Questions tagged [haman]
A minister in the ancient Persian empire of King Ahasuerus who sought to exterminate the Jewish people. He is the primary antagonist in the book of Esther.
16
questions
13
votes
5
answers
448
views
Were Haman's possessions hung on a tree?
In Maoz Tzur we say:
רב בניו וקנייניו,
על העץ תלית
His many sons and his possessions,
You hung on a tree
Were Haman's possessions really hung on a tree?
- 32.9k
13
votes
3
answers
536
views
Why did Haman change his mind and decide to immediately hang Mordechai?
In Esther 3:6, it states that Haman was embarrassed to harm Mordechai alone, so he casts lots to decide which date to kill the entire Jewish people.
In 5:14, Haman builds a special gallows for ...
- 69.6k
7
votes
2
answers
240
views
Why would Haman "restrain himself"?
In Esther (5:9), when Haman leaves the king's palace after Queen Esther's first party, all happy and feeling on top of the world, gets very upset when he sees Mordechai sitting there, and not bowing ...
- 18.9k
5
votes
1
answer
354
views
Source to make noise when Haman's name is mentioned?
Where is the source to make noise when Haman's name is read from the Megillah?
- 6,825
2
votes
2
answers
328
views
Haman servant of Mordechai: text of document
The gemara in Megillah 15 writes that Mordechai acquired Haman for a piece of bread. Rashi writes:
וזה בא בפרוזבולי - מרדכי בא אליו בטענת עושר המן בא בטענת עוני שמכר המן את עצמו למרדכי קודם לכן ...
- 40.3k
2
votes
0
answers
149
views
How old was Haman in the Megillah?
I'm on a bit of a quest to contextualize the story of Purim by getting a better sense of the ages of the main characters. So far, with Mi Yodeya's help, I've explored the age of Esther, and I have ...
- 4,303
11
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Why is Haman called an Agagite and not an Amalekite?
In Megillas Esther 3:1 Haman is called the Agagite which I always assumed meant he was a descendant of Agag the king of the Amalekite in 1 Shmuel 15:8. His lineage is confirmed in Megillah 13a as ...
- 3,785
8
votes
4
answers
427
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 ...
- 1,422
5
votes
2
answers
219
views
Does anyone say not to make noise for Haman?
Here is the source that you should make noise at the mention of Haman's name.
However, as I was listening to the Megillah this year it occurred to me how counterproductive it is as an act of erasing ...
- 57.9k
4
votes
1
answer
309
views
Source for Haman's hat
As a little kid, I was always told that a Hamantasch is representative of Haman's three cornered hat. Is there an actual source that says Haman wore a three cornered hat or is it just Folklore?
- 4,627
3
votes
1
answer
119
views
How did Haman think he could get away with murdering Mordechai?
Haman persuaded Ahashverosh to sign a decree enabling the genocide of the Jews in the Persian empire. This much is clear from the text. But in between Esther's parties, Haman constructs a gallows 50 ...
- 41.3k
3
votes
4
answers
278
views
Why was Achashverosh so angry about Haman's plot?
In Megilas Esther 7:4, Esther tells Achashveros that someone is planning on wiping out her people:
כִּי נִמְכַּרְנוּ אֲנִי וְעַמִּי, לְהַשְׁמִיד לַהֲרוֹג וּלְאַבֵּד; וְאִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחוֹת ...
- 24.5k
3
votes
3
answers
94
views
Why does Achashveirosh ask who is responsible for the decree against the Jews?
In Esther 7:5 it says
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה מִ֣י ה֥וּא זֶה֙ וְאֵֽי־זֶ֣ה ה֔וּא אֲשֶׁר־מְלָא֥וֹ לִבּ֖וֹ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת כֵּֽן׃
Thereupon King Ahasuerus ...
- 13.1k
2
votes
1
answer
143
views
When was the war in which Haman sold himself to Mordechai?
There’s a famous Yalkut Shimoni (Nach 1056:18, referenced by Rashi in explaining Megillah 15a), which reads as follows:
א"ר חסדא זה בא בפרוזבולי וזה בא בפרוזבוטי, פעם אחת נתן המלך ממון ושגרם בראשי ...
- 33.8k
2
votes
1
answer
883
views
Who was Haman's mother?
Is there any mention of Haman's mother in rabbinic literature (Gemara, Midrash, etc.)?
If she was discussed in the Gemara or other sources, what was her name?
- 18.9k
0
votes
3
answers
99
views
Purim fighting in Adar - why wait for 8 months?
According to the Purim timeline:
the 13th of Adar (of the next year) was set as the target day for wiping the Jews.
Mordechai became the vice in Nissan and the new decrees to fight Amolekites ware ...
- 25.5k