Post date: Feb 21, 2021 7:27:40 AM
“Gidal Hamelch Achashveirosh es Haman”
The King Achashveirosh promoted Haman
(3:1)
The third Perek begins with the news that Achashveirosh gave Haman a promotion after the foiled assassination attempt by Bigsan and Seresh detailed at the end of the second Perek. What did the assassination attempt have to do with Haman that would have caused him to have been given an elevated status by Achashveirosh? There are various explanations.
The Malbim and the Manos Haleivi both offer similar ideas. They explain that after Achashveirosh’s life was saved, he wished to reward Haman (aka, Memuchan) for suggesting that he get rid of Vashti and for suggesting that he hold a pageant for a new queen, since all of this led to his marrying Esther who was the one who warned him of the assassination plot.
The Ma’amar Mordechai says that Achashveirosh feared that there might be rebels who would attempt to overthrown him, especially after the assassination attempt by Bigsan and Seresh. His biggest related fear was with Haman because of the power he held. He figured that the best way to get on Haman’s good side was to attempt to placate him with prestige and honor (oh, and more power too).
The Milloh HaOmer is of the opinion that Hashem caused Achashveirosh to elevate Haman’s stature so that Haman would have the power to issue his decree of annihilation which would cause the Jews to turn to Hashem in repentance.
The Maharal takes a more dramatic approach. He explains that Haman’s spite for the Jews started way earlier than the story contained within the Megillah. In fact, Haman’s hatred for the Jews was apparent when he stopped the rebuilding effort of the Beis Hamikdash. At that point he was more than deserving of Divine punishment. However, he wasn’t very well known, so his death at that time would not have made the front page of the Shushan Times (let alone the Paras Post, Madai Monitor, Hodu Herald or the Kush Chronicle). Instead, Hashem built him up into a figure of prominence. Only once he was known the world over did Hashem mete out the punishment that he had coming to him, and he was hung out (literally) to dry for all to see in a most public spectacle.
[Megillas Esther: The Answer Is…, p. 80]
Posted 2/21/21