the biblical book of Esther
7
votes
1answer
55 views
What meaning do the names of the ten sons of Haman have?
Is there a meaning behind the names of the ten sons of Haman who were killed in the war (Esther 9:7-9):
Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and ...
5
votes
1answer
71 views
Why don't islands read the m'gila two days?
Bavli, M'gila 5 amud 2, cites a doubt as to when the m'gila is read in T'verya: on the fourteenth of Adar, as in most places, or on the fifteenth, as in a city walled since the time of Y'hoshua. The ...
5
votes
1answer
48 views
“Vashti the queen” vs. “Queen Vashti”
Is there a peshat difference between the usual wording,
“ושתי המלכה”
Vashti the queen
(or “אסתר המלכה” Esther the queen),
and the wording used twice in Chapter 1 (verses 12 and 15),
“המלכה ושתי”
the ...
2
votes
2answers
54 views
What's bothering Rashi about the messengers delivering the king's decree in Esther 4:3?
Megillath Esther (4:3) states that
in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and ...
3
votes
1answer
114 views
Why was Esther afraid to go to the King the second time, but not the first time?
When Mordechai told Esther that two of the King's guards were plotting to kill him, she went right away to tell the king directly.
Yet when Mordechai later asked her to approach the king to save all ...
0
votes
0answers
31 views
What does the Megillah mean when it says Mordechai was “dover shalom” to all his seed?
Megillas Esther 10:3 tells us that Mordechai was great among the Jews and accepted of the multitude of his brethren; "seeking the good of his people and speaking peace [v'dover shalom] to all his ...
1
vote
2answers
52 views
Why doesn't G-d's name appear in Megillath Esther?
Megillath Esther is a canonical book (i.e., in the biblical canon) about the salvation of the Jewish people. Why, then, doesn't G-d's name appear anywhere in the text?
7
votes
1answer
113 views
Are you Yotzei Mikrah Megillah if you're spacing out?
The Mishnah in Megillah (2:2) says that one who reads the megillah while semi-asleep ('מתנמנם') is yotzei. The gemara comments(18b):
מתנמנם יצא וכו': היכי דמי מתנמנם אמר רב אשי נים ולא נים תיר ...
5
votes
1answer
77 views
How did Achashverosh not think that Mordechai would be disturbed by the decree to kill all the Jews?
In the book of Ester (6:1), Achashverosh can't sleep and asks to bring the book of records to him. Rashi says that the reason why is in case he was done a favor by someone and didn't repay it and that ...
3
votes
3answers
160 views
How did Vashti grow a tail?
In מגילה דף יב (Megillah 12a-b) it gives two reasons as to why Vashti did not go to Achashveirosh when he requested her to the party. The first reason is that Vashti had Tzarat (a metaphysical skin ...
3
votes
2answers
103 views
Vashti was never Killed
I was told that the Chacmie Tzarfas said that Vashti was never Killed Does anyone have a source for this view in a shiur or inside?
Rashi (Esther 1:19) says that she was executed.
6
votes
1answer
99 views
Change of name in Megillat Esther from Hegeh to Hegai?
In Megillat Esther, the Pasuk (2:3) says that Achashverosh gathered the girls and placed them in the women's house, and the one who guarded them was הגא (ending with an א and with a segol under the ...
1
vote
3answers
145 views
Did Mordechai have children?
Megillas Esther ends by saying: וְדֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכָל־זַרְעוֹ - and speaking peace to all his seed.
I realize Rashi applies this to the previous clause, of all the nation, but perhaps there are ...
2
votes
2answers
125 views
Why does the book of Ester use the present tense so often?
I noticed that the book of Ester uses, often very awkwardly, the present tense to describe things that usually are written in the past tense (I didn't notice this much use of the present tense in ...
3
votes
1answer
115 views
How old was Esther?
How old was Esther when she was selected by Achashveirosh? I am familiar with the Yalkut (Esther 2:8) which offers ages up to 80 and seems to settle on 74/75 the numerical value of Haddasah, however ...
6
votes
1answer
70 views
Did Achashveirosh and Haman speak Hebrew?
Tosfos in Megilah (13b, s.v. הַכֶּסֶף נָתוּן לָךְ ) expound the pasuk in Esther (3:11)
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהָמָן, הַכֶּסֶף נָתוּן לָךְ; וְהָעָם, לַעֲשׂוֹת בּוֹ כַּטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ - And the ...
