good for the King." (7:9)
QUESTION: When did Mordechai ever "speak good" for King Achashveirosh?
ANSWER: Haman's advisors told him to make a gallows and get the King's consent to hang Mordechai. Immediately, he hired one of the best carpenters in
Shushan Habirah and instructed him to build a 50-cubit-high pole. The carpenter was not aware of its purpose, but, knowing Haman's wealth, he made it of the most expensive wood and adorned it with gold.
Upon completion, he handed Haman a hefty bill. Somewhat surprised, he said to the carpenter, "Who ever heard of paying such a huge amount for a 50-cubit pole?" The carpenter replied, "Why don't you look at what I did, and then you will agree that my fee is reasonable." When Haman saw the golden pole, he became enraged and shouted, "I wanted this to serve as a gallows for Mordechai; the one you made is tov al hamelech — good for the King!"
Upon hearing from Charvonah that Haman said the gallows "is good for the King," Achashveirosh immediately bellowed, "hang him on it!"
"And Charvonah said, 'Behold there is also the gallows which Haman made for Mordechai... standing in the house of Haman fifty cubits high.' " (7:9)
QUESTION: The Gemara (Megillah 16a) says that Charvonah conspired with Haman to hang Mordechai. How is this derived?
ANSWER: There was a blind beggar who used to make his rounds with a little boy guiding him through the streets. One night before retiring to bed he counted his collection for the day and found that he had collected thirty coins. During the night the young boy stole his wallet. When the beggar arose and realized his misfortune, he cried bitterly. The young boy, frightened of the consequences, handed him the wallet, saying, "I found the thirty coins you lost." When the blind beggar heard this, he grabbed the boy and began to beat him. The boy sobbed; "I did you a favor; why are you beating me?" The beggar told him, "Obviously, you were the thief because otherwise how would you know that there were thirty coins in my wallet?"
Since Charvonah knew the exact dimensions of the gallows, obviously he was a partner in the plot.
"Standing in the house of Haman." (7:9)
QUESTION: Why did he emphasize that "it is standing in Haman's house"?
ANSWER: Charvonah was interested in intensifying Haman's iniquity. Therefore, he said to the King, "After seeing how indebted you considered yourself to Mordechai and your great admiration for him, he should have immediately dismantled the gallows that he prepared for him. Nevertheless, the gallows is still
omeid bebeit Haman — standing in Haman's house — which clearly indicates his disrespect for you."
"Fifty cubit high." (7:9)
QUESTION: Why was it necessary to mention the height of the gallows?
ANSWER: When Achashveirosh sobered up from his intoxication and learned that Vashti had been killed, he was very angry at his seven advisors and ordered that they be hung
(Manot Haleivi). If so, how is it that Haman was still around?
Haman was indeed hung together with the other advisors, but he miraculously fell down from the gallows alive. The law in Persia was that when a person was hung publicly and fell off the gallows, he could not be hung again for the same crime.
Achashveirosh was apprehensive about hanging Haman again lest he fall down again and remain alive. The alternative would be to kill him now by another method, but then his punishment for planning to hang Mordechai would not be "measure for measure." Therefore, Charvonah told him that the gallows was fifty cubits high (approximately 100 feet), and even if he would fall down, he would die from the fall or be so injured that he would remain crippled for life.
"Fifty cubits high." (7:9)
QUESTION: Why necessarily fifty cubits high?
ANSWER: The
Mishnah (
Bava Batra 2:9) rules that carcasses must be distanced fifty cubits away from the residential area of a city because of the unpleasant aroma. Haman made the gallows in the center of the city (7:9) so that Mordechai would be hung in public and everyone would be able to view his victory over Mordechai, who refused to recognize his authority. Therefore, he made it fifty cubits tall to avoid offending the residents of the city.
The expired body of a righteous person does not have a bad smell; however, the Gemara (Megillah 16a) derives from the words "ha'eitz asher heichin lo" — "the gallows that he prepared for him" (6:4) — that unknowingly he was preparing it for himself. Thus, this halachah definitely applies to his carcass, and therefore he made it fifty cubits high.
"Behold there is also the gallows which Haman made for Mordechai...And the King said, 'Hang him on it.' " (7:9)
QUESTION: In Charvonah's statement the word "gam" — "also" — is superfluous? In the King's statement the word "alav" — "on it" — is superfluous. Since the King was angry about the gallows that Haman made and ordered that he be hung, it is understood that he would be hung on his own gallows. Where else?
ANSWER: There is a rule that the word
"gam" is
lerabot — to indicate something additional (
Kiddushin 41a). Charvonah — Eliyahu the prophet — was alluding to the King that in addition to making a gallows to hang Mordechai, Haman had made it very tall because his plan was to also hang the King and his cabinet.
Since it is embarrassing to reveal to the public that an assassination attempt was planned for the King and his high ranking officials, the King ordered "teluhu" — "hang him!" (Haman) and that the explanation given to the public for Haman's hanging should be put "alav" — "on him" (Mordechai), i.e. because Haman aspired to hang the King's faithful friend — Mordechai.
| 10 | So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordechai, and the fury of the King abated.
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"So they hanged Haman on the gallows" (7:10)
QUESTION: How long was Haman in power?
ANSWER: Haman was in power for a total of seventy days; (see p. 46).
It is interesting to note that from the pasuk "After these days the King promoted Haman" (3:1) till "They hung Haman on the gallows" (7:10) there are a total of seventy pesukim, and the word "ha'eitz" — "the gallows" — has the numerical value of 165, which alludes to the name "Haman" — 95 — plus the seventy days of his reign.
The Jews suffered from Haman for seventy days as punishment for attending Achashveirosh's feast, at which they drank from the "royal wine which was in abundance" (1:7). The word "yayin" — "wine" — has the numerical value of seventy. Esther rectified this through inviting Achashveirosh and Haman to the "mishteh yayin" — "wine feast" (7:2) — and thus one is obligated on Purim to achieve a joyful state through drinking wine (see Megillah 7b, Rashi).
"And the fury of the King abated." (7:10)
QUESTION: Instead of "shachachah" (with two "chafs") it should have said "shachah"?
ANSWER: According to the
Midrash Rabbah, it was not only Mordechai who intervened on behalf of the Jewish people, but Moshe
Rabbeinu too. Thanks to his prayers the decree against them was nullified. (See p. 60). The word
"shachachah" with two
"chafs" has the numerical value of three hundred and forty-five, the same as the name "Moshe." With this spelling the
Megillah is alluding that the wrath of
Hamelech — Hashem, the King — subsided in merit of Moshe.
Alternatively, Achashveirosh never forgave Haman for persuading him to have Vashti executed. In addition, he was angry at Haman for trying to assault Esther while he was out in the palace garden. Now that Haman was hung, the repetition of the letter "chaf" indicates that the twofold anger of the King against him abated.
Chapter Six