Megillah, Daf Tet Zayin, Part 3
ויספר המן לזרש אשתו ולכל אהביו וגו‘, קרי להו אהביו וקרי להו חכמיו. – אמר רבי יוחנן: כל האומר דבר חכמה, אפילו באומות העולם – נקרא חכם.
"And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends" etc (Esther 6:13). They are first called "his friends" and then they are called "his wise men." R. Yohanan said: Whoever says a wise thing even among the nations of the world is called "wise."
Haman goes home and tells Zeresh and all of his friends how he was humiliated by Mordecai. R. Yohanan notes that no matter a person’s ethnicity, nationality or religion, if he says something wise, he is called wise. Haman’s friends indeed do give him some sage advice stay away from Mordecai. You can’t beat him.
אם מזרע היהודים מרדכי וגו‘, אמרו ליה: אי משאר שבטים קאתי – יכלת ליה, ואי משבט יהודה ובנימין ואפרים ומנשה – לא יכלת ליה. יהודה – דכתיב +בראשית מ"ט+ ידך בערף איביך, אינך – דכתיב בהו +תהלים פ‘+ לפני אפרים ובנימן ומנשה עוררה את גבורתך.
"If Mordecai be of the seed of the Judah." They said to him: If he comes from the other tribes, you could prevail over him, but if he is from the tribe of Judah or of Benjamin, Ephraim or Manasseh, you will not prevail over him. "Judah" as it is written, "Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies" (Genesis 49:8). The others, because it is written of them, "Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up your might" (Psalms 80:3).
Haman’s friends say that if Mordecai is a Jew then Haman will not be able to prevail. The word "Jew" could also mean "from the tribe of Judah." The midrash then notes that there are three tribes that have special military powers over the nations of the world Judah, Ephraim, Benjamin and Manesseh. If Mordecai is from one of these, then Haman will not be able to defeat him.
+אסתר ו‘+ כי נפל תפול לפניו, דרש רבי יהודה בר אלעאי: שתי נפילות הללו למה? אמרו לו: אומה זו משולה לעפר ומשולה לכוכבים. כשהן יורדין – יורדין עד עפר, וכשהן עולין – עולין עד לכוכבים.
"But falling you shall fall."
R. Judah b. Ila’i expounded: Why are two fallings mentioned here? Haman’s friends said to him: This people is compared to the dust and it is compared to the stars. When they go down, they go down to the dust, and when they rise they rise to the stars.
R. Judah b. Ilai picks up on the repetition of the word "fall" (this is normal biblical syntax but susceptible to midrash). The people of Israel are likened to dust and stars (see Genesis 13:16 and 15:5). When they fall, they fall hard, all the way to the dust of the earth. But when they rise, they soar to the stars. Since Israel had already begun rising when Haman was humiliated by Mordecai, Haman should be able to count on them continuing to rise.
+אסתר ו‘+ וסריסי המלך הגיעו ויבהלו – מלמד שהביאוהו בבהלה.
"The king’s eunuchs came and hastened [va-yavhilu] to bring Haman" (Esther 6:14): The use of this word [va-yavhilu] tells us that they brought him all in confusion [behalah].
In Esther the word "va-yavhilu" means hastened. But in rabbinic Hebrew it can mean with great confusion. Commentators explain that the haste led to him still being dirty from the chamber pot dumped on his head.
כי נמכרנו אני ועמי וגו‘ כי אין הצר שוה בנזק המלך. אמרה לו: צר זה אינו שוה בנזק של מלך: איקני בה בושתי – וקטלה, השתא איקני בדידי – ומבעי למקטלי.
For we have been sold, I and my people etc . . . For the adversary is not worth the damage to the king" (Esther 7:4). She said to him: This adversary cares not for the damage of the king. He was angry with Vashti and killed her, and he is angry with me and wants to kill me.
Esther warns Ahashverosh that Haman doesn’t care how much damage he does to Ahashverosh. This is evidenced by the fact that he already got Vashti killed due to his jealousy.
ויאמר המלך אחשורוש ויאמר לאסתר המלכה, ויאמר ויאמר למה לי? – אמר רבי אבהו: בתחלה על ידי תורגמן, כיון דאמרה ליה: מדבית שאול קאתינא – מיד ויאמר לאסתר המלכה.
"Then King Ahashverosh said, and he said to Esther the queen." Why "said" and again "said"? R. Abbahu said: He first spoke to her through an intermediary. When she told him that she came from the house of Saul, he immediately,"said to Esther the queen."
R. Abahu picks up on the strange repetition of the word "said." He interprets that at first, Ahashverosh refused to speak directly to Esther, for he did not know her lineage. When she told him that she was of royal lineage, from the house of Saul, he spoke to her, addressing her as Queen Esther.
ותאמר אסתר איש צר ואויב המן הרע הזה אמר רבי אלעזר: מלמד שהיתה מחווה כלפי אחשורוש, ובא מלאך וסטר ידה כלפי המן.
"And Esther said, An adversary and an enemy, this wicked Haman."
R. Eleazar said: This informs us that she was pointing to Ahashverosh and an angel came and pushed her hand so as to point to Haman.
R. Elazar picks up on how strange it is that she first says, "adversary, and an enemy." Why shouldn’t she just say "this wicked Haman"?
The answer is that at first she wanted to accuse Ahashverosh of being the wicked one. Perhaps she just had so much pent up anger at him that she could not hold back. After all, it was his fault for agreeing to Haman’s wicked plot. Of course, had she accused Ahashverosh he would have killed her and she would not have been able to save the Jews.