5
votes
2answers
115 views
Why does a Torah have 2 poles and a Megillah have 1?
A Torah scroll is a very long piece of parchement with two poles ("atzei chayim") at either end, while a Megillat Esther is a not-as-long piece of parchment with one pole at the end of the book.
...
11
votes
1answer
219 views
What happened to Zeresh (Haman's wife)?
Virtually all of the major charachters (and some of the minor ones) in Megillas Esther have a clear ending for them. Mordechai and Esther live happily ever after (sort of). Haman and his ten songs are ...
4
votes
1answer
88 views
What happened to Haman's money?
One of the more interesting encounters in the megilla takes place between Achashveirosh and Haman right after Haman decides to kill the Jewish people. Having decided on a date, Haman approaches ...
5
votes
1answer
86 views
How to fold Esther's scroll
The custom is to unroll the m'gila and fold it over, 'page' over 'page', before reading it in public on Purim, then to roll it up again before reciting the b'racha after the reading. Suppose there's ...
5
votes
2answers
77 views
Interruption while listening to Megillat Esther
I was on the bima during the Rabbi's reading of the Megillat Esther this year and was holding one end of the scroll flat. As he advanced through the columns he moved the scroll along and at one stage ...
3
votes
1answer
133 views
How could Haman see Gd's face and live?
Continuing the series:
The Megillah writes:
יד וְהַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו, כַּרְשְׁנָא שֵׁתָר אַדְמָתָא תַרְשִׁישׁ, מֶרֶס
מַרְסְנָא, מְמוּכָן--שִׁבְעַת שָׂרֵי פָּרַס וּמָדַי, רֹאֵי פְּנֵי
הַמֶּלֶךְ, ...
10
votes
4answers
193 views
Why didn't Mordechai keep Mitzvos — serious edition
It says in the Megilla "ויאמרו עבדי המלך אשר בשער המלך למרדכי מדוע אתה עובר את מצות המלך" - "The servants of the King (who were in the King's gates) asked Mordechai 'Why do you go against the command ...
11
votes
3answers
135 views
So should be done unto the man
The verse in Esther 6:11 describing Haman's pulling Mordochai on the streets says:
כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ
So shall it be done unto the man whom the king ...
2
votes
1answer
100 views
Pronunciation of Esther's cousin's name.
I have seen a couple of places where Mordechai’s name is spelled with a kamatz katan under the daled. Has anyone else seen this and do you know which is more accurate: Mordechai/ Mordachai/ Mordochai ...
11
votes
3answers
198 views
How did Mordechai get *all* the Jews of Shushan to agree to fast for three days?
My question is a bit long-winded so I'll summarize first:
How did Mordechai rouse the will of all the Jews of Shushan to agree to fast for three days? And further, why did Esther limit her request ...
7
votes
1answer
81 views
Did Esther eat at the first feast she made for the king and Haman?
Esther 5:1,5:4 says that Esther made the first feast on the third day of the fast.
Earlier (4:16), Esther tells Mordechai that she will also fast for three days.
Did she eat at the feast, or was ...
7
votes
3answers
158 views
Can one “take over” the Megillah reading?
Suppose the one who is leining (reading) the Megillah needs to stop in the middle of leining, and is unable to continue. Is someone who was there the entire time allowed to take over?
10
votes
1answer
94 views
Why not “Where is Achashverosh in the Torah”?
In Chullin 139b, the Gemara asks about hints in the Torah for several of the figures in the Megillah, and provides answers:
"Where is {Haman, Esther, Mordechai} hinted at in the Torah?" ...
10
votes
3answers
215 views
Why did Achashveirosh take Esther if she was already married?
According to the opinion that Queen Esther was married to Mordechai.
Achashveirosh was looking for unmarried girls (Esther 2:2–4). Why did he take a married woman? Especially considering that Queen ...
7
votes
2answers
153 views
When did Achashverosh stop rounding up fair maidens?
So first Achashverosh was married to Vashti. Then no more Vashti. Then he's rounding up all the fair maidens in the land to um, "meet" them, one per night, but they're still stuck in one of his royal ...
4
votes
0answers
77 views
Is there any place I can rent or borrow a Megillah from?
Specifically in or around Brooklyn, NY: I was wondering if anyone knows of a place that rents or lends out Kosher Megillos for Purim.
