Post date: Mar 13, 2011 2:3:8 AM
כִּי גָדוֹל מָרְדֳּכַי בְּבֵית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְשָׁמְעוֹ הוֹלֵךְ בְּכָל הַמְּדִינוֹת כִּי הָאִישׁ מָרְדֳּכַי הוֹלֵךְ וְגָדוֹל
Ki gadol Mordechai b’veis hamelech v’shum’oh holeich b’chol hamedinos
ki hu’eesh Mordechai holeich v’gadol
(9:4)
In some forms of government, there are three significant branches: Palace, State and War/Foreign Affairs.
We know that Mordechai was one of Achashveirosh’s closest advisors. However, the commentators here are telling us that he was more than just a royal advisor. Mordechai was actually part of the leadership of each branch.
Our Pasuk is telling us that:
Mordechai’s influence grew בְּבֵית הַמֶּלֶךְ (B’veis hamelech/in the palace)
his fame spread בְּכָל הַמְּדִינוֹת (B’chol hamedinos/among all of the countries), understood hear as matters of state,
because he was הוֹלֵךְ וְגָדוֹל (Holeich v’gadol/increasingly great) in matters of war and foreign conquest.
(Targum & Malbim)
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וּבְשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה הָרְגוּ הַיְּהוּדִים וְאַבֵּד חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת אִישׁ
U’v’Shushan habirah hurgoo Hu’yehudim v’Abeid chameish me’os ish
(9:6)
The term “אִישׁ” (Ish) used here is the same title used when describing other prominent people like Moshe (Bamidbar 12:3) and Mordechai (Esther 2:5). From this, we understand that the Jews didn’t kill at random within Shushan. Rather, they targeted 500 prominent people.
(Yosef Lekach)
We have another hint to their prominence in how the Pasuk describes where this took place. Had the Pasuk referred to the location as “שׁוּשָׁן עִיר” (Ir Shushan), we would have understood that as a reference to the entire city proper. However, the Pasuk uses the term “הַבִּירָה שׁוּשָׁן” (Shushan habirah) which is actually a reference to a more fortified section of the city surrounded by a river—The Capital.
(Artscroll Megillah)