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Megillat Esther: An Introduction
Insights To The Megilla
Audio Megilla ReadingDo You Believe In Miracles?
Faith & Commitment
The 'Hidden' Message Of Purim Jewish Unity
Women Heroines: Esther & Purim
Jews & Antisemitism Behind The Mask: Insights Into Purim
Achashverosh and Haman came to feast (lit.to drink) with Esther. At the second feast, Achashverosh again asked Esther what he could grant her.
Another miracle occurred. In the first banquet, there was no mention of drinking. Here both men, who were miserable for different reasons, drowned their sorrows in drink. This put Haman off-balance and made the king regain a receptive mood to Esther.
Esther requests that her life be granted, and then petitions also that the life of her people be spared. She elaborates, that her people have been condemned to die. Achashverosh starts and says, "Who is this who set his heart to do this?"
Esther makes light of her personal safety, calling it a "request", whereas her petition is for her people. She takes this tact knowing that the king would certainly defend her - what she is really asking for is for her people.
Esther points her finger, "An adversary and an enemy - this wicked Haman!" And Haman trembles in front of the king and queen.
Esther points out that Haman has only acted with his own interests in mind. If he sought the stability of the kingdom, he could have sold the Jews as slaves, or taxed them. Instead his intent was pure destruction, regardless that it could be bad for the empire.
Haman was paralyzed. Alone with either of them, he could have tried to beg for mercy - "Oh, I didn't know you were a Jew!" or "The Jews besides Esther are evil," etc. With them both in the room, he had no answer to the accusation.
The king stomps out of the room in anger to cool off. Haman throws himself down on the couch before the queen to beg for his life. When the king returns to see him practically laying on the queen his rage is complete - "What -- he would assault the queen while I'm in the house?!" They covered Haman's face and the chamberlain Charbonah mentions that Haman had just erected a huge gallows to kill Mordechai. The king sends him to be hung.
Haman attempts to salvage the situation when the king runs out, but further implicates himself.
Achashverosh gives Haman's estate to Esther. He removed the royal signet ring from Haman and gave it to Mordechai.
Now that Haman was killed, and the king's anger was abated, Mordechai and Esther were afraid that this oppotune moment might pass with them only having won their own safety.
Esther throws herself on the floor before the king to plead to counteract the decree against the Jews.
She empahsizes that she will never survive their destruction, to ensure the king's sympathy.
King Achashverosh gave out his signet ring to Mordechai and allowed him to issue a decree to counteract Haman's. Mordechai's edict allowed Jews the right to self-defense, including plunder of spoils. After the decree went out, Mordechai went forth in royal robes, and the Jews rejoiced. Many gentiles professed to be Jews, as they were struck with fear of the Jews.
Mordechai's status as a sage grew, confirming his earlier diagnosis of the causes for the evil decree. As the Jews rejoiced, "Kimu v'kiblu haYehudim" - the Jews confirmed and undertook. They reaffirmed their commitment to the Torah, in particular the oral tradition. (Talmud, Shabbat 88a)
The Jews rose up on the 13th of Adar, when the first edict of the destruction of the Jews went into effect, and fought back against their enemies. They killed 800 in Shushan and 75,000 in the rest of the empire.
The Megilla stresses that the Jews fought only against their enemies -- those that wanted to destroy them. It emphasizes that spoils were not taken, although Mordechai's decree allowed it (8:11). They instead donated the booty to the king's treasury, in part to pacify him, and also to show that their war was one of defense, and not motivated by greed.
This also atoned for the Israelite's sin of taking plunder in an earlier war against Amalek (Samuel I, 15).
Mordechai and Esther issue letters that detail the events of the Purim story and declare a holiday to be observed from that point onwards. Their letters are sent out to the Jews throughout the kingdom.
The observances of Purim (sending of portions - Mishloach manot - and gifts to the poor - matanot l'evyonim) were designed to enhance Jewish unity - which remains an important merit for the Jewish people. The feasting commemorated both their physical salvation and the banquets that were central to the Purim story.
Achashverosh levied taxes on the mainlands and islands. Mordechai was popular with most of the Jewish nation, and remained the king's viceroy. He sought the good of his people and the welfare of his seed.
Life in the kingdom prospered under Mordechai's influence, but there were some within the Sanhedrin that separated from him, since he was so involved with politics that he neglected his Torah studies.
Postscript: Within a few years, Achashverosh died, and Esther's son, Darius, ascended the throne, although he ruled with a regent. Darius issued the decree enabling the Jews to return to Israel and rebuild the Temple. Mordechai donated monies appropriated from Haman's fortune to their efforts.