12
votes
4answers
125 views
Would Esther really have kept silent?
In Esther 7:4 we read
וְאִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחוֹת נִמְכַּרְנוּ, הֶחֱרַשְׁתִּי--כִּי אֵין הַצָּר שֹׁוֶה, בְּנֵזֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ ...
... But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I ...
6
votes
1answer
86 views
Walled from the times of Joshua: Why Joshua?
The Halacha is that those who live in a city that was walled in the times of Yehoshuah reads on a different day. The question is why from Yehoshuah (Joshua) when the commentaries explain it they speak ...
3
votes
2answers
120 views
Hearing Megillat Esther in a mixed minyan
If the only available minyan to hear Megillat Esther is a mixed minyan with no mechitza, can one attend the minyan or is it better to not hear megilla at all? Would it matter if the baal megilla was a ...
7
votes
2answers
94 views
Why didn't Achashveirosh reward Mordechai immediately?
Esther tells Achashveirosh in the name of Mordechai of a plot to assassinate him (Achashveirosh). They investigate, and stop the would-be assassins. And then... nothing? Why didn't Achashveirosh ...
5
votes
3answers
118 views
Megilas Esther by day - why is it done after Kriyas HaTorah?
We read Koheles on Succos, Shir HaShirim on Pesach, and Rus on Shavuos, and we always read it prior to Kriyas HaTorah. Then why do we read Megilas Esther on Purim day after Kriyas HaTorah?
2
votes
2answers
128 views
Achashverosh — was he or wasn't he?
I'm looking to gather some more background, context, sources and opinions, regarding Achashverosh's Jewishness, or lack thereof.
This was inspired by a recent similar question, and, in fact, much of ...
5
votes
5answers
423 views
Mordechai - Religious Leader or Political figure?
I'm looking to gather some more background, context, sources and opinions, regarding Mordechai's religiousness, or lack thereof.
This was the topic of a recent comment thread on Was Darius ...
3
votes
1answer
138 views
Haman's sons in three p'sukim
Me (quoting Ester 9:7–10):
7 And Parshandasa and Dalfon and Aspasa
8 and Porasa and Adalya and Aridasa
9 and Parmashta and Arisay and Ariday and Vayzasa,
10 the ...
11
votes
1answer
146 views
Why do we say Layehudim Hayta Orah aloud?
In Havdalah, I noticed a virtually universal custom: when the one who is saying Havdalah reaches the Passuk of Layehudim Haytah Orah (ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה...), those who are being Yotzei Havdalah ...
4
votes
2answers
101 views
Where else is Hashem's name missing?
In Shmuel Aleph, when Shmuel becomes a Navi, he runs to Eli each time Hashem comes to him thinking it is Eli not Hashem. After the fourth time Eli realizes it is Hashem and tells Shmuel (in ...
8
votes
1answer
199 views
Mordecai: Esther's uncle?
The m'gila says clearly that Ester was "bas dodo", which seems to mean she was the daughter of Mord'chay's uncle, i.e., his first cousin. The targum renders this as "b'ras achvoy". Does that mean "his ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
Chamaish Maiyos Ish
In the Shul I Daven in they say out loud besides the 4 Pesukim also Chamaish Maiyos Ish and Haman's 10 sons. What is the source of doing this?
2
votes
3answers
72 views
why rush to Achashverosh?
Someone related this question at the s'udas Purim:
Haman's decree was promulgated on the 13th of Nisan and would not take effect until the 13th of Adar following. Yet, Mord'chay urged Ester to seek ...
2
votes
1answer
62 views
Missed Meggilah at Night make up by day
If someone missed Meggilah at night, does he do it twice by day?
2
votes
3answers
90 views
2
votes
2answers
182 views
Eat before Laining Esther
Can you eat before The public reading of Meggilas Esther and does a year where Purim comes out on Motzeh Shabbos make a difference?
2
votes
1answer
69 views
Microphone for Meggilah
Can one be Yotzeh Meggilah on Skype or webcast or through a microphone or telephone is there a difference between each? Does a Hearing Aid disqualify a person from being Yotzeh the Laining?
1
vote
1answer
62 views
Time for Reading the Meggilah
What is the optimal time for reading the Meggilah
By day?
By night?
When is the first and last halachicly acceptable time for each?
