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Frankly this question was asked by my Chevrutah today.

We see that many things in the Torah are caused or moved by sleeping and dreaming - Yaakov dreaming of the Ladder, Yossef having fights with his brothers over his dreams, Pharaoh having dreams and starting the Egyptian Exile etc.

However, in the Purim story, it is exactly the opposite - Achashverosh having sudden insomnia and being unable to sleep and have dreams and things started to roll.

Why would that be?

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  • Like everything else in the Megillah - ונהפוך הוא – DonielF Mar 21 at 1:35
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    There is a dream in the Greek additions to Esther. It actually becomes a major theme in the story. – Double AA♦ Mar 21 at 1:44
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There was also a dream Midrash Ester Rabba 10

וְנָדְדָה שְׁנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, שֶׁרָאָה בַּחֲלוֹמוֹ אֶת הָמָן שֶׁנָּטַל סַיָּף לְהָרְגוֹ, וְנִבְהַל וְהֵקִיץ מִשְׁנָתוֹ, וְאָמַר לְסוֹפְרָיו הָבִיאוּ סֵפֶר הַזִּכְרוֹנוֹת לִקְרוֹת וְלִרְאוֹת מַה שֶּׁעָבַר עָלָיו, וּפָתְחוּ הַסְּפָרִים וּמָצְאוּ אֶת הַדָּבָר שֶׁהִגִּיד מָרְדֳּכַי עַל בִּגְתָנָא וָתֶרֶשׁ, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ: הִנֵּה הָמָן עוֹמֵד בֶּחָצֵר, אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֱמֶת הַדָּבָר שֶׁרָאִיתִי בַּחֲלוֹמִי, לֹא בָּא זֶה בְּשָׁעָה זוֹ אֶלָּא לְהָרְגֵנִי. ‏

Achasverosh had a dream, a nightmare and wake up, he seen Haman taking a sword to kill him

Note that the verse says that the sleep of the King was moving. "NAD" says to move. 2 examples, Ibn Ezra on Bereshit 4.12, Gemara in BM 2

Ibn Ezra

...דעתי שנד אחי נע וכמוהו הנה ארחיק נדוד

BM 25 b

ולהוי מקום סימן אמר רב עוקבא בר חמא במדדין

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    This certainly isn't the simple reading of the passuk – DonielF Mar 21 at 1:35
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    @DonielF לנדוד is to move. The sleep moves. Repetitive awakening perhaps – kouty Mar 21 at 9:14
  • @kouty Where do we learn it from the Psukim? Was Ach' afraid of Haman when he came to visit? I don't see that in the text. – Al Berko Mar 21 at 15:19
  • You may have a good answer for this question. Check it out! judaism.stackexchange.com/q/80850/3 – WAF Mar 22 at 6:52
  • @WAF your answer there contains all what I wrote here – kouty Mar 22 at 7:12

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