Post date: Mar 12, 2017 6:24:36 AM
Yehi Ratzon Milfanecha…
“Vata’an Eshter Hamalka Vatomar im matzasi chein b’einecha Hamelech v’im al Hamelech tov”
And Esther the Queen responded and said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, O King, and if it pleases the King”
(7:3)
At the second of Esther’s parties with Achashveirosh and Haman, Esther prepared herself for presenting her request to Achashveirosh. While the simple understanding of this Pasuk is that she was beginning her request to Achashveirosh with these words, Targum offers that Esther was in fact davening to Hashem with these words right before beginning her conversation with Achashveirosh.
[Megillas Esther: The Answer Is..., p. 195]
Fake news
“Ki nimkarnu ani v’ami”
For we have been sold, I and my people
(7:4)
The Chasam Sofer tells us that originally Achashveirosh rejected Haman’s plan to wipe out the Jews because he was concerned about the political backlash from such an evil plan. Although he eventually agreed to let Haman plan a day of Jewish genocide, he stipulated that Haman not discuss their conversation with anyone. How shocked Achashveirosh must have been when Esther made mentioned about the money he and Haman had discussed when she said “For we have been sold!” His fury immediately raged for who else could have leaked that information to Esther besides Haman. (And who else besides Esther did his now untrustworthy minister share this private information with!?)
We know that Haman offered Achashveirosh 10,000 Shekalim for the right to annihilate the Jews. But the Megilah tells us that Achashveirosh refused the payment. R. Yonasan Eibeshitz explains that Achashveirosh didn’t want people to say that he had been involved in such a horrible event. However, when Esther said, “we have been sold,” he thought that Haman had been telling everyone that he had in fact accepted the bribe of 10,000 Shekalim in exchange for allowing the genocide, and this infuriated him.
[Megillas Esther: The Answer Is..., p. 196]
You’re fired!
“Ki chalsa eilav hara’ah mei’eis hamelech”
For evil had been determined against him by the King
(7:7)
After Esther leveled her accusation against Haman, Achashveirosh went to his garden for a moment to let it all sink in. Haman could see that everything was crumbling around him, and he pleaded with Esther, making a final attempt to save himself before the inevitable, as our Pasuk says, “For evil had been determined against him by the King.” The Yalkut Me’am Loez explains that the term King refers to Hashem. Hashem was angry with Haman, and He caused Achashveirosh to be angry with Haman too in order to eliminate him from the world.
[Megillas Esther: The Answer Is..., p. 206]
Timely information
“Vayomer Charvonah…hinei ha’eitz asher asah Haman l’Mordechai asher diber tov al Hamelech”
And Charvonah said…the gallows that Haman made for Mordechai who spoke good for the King
(7:9)
Achashveirosh returned from his garden to Esther’s party find Haman in a questionable position too close to Esther, to which he accused Haman of attempting to assault her. The chamberlains immediately cover Haman’s face, as is done when execution has been ordered by the King. Suddenly, Charvonah pops into the picture (coincidence or Hashgacha Pratis, Divine oversight?) and offers information about Haman’s gallows that are within sight. Although Charvonah was trying to provide Achashveirosh with helpful information, his words disturbed the King. The Likutei Yehoshua shares two interpretations of what happened here.
The first is that Charvonah was explaining why Haman hated Mordechai; namely that Mordechai “spoke good for the King.” Anyone can plainly see why that would agitate Achashveirosh.
The second interpretation requires a little massaging of the phraseology. He explains that Charvonah said that the gallows that Haman made for Mordechai, Haman said is good for the King!
Following either interpretation, at that point Achashveirosh had had enough of Haman.
[Megillas Esther: The Answer Is..., p. 212]
String ‘im up
“Vayomer Hamelech tiluhu alav”
The King said, “Hang him on it”
(7:9)
Esther’s second party was a disaster for Haman, as it ended with him being hanged on his own gallows. But once Achashveirosh decided that he had had enough of Haman, what was the urgency in executing him such that they wasted no time at all in carrying out his punishment?
The Yalkut Me’am Loez informs us that Achashveirosh knew that Haman was a sneaky person. He knew that Haman would try every possible trick to avoid (or at least delay) his execution, and Achashveirosh wasn’t having any of that.
The Divrei Shaul tells us that Achashveirosh had considered Haman his loyal and trusted viceroy, and assumed that he had been acting for the benefit of the King and the kingdom. In fact, one of Haman’s selling points to Achashveirosh was that “it is not befitting the King to tolerate them.” But now this was all in question. Consider the following: Haman decided to kill Mordechai simply because he refused to stand up when Haman walked by. Not only that, but Haman even built a gallows without as much as consulting with Achashveirosh about doing so. It suddenly became very clear that Haman was in fact acting for his own honor and not on behalf of the King. That being case, Achashveirosh had him executed immediately. After such selfish behavior and after such trickery at the king’s expense, there was nothing to talk about, and therefore no reason to delay the inevitable.
[Megillas Esther: The Answer Is..., p. 215]