Megillah

as an envoy.1 R. Papa said: They also called him, The slave that was sold for loaves of bread .2 Yet all this availeth me nought. This tells us that all the treasures of that wretch were engraved on his heart, and when he saw Mordecai sitting in the king's gate he said, Yet all this3 availeth me nought. R. Eleazar further said in the name of R. Hanina: God will in the time to come be a crown on the head of every righteous man, as it is said, In that day shall the Lord of Hosts be for a crown of glory4 etc. What is meant by a ‘crown of glory’ [zebi] and a ‘diadem [zefirath] of beauty’? For them that do his will [zibyono] and who await [mezapin] his glory. Shall He be so to all? [Not so]. since it says, ‘unto the residue of [lish'ar] his people’: that is, to whoever makes of himself a mere residue [shirayim]. ‘And for a spirit of judgment’: this indicates one who brings his inclination to trial.5 ‘To him that sitteth in judgment’: this indicates one who gives a true verdict on true evidence.6 ‘And for strength’: this indicates one who subdues his evil passions.7 ‘That turn back the battle’: this indicates those who thrust and parry8 in the war of the Torah. ‘At the gate’: these are the disciples of the wise who are early and late in synagogues and houses of study. Said the Attribute of Justice9 before the Holy One, blessed be He: Why this difference between these and the others? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Israel busy themselves with the Torah, the other nations do not busy themselves with the Torah — He replied to Him, But these also reel through wine, and stagger through strong drink, they totter in judgment10 [paku peliliyah]; and ‘paku’ contains a reference to Gehinnom, as it says, that this shall be no stumbling-block [pukah] to thee;11 and ‘peliliyah’ contains a reference to the judges, as it says. and he shall pay as the judges determine [bi-felilim]. 12 And stood in the inner court of the king's house.13 R. Levi said: When she reached the chamber of the idols, the Divine Presence left her. She said, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.14 Dost thou perchance punish the inadvertent offence15 like the presumptuous one, or one done under compulsion like one done willingly? Or is it because I called him ‘dog’, as it says. Deliver my soul from the sword, mine only one from the power of the dog?16 She straightway retracted and called him lion, as it says. Save me from the lion's mouth.17 And it was so when the king saw Esther the queen.18 R. Johanan said: Three ministering angels were appointed to help her at that moment; one to make her head19 erect, a second to endow her with charm20 and a third to stretch the golden sceptre. How much [was it stretched]? — R. Jeremiah said: It was two cubits long and he made it twelve cubits — Some say, sixteen, and some again twenty-four. In a Baraitha it was stated, sixty. So too you find with the arm of the daughter of Pharaoh,21 and so you find with the teeth of the wicked, as it is written, Thou hast broken [shibarta] the teeth of the wicked,22 and Resh Lakish said in regard to this, Read not shibarta but shirbabta [Thou hast prolonged]. Rabbah b. ‘Ofran said in the name of R. Eleazar who had it from his teacher, who had it from his teacher, [that the sceptre was stretched] two hundred [cubits]. And the king said to her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? For whatever thy request, even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be given thee.23 ‘Half the kingdom’, but not the whole kingdom. and not a thing which would divide the kingdom.24 What could that be? The building of the Temple. Let the king and Haman come unto the banquet.25 Our Rabbis taught: What was Esther's reason for inviting Haman? — R. Eleazar said, She set a trap for him, as it says. Let their table before them become a snare.26 R. Joshua said: She learnt to do so from her father's house, as it says. If thine enemy be hungry give him bread to eat, etc.27 R. Meir said, So that he should not form a conspiracy28 and rebel. R. Judah said: So that they should not discover that she was a Jewess.29 R. Nehemiah said: So that Israel should not say, We have a sister in the palace, and so should neglect30 [to pray for] mercy. R. Jose said: So that he should always be at hand for her.31 R. Simeon b. Menassiah said: [She said], Perhaps the Omnipresent will notice32 and do a miracle for us. R. Joshua b. Korha said: [She said], I will encourage him so that he may be killed, both he and I.33 Rabban Gamaliel said: [She said]. Ahasuerus is a changeable king.34 Said R. Gamaliel: We still require the Modean,35 as it has been taught: R. Eliezer of Modi'im says, She made the king jealous of him and she made the princes jealous of him. Rabbah said: [She said], Pride goeth before destruction.36 Abaye and Raba gave the same reason, saying: [She said], With their poison I will prepare their feast.37 Rabbah b. Abbuha came across Elijah and said to him, Which of these reasons prompted Esther to act as she did? He replied: [All] the reasons given by all the Tannaim and all the Amoraim. And Haman recounted unto them the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children.38 How many are indicated by ‘the multitude of his children’? — Rab said: Thirty. Ten died, ten were hung, and ten were reduced to beggary. The Rabbis, however, said: Those who were reduced to beggary numbered seventy, as it says, They that were full [sebe'im] have hired themselves out for bread.39 Read not sebe'im, but shib'im [seventy]. Rami b. Abba said: In all they were two hundred and eight, as it says, And the multitude [we-rob] of his sons. But we-rob in gematria40 is two hundred and fourteen?41 — R. Nahman b. Isaac said: The word is written defectively.42 On that night the sleep of the king was disturbed.43 R. Tanhun said: The sleep of the King of the Universe was disturbed. The Rabbis, however, say: Those above44 were disturbed and those below45 were disturbed. Raba said: It means literally ‘the sleep of king Ahasuerus. A thought occurred to him: What is the meaning of Esther inviting Haman? Perhaps they are conspiring46 against me to kill me? He thought again: If that is so, is there no man who is my friend and who would tell me? Then he thought again: Perhaps there is some man who has done me a good turn and I have not rewarded him; and therefore men refrain from informing me. Straightway, he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles.43 And they were read.43 This [form of expression]47 indicates that they were read of themselves. And it was found [being] written.48 It should say, a writing [kethab] was found? — This shows Persia to ask permission for the Jews to rebuild the Temple, v. Jast. [Rashi: One (Mordecai) came as a rich man, the other (Haman) as a debtor. Haman according to the legend had sold himself during one of the wars as a slave to Mordecai for a loaf of bread.] ‘measures’). and those of Justice and Mercy are often personified. ‘she sent her handmaid’)