Post date: Feb 27, 2017 4:59:9 AM
“Ki higid lahem asher hu Yehudi”
For they told him that he was a Jew
(3:4)
The background to Mordechai and Haman’s relationship is brought down. In short, they were both generals in Achashveirosh’s army. While Mordechai was careful to ration his group’s food, Haman allowed his group to eat as much as they want. It didn’t take long before Haman’s group ran out of food, and the prospect of admitting to his band of low class soldiers that he had nothing for them was frightening to Haman. In fact, Haman was so terrified at the prospect of doing so, that he approached Mordechai to ask that he share his rations, to which Mordechai denied the request. Haman pleaded with Mordechai to the point of offering anything in return for not having to return to his group empty handed. Mordechai ultimately agreed on the condition that Haman become Mordechai’s personal slave. The agreement was made, and the contract was written and signed on Mordechai’s boot. Hence forth, whenever Haman encountered Mordechai and showed displeasure at Mordechai’s lack of subservience to him, Mordechai simply help up his foot to display the contract to Haman that was written on his boot. (This might be the origination of the middle-eastern insult of showing someone your shoe.)
The Chassam Sofer explains that Haman was an Eved Cna’ani to Mordechai. An Eved Cna’ani has a Bris Milah and is required to perform Mitzvos in the same manner that a woman is required to do so. And when such an Eved is freed from his servitude, he becomes required to perform all Mitzvos just as a man. So, really an Eved C’na’ani is Jewish! When Achashveirosh’s servants told Haman “Ki higid lahem asher hu Yehudi,” they were relaying that Mordechai had told the servants that Haman was a Jew!
Showing Haman his boot was a two-fold message: (1) You’re my slave, and (2) you are a Jew! No one could have been more insulted and enraged to have been called a Jew.
[Inside Purim, p. 155]