Megillah

We admit that [some of] those [eight] mentioned above are expressly described [as prophets],1 but how do we know that their fathers2 [were prophets]? — From the dictum of ‘Ulla; for ‘Ulla said: Wherever a man's name is given along with that of his father as the author of a prophecy3 we know that he was a prophet son of a prophet. Where his own name is given but not that of his father, we know that he was a prophet but not the son of a prophet. Where his name and the name of his town are specified, we know that he came from that town — Where his name is given but not that of his town, we know that he was from Jerusalem — In a Baraitha it was stated: If nothing is known about the character of a man or of his ancestors,4 and the Scripture mentions any one of them in connection with a praiseworthy action, as for instance, The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah,5 we may know that he was a righteous man son of a righteous man; and wherever the Scripture mentions any one of them in connection with a reprehensible action, as for instance, And it came to pass in the seventh month that Ishmael the son....of Elishama came,6 we may know that he was a wicked man son of a wicked man. R. Nahman7 said: Malachi is the same as Mordecai. Why was he called Malachi? Because he was next to the king.8 The following was cited in objection to this: ‘Baruch the son of Neriah and Serayah the son of Mahseyah and Daniel and Mordecai, Bilshan, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi all prophesied in the second year of Darius’! — This is a refutation. It has been taught: R. Joshua b. Korha said: Malachi is the same as Ezra, and the Sages say that Malachi was his proper name. R. Nahman said: There is good ground for accepting the view that Malachi was the same as Ezra. For it is written in the prophecy of Malachi, Judah hath dealt treacherously and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loveth and hath married the daughter of a strange God.9 And who was it that put away the strange women? Ezra, as it is written, And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam answered and said unto Ezra: We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women.10 The Rabbis taught: There have been four women of surpassing beauty in the world — Sarah, Rahab, Abigail and Esther. According to the one who says that Esther was sallow,11 Vashti should be inserted in place of Esther. Our Rabbis taught: Rahab inspired lust by her name; Jael by her voice; Abigail by her memory; Mical daughter of Saul by her appearance. R. Isaac said: Whoever says. ‘Rahab, Rahab’, at once has an issue. Said R. Nahman to him: I say Rahab, Rahab, and nothing happens to me! He replied: I was speaking of one who knows her and is intimate with her. Now when Mordecai knew all that was done12 [etc.]. What [was his cry]? — Rab said: He said, ‘Haman has raised himself above Ahasuerus’; Samuel said, ‘The upper king has prevailed over the lower king’.13 And the queen was exceedingly pained [wa-tithhalhal].14 What is the meaning of wa-tithhalhal?15 — Rab said: It means that she became menstruous; R. Jeremiah said that her bowels were loosened. And Esther called Hatach.16 Rab said: Hatach is the same as Daniel. Why was he called Hatach? Because he was degraded [hataku-hu] from his position.17 Samuel said, Because all affairs of state were decided [nehtakim] by his voice. To know what this was and why this was.16 R. Isaac said: She sent to him saying. Perhaps Israel have transgressed the five books of the Torah, in which is written, On this side and on this they were written.18 And they told Mordecai Esther's words.19 But Hatach did not go to him on this occasion.20 This shows us that a recalcitrant answer21 need not be taken back [by the messenger].22 Go, gather together all the Jews . . . which is not according to the custom.23 R. Abba said: It will not be [she said] according to the custom of every other day. Till now [I have associated with Ahasuerus] under compulsion, but now I will do so of my own will. And if I perish, I perish.23 As I am lost to my father's house so I shall be lost to thee.24 And Mordecai passed [wa-ya'abor].25 Rab said: This indicates that he made the first day of Passover pass26 as a fast day. Samuel said: It indicates that he crossed a stream [on that day].27 Now it came to pass on the third day that Esther put on royalty.28 Surely it should say, ‘royal apparel’? — R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Hanina: This tells us that the holy spirit clothed her. It is written here, ‘and she put on’, and it is written elsewhere, And a spirit clothed Amasai. 29 R. Eleazar b. Hanina also said: Let not the blessing of an ordinary man be lightly esteemed in thine eyes, for two men great in their generation received from ordinary men blessings which were fulfilled in them. They were, David and Daniel. David was blessed by Araunah, as it is written, And Araunah said unto the king, The Lord thy God accept thee.30 Daniel was blessed by Darius, as it is written ‘ Thy God whom thou servest continually, He will deliver thee.31 R. Eleazar further said in the name of R. Hanina: Let not the curse of an ordinary man be lightly esteemed in thine eyes, because Abimelech cursed Sarah, saying, Behold he is to thee a covering of the eyes,32 and this was fulfilled in her seed, [as it says], And it came to pass that when Isaac was old his eyes were dim.33 R. Eleazar further said in the name of R. Hanina: Come and observe that the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like the way of flesh and blood — The way of flesh and blood is that a man places a pot on the fire and then pours water into it, but God first puts in the water and then fixes the pot, to fulfil what is written, At the sound of his giving a multitude of waters in the heavens. 34 R. Eleazar further said in the name of R. Hanina: Whoever reports a saying in the name of its originator brings deliverance to the world, as it says, And Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.35 R. Eleazar further said in the name of R. Hanina: When a righteous man dies, he dies only for his own generation.36 It is with him as with a man who loses a pearl. Wherever it is, it remains a pearl,37 and is lost only to its owner. Yet all this availeth me nothing.38 R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Hanina: Because he saw Mordecai sitting in the king's gate, was this any reason why he should say, ‘All this availeth me nothing’? The explanation is in the dictum of R. Hisda; for R. Hisda said: The one came [to the court] as a counsellor39 and the other therefore presumably prophets also (Rashi). legitimate husband, according to the law which forbids a wife to her husband where she had relations of her own free will with another man.] ‘transgressed’, cf. Targum a.I.: ‘and he transgressed the joy of the feast of Passover’.] The order for the destruction of the Jews was given in Susa on the thirteenth day of Nisan, and the Jews fasted the next three days. tributary of the Tigris. V. Obermeyer, p. 214.] dictum of R. Eleazar in the name of R. Hanina.