Post date: Feb 22, 2013 7:16:36 AM
Divar malchus
A royal edict
(1:19)
Vashti refuses to appear when summoned. But she doesn’t simply send a message of refusal. She has the messengers relay a heap of personal insults at Achashveirosh. When Achashveirosh consults with his experts about how to deal with her, the pasuk employs the phrase ‘Divar hamelech.’ Six pesukim later when Haman proposes that Achashveirosh proclaim that Vashti never be seen again by the king, the phrase used is the less personal ‘Divar malchus.’
Zvi Fleisher opines that by not stating that the proclamation was a response to the degradation of his own, personal honor (Divar hamelech), but rather out of respect for the honor of his position (Divar malchus), he gave the appearance of caring for the prestige of the throne and not that of his own ego.
The Alshich makes a similar contrast between these same phrases, but takes a slightly different angle. He explains that until this time, royal edicts were always presented to the king’s royal cabinet before ratification. As the pasuk said earlier ‘Ki chein divar hamelech lifnei kol yodei das vadin’ (so was the king’s custom to present the case before all who know law and judgment). But in our pasuk, Memuchan suggested that this proclamation come directly from the king in order to impress upon the masses not only Achashveirosh’s authority, but also to maximize the effectiveness of the proclamation. We see this from our pasuk in the phrase ‘Yeitzei divar malchus milfanav’ (let there go forth a royal edict from him). It should come from the king, directly from the king, and only from the king.
[Zvi Fleisher @ ShemaYisrael.com]
Vayasar hamelech es tabato…vayitna
l’Haman ben Hamdusu ha’Agagi tzoreir hayehudim
And so the king took his signet ring…and gave it
to Haman the son of Hamdusu the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews
(3:10)
From this Pasuk we can see that Achashveirosh truly was evil, and a full partner with Haman in his plan to get rid of the Jews. Haman didn’t even ask the king for his ring, yet Achashveirosh offered it to him.
Zvi Fleisher also points out that our pasuk mentions Haman’s pedigree (Haman the son of Hamdusu the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews) to show us that Achashveirosh knew perfectly well who he was giving his ring to. Haman’s intentions were crystal clear to Achashveirosh, and Achashveirosh wanted to clear anything that might impede Haman’s progress along the way. Haman wasn’t the only villain, and the Megillah is making sure that we are aware of this.
[Zvi Fleisher @ ShemaYisrael.com]