Megillah

For Raba b. Mehasia said in the name of R. Hami b. Guria, who said it in the name of Rab: Through two sela's weight of fine silk which Jacob gave to Joseph over what he gave to his brothers, a ball was set rolling and our ancestors eventually went down to Egypt! — R. Benjamin b. Japhet said: He gave him a hint that a descendant would issue from him who would go forth before a king in five royal garments, as it says, And Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue etc.1 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck.2 How many necks3 had Benjamin? — R. Eleazar said: He wept for the two Temples which were destined to be in the territory of Benjamin4 and to be destroyed. And Benjamin wept upon his neck:2 he wept for the tabernacle of Shiloh which was destined to be in the territory of Joseph and to be destroyed. And behold your eyes see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin.5 R. Eleazar said: He said to them: Just as I bear no malice against my brother Benjamin who had no part in my selling, so I have no malice against you. That it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. As my mouth is, so is my heart. And to his father he sent in like manner ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt.6 What are ‘the good things of Egypt’? R. Benjamin b. Japhet said in the name of R. Eleazar: He sent him [old] wine which old men find very comforting.7 And his brethren also went and fell down before him.8 R. Benjamin b. Japhet said in the name of R. Eleazar: This bears out the popular saying, A fox in its hour — bow down to it. [You compare Joseph to] a fox! Where was his inferiority to his brothers? Rather if this was said [by R. Eleazar] it was applied as follows: And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head.9 R. Benjamin b. Japhet said in the name of R. Eleazar; A fox in its hour — bow down to it.10 And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.11 R. Benjamin b. Japhet said in the name of R. Eleazar: This tells us that he spoke to them words which greatly reassured them,12 [saying], If ten lights were not able to put out one, how can one light put out ten? The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honour.13 Rab Judah said: ‘Light’ means the Torah,14 and so it says. For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah is a light.15 ‘Gladness’ means a feast day; and so it says, And thou shalt be glad in thy feast.16 ‘Joy’ means circumcision; and so it says, I rejoice at thy word.17 ‘Honour’ means the phylacteries, and so it says, And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon thee, and they shall be afraid of thee;18 and it has been taught: R. Eleazar the Great says that this refers to the phylactery of the head. And Parshandatha . . . the ten sons of Haman.19 R. Adda from Joppa said: The ten sons of Haman and the word ‘ten’ [which follows] should be said20 in one breath. What is the reason? Because their souls all departed together. R. Johanan said: The waw of waizatha must be lengthened like a boat-pole of the river Libruth.21 What is the reason? Because they were all strung on one pole. R. Shila, a man of Kefar Temarta, drew a lesson from this saying, All the songs [in Scripture] are written in the form of a half brick over a whole brick,22 and a whole brick22 over a half brick,23 with the exception of this one and the list of the kings of Canaan24 which are written in the form of a half brick over a half brick and a whole brick over a whole brick.25 What is the reason? So that they should never rise again from their downfall. And the king said to the queen, In Shushan the castle the Jews have slain . . .26 The mode of expression informs us that an angel came and slapped him on his mouth.27 But when she came before the king, he said along with the letter.28 ‘He said’? It should be, ‘she said’! — R. Johanan said: She said, Let there be said by word of mouth what is written in the letter.29 Words of peace and truth.30 R. Tanhum said: [or, according to some, R. Assi]: This shows that the Megillah requires to be written on ruled lines, like the true essence of the Torah.31 And the ordinance of Esther confirmed.32 Only the ordinance of Esther and not the words of the fastings? — R. Johanan said: We must read thus: The words of the fastings [and their cry] and the ordinance of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim.33 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and accepted of the majority of his brethren.34 Of the majority of his brethren but not of all his brethren; this informs us that some members of the Sanhedrin separated from him.35 R. Joseph said: The study of the Torah is superior to the saving of life. For at first Mordecai was reckoned next after four, but afterwards next after five. At first it is written, Who came with Zerubabel, [namely] Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan,36 and subsequently it is written, Who came with Zerubabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan.37 Rab — or, some say. R. Samuel b. Martha — said: The study of the Torah is superior to the building of the Temple, for as long as Baruch b. Neriah was alive Ezra would not leave him to go up to the land of Israel.38 Rabbah said in the name of R. Isaac b. Samuel b. Martha: The study of the Torah is superior to the honouring of father and mother. For, for the fourteen years that Jacob spent in the house of Eber, he was not punished, since a Master has said: follows as being based upon the supposed difference in the grammatical form. the neck is simply taken as allusion to the Temple.] Abraham that he should circumcise his son, Gen. XVII, 9. occupied in each case by the writing. (which is called ‘letter’) should be read aloud. How he derives this lesson from the text is not clear. connection with the dedication of the Temple which is reckoned by the Talmud to have taken place twenty-four years later (v. Rashi); and the incident of Purim is supposed to have taken place in the interval.