Questions tagged [megillat-esther]
Concerning Esther's rise to power as queen of Achashveirosh (Xerxes I) of Persia and her thwarting Haman's attempt to destroy the Jewish people during the era of exile after the Destruction of the First Beis Hamikdash
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Orientation of Haman's Sons' Beam
The Gemara in Megillah 16b here mentions that the ten sons of haman were hung simultaneously and on the same beam.
Question:
Was the beam positioned lengthwise or widthwise?
i.e Were they hanging one ...
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Why didn't the Jews of Persia leave after Haman's decree?
After Haman's genocidal edict was sent out to all the people of the Persian kingdom why was there not a mass exodus of Jews to parts of the world not under the dominion of Achashveirosh and his law?
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Mordechai wore golden tefillin?
While reading the Targum Rishon on Esther Here it seems to me that it is implying that Mordechai had worn tefillin of gold.
טוֹטְפָן דְמַקְבְּעִין בְּדַהֲבָא דְיָדְעִין
Is that halachically ...
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Jews attending feast of Achashverosh
It is well known that Mordechai had warned the jewish people not to attend the feast of King Achashverosh, and nevertheless, many did attend.
Under what permission did those Jews attend? Is this ...
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Feast of achashverosh connected to failed 70 year prophecy
What is the source where it actually mentions that one of the reasons for the feast of Achashverosh was celebrating the "failed" prophecy of Yirmiyahu?
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The 10th Month Is Obviously Teves!
In Megilah 13a - we bring down a פסוק from the מגילה which says:
“So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tevet” (Esther 2:16).
Why did the ...
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Teshuvah during the story of Purim
It seems that the concept of teshuvah is missing from the story of purim.
although the megiilah does say:
וּבְכׇל־מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה מְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְדָתוֹ מַגִּיעַ אֵבֶל גָּדוֹל ...
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How did the whole world know about אסתר's beauty?
In Megilah 13a it says all the nations of the world knew that אסתר was beautiful?
How did they even know who אסתר is? Let alone, her beauty!
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Baruch hu ubaruch shemo - why omitted sometimes?
Why is "Baruch hu ubaruch shemo" omitted during the reciting of certain brachot such as meggilah and shofar?
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Who was first to mention the omittance of Gods name from Megilah Esther? [duplicate]
Where is the earliest written source that mentions the omittance of Gods name from the Megillah?
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Did Queen Vashti have a child?
Usually, the reason for Queen Vashti's punishment (leprosy or the growth of a tail) is related to the prophecy about the extinction of the Babylonian royal line.
Rav said: “Everything God promised [to ...
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Haman and God sleeping
Is there a source for Haman claiming that God is "sleeping" during the time he wanted to commit the genocide?
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Did Mordechai wear the bigdei kehuna?
Are there ANY sources that say that Mordechai wore the levush kohen gadol?
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Was it Mordechai or Kish that was exiled?
Seemingly, from reading the pasuk in the megillah;
Esther 2:6
אֲשֶׁר הׇגְלָה מִירוּשָׁלַיִם עִם־הַגֹּלָה אֲשֶׁר הׇגְלְתָה עִם יְכׇנְיָה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר הֶגְלָה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל׃
...
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Where King Achashverosh got the priestly vestments
Springboarding off a previous question asked here: Where did King Achashverosh get the clothing of the Kohen Gadol?
The same can be asked about the utensils from the Beis Hamikdash, which were used ...
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Did King Achashverosh wear the Kohen Gadol clothing?
I have heard about King Achashverosh having the kelim from the beis hamikdash at his feast.
I am looking for more information regarding Achashverosh wearing the clothing of the kohen gadol at his ...
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What/Where is Tarshish
Springboarding from a conversation here, is the term "Tarshish" mentioned anywhere (besides Jastrow) in connection with Bigsan and Seresh?
This question is specifically looking to find a way ...
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Where can I find this in Sefer HaRokeach
I am trying to located "pirush Harokeach" on Meggilat Esther, but I'm having a very hard time finding it.
Specifically i am looking for his pirush on Esther 3:6 regarding Haman being a ...
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Mekayem mitzvah "zecher amalek" by hearing megillah?
By listening or reading the megillah is the mitzvah of zecher amalek being fulfilled?
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Is it true that the book of Numbers has the exact same number of Hebrew letters as the book of Esther?
I cannot remember the source and have been unable to find any further academic material, so I would like to put this request out to everyone in this online community.
I once heard that the book of ...
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Moshe Rabbeinu and Queen Esther's hesitation
The stories of Yetzias Mitzrayim and the story of Purim both feature a reluctant hero who initially hesitates to take action but ultimately steps forward to fulfill their role in the divine plan.
In ...
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What really happened to the ten sons of Haman?
Commentators (such as this one) frequently imply that the ten sons of Haman were executed as an act of revenge. Indeed, the Book of Esther does say:
Then Esther said: “If it pleases the king… let ...
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Did King Achashverosh really not know that Haman was planning to kill the Jewish people?
It seems from the flow of the megillah that King Achashverosh had given Haman the authority to do what he wanted.
Haman approached the king with the complaint that there was "a people who were ...
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Purim - Ha-ba le-horgekha, hashkem le-horgo
In the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin, Portion 72, Verse 1, it says that if someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first.
During the entire episode of Purim, why didn't the Yidden, ...
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Why did Haman have to parade Mordechai around?
After Haman describes what a king should do to someone he wants to honor, he immediately orders Haman do it to Mordechai. Why davka Haman? Why would the king want to dishonor one of his greatest ...
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Wife number 1001
I read on the website truthofland.co.il (I have no idea who write it) the following statement
וכן אסתר באה אל אחשוורוש בליל תקופת טבת. וכבר ראינו שהיא היתה אשה מס' 1001 אצל אחשורוש. נמצא שגאולת פורים ...
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How many years between Vashti and Esther?
The Midrash [Esther R. 3:15] says:
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: All the years from the time when Vashti was killed till Esther became queen, the wrath of Ahashverosh did not subside… When did it subside? ...
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Hearing the "wrong" megilla reading
During the coronavirus year, there was an allowance made (according to certain opinions) for people to hear the megillah via Zoom. This question mentions that particular arrangement.
What would be the ...
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Gemara Megillah logic
In Masechet Megillah on Daf Gimel Amud B, the Gemara is comparing מת מצוה to various other things. They ask whether מת מצוה or Megillah reading is preferred- either Megillah is because it’s פרסום הנס, ...
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Can small towns, who happen to be able to, choose to read on the 14th?
This is a question on the first Mishnah in Masechet Megillah. The Mishnah says that since כפרים didn’t have readers, they would always travel to bigger cities to read the Megillah on Mondays or ...
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Banging by Zeresh in the Megillah
In The Monsey Mevaser (page 100), a six-year-old child child asked the following:
We have the custom to bang when we hear Haman's name in the Megillah. Why don’t bang the two times his evil wife ...
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Hashem's name missing in Shir Hashirim
Why is Hashem's name missing in Shir Hashirim? The haggadah is so specific in mentioning Hashem's name over and over and instead leaves out Moshe's name (except one time). I'm wondering why then ...
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How Many Angels involved in the Purim Story?
Does anyone know how many angels were involved in the story of the Megillah?
For example, one came to say about the tree, and one turned back the pages on the book by Shimshi.
Thank you!
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May we illuminate scrolls?
Since the Middle Ages, it has become more common to find illuminated megillot Esther: kosher scrolls of Esther with pictures around the text. Here is one example: link. I have seen such a megillat ...
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Which pasuk in megilas esther has all the letters in the aleiph beis [duplicate]
Which pasuk in megilas esther has all the letters in the aleiph beis?
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Does hearing the megillah over the internet fulfill the mitzvah?
Does hearing the megillah read over the internet fulfill the mitzvah? This is not the first year of Covid restrictions, surely it was considered in 2020 or 2021.
I would imagine this is similar to ...
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Gezerah Shema Yaverenu Daaled Amos- no megillah, lulav, or shofar on shabbos as a gezerah
Why is the Gezerah that maybe he will carry a lulav, shofar, megillah on shabbos for 4 amos in the Rishus Harabim? How did it get there? It should be gezerah that maybe he will take it out of the ...
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Textual Criticism of Nach
I was recently learning Megillat Esther (as I prepare some shiurim on the topic), and was surprised to find the following comment by Rabbi Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi (Tedeschi), in his commentary to ...
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How did Achashverosh get to be king?
How did Achashverosh get to be king? He married Vashti who is a descendent of the Babylonian king, but it's Persia and Media who ruled then. Why wasn't the son of Cyrus the next king?
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Why can't R. Yehudah have his own opinion?
It says in Masechet Megillah
אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה א״ר יוֹחָנָן זוֹ דִּבְרֵי ר״ע סְתִימְתָאָה דְּדָרִישׁ זְמַן זְמַנָּם זמניהם אֲבָל חכ״א אֵין קוֹרִין
אוֹתָהּ אֶלָּא בִּזְמַנָּהּ מֵיתִיבִי א״ר ...
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The earliest source that states the disappearance of the names of God in the Book of Ester
IIRC, Abraham Ibn Ezrah mentions in his interpretation of the Book of Ester that:
"והנה אין במגילה הזאת זכר ה', והיא מספרי הקודש?" (How come that God's name is not mentioned in the Book and ...
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Who is the author of Targum Sheini on Megillas Esther?
Who is the author of Targum Sheini on Megillas Esther? When did he live?
I've checked several Megillas that have Targum Sheini printed in it and none of them have any details. If anyone can find me ...
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How many days did Esther fast?
How many days did Esther fast? Avraham ibn Ezra said it was two days and two nights. And Maharal said it was 70 hours of fasting. How do you reconcile these arguments (opinions)? Is it possible to ...
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What does the comment say after the end of Esther?
I see that after the text, there is a short note at the end of each book, what do these notes say?
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Megilla: 2nd runners overtake first set that left 70 days earlier (Rashi). How?
In Esther 3:12 it records that Homon sent out his runners with the decree on 13th Nissan. Mordechai sent out his runners on 23rd Sivan to mitigate the decree. Rashi in 8:14 tells us that these second ...
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Looking for more information about this "Megillah"
My wife's grandmother passed away last year (and her grandfather many years ago) and my mother-in-law gave me this item she found while cleaning out their apartment:
It appears to be printed (on an ...
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Why does Mordechai agree to put on the king's clothing?
From the Megillah, we read that Mordechai put on sack-cloth and ashes upon hearing of Haman's decree. Esther, alarmed to see her cousin in such a state, sends him fine clothes to put on, but he ...
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Why would Esther point at Achashveirosh?
With the plan to topple Haman seemingly coming to fruition, the Gemara Megillah (16a) says the Esther was going to point at Achashveirosh as the anonymous enemy of her people.
ותאמר אסתר איש צר ואויב ...
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Why is Daniel called Memuchan?
There is a machlokes who Memuchan is. One opinion is that it is Haman.
According to that opinion he is called Memuchan because he prepared [in hebrew: muchan] himself to be punished (Megillah 12b).
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Why did the Persian Empire bury Esther with Mordechai?
I find it hard to believe that as a royal queen, the Persian Empire buried Esther with Mordechai, instead of with the other monarchs.
Yet there are 2 locations in Iran, both claiming that Mordechai ...
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