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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The connection between King Ahashverosh and the king of the world

According to the Midrash, the king mentioned in the Megilat Esther is G-d. So how is it that the king was looking for a wife? How did he kill his first wife? How did he raise the wicked Haman to ...
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Why did Mordecai behave towards Haman in this way?

Haman was enraged at Mordechai's behavior, according to Megilat Esther he investigated his people and directed his hatred and revenge towards Mordecai to all of Mordecai's people, that is, to the Jews....
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Why did Mordecai save Achashverosh? [duplicate]

It is known that Achashverosh was an evil king and encouraged Haman to kill the Jews in exchange for making money. Moreover,he made a feast for the Jews with the temple vessels. If so, why did ...
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Reading along in a kosher megillah - impediment to others?

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 141:15 says you should not read along in the Megillah if you don't have a kosher scroll, because even if you can simultaneously concentrate on the public reading, people nearby ...
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How does the general Jewish pronunciation of the name Ahasuerus — Achashverosh — compare to its original pronunciation in Ancient Persia? [closed]

Assuming Ahasuerus is in fact Xerxes I (as Wikipedia seems to suggest), does anyone know how the general Jewish pronunciation of Ahasuerus — Achashverosh — compares to the Ancient Persian ...
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Why does the Megillah say "It happened in the days of Ahasuerus" — and not,"... in the days of Mordechai and Esther?"

The Megillah (Esther 1:1) begins: ויהי בימי אחשורוש... - It happened in the days of Ahasuerus... Why doesn't it say instead, it happened