Post date: Mar 19, 2019 4:8:19 AM
Ya’asu eitz gavo'ah chamishim amah
Let them make a gallows fifty cubits high
(5:14)
Of all the possible ways to have someone eliminated, why did Haman’s friends advise him to hang Mordechai on a gallows?
R. Yosef Zechariah Stern explains quite simply that hanging Mordechai from a high gallows would be a warning to the rest of the Jews. At a height of fifty amos, people from a fairly good distance would see Mordechai, and would understand that despite his prestige within the palace, his lack of compliance for royal edits was met with swift punishment. This would ensure continued compliance from the rest of the Jews, and dissuade any of them from being influenced by Mordechai’s rebellious conduct.
A different interpretation is offered by the Manos Halevi. He says that Haman’s friends wanted to avenge the deaths of Bigsan and Seresh. Those two had been hanged from gallows because of Mordechai. So to them it felt fitting to suggest that gallows be built for Mordechai now that it was time to finally see some justice.
A third idea is presented by the Melo Ha’omer, who tells us that Haman saw a vision in the stars, and he was not entirely certain of its meaning. In the vision, he perceived Mordechai to be higher than he in some way. Zeresh suggested that Haman should have Mordechai hanged so as to fulfill the vision of Mordechai being higher than Haman in that manner.
[Megillas Esther: The Answer Is..., p. 168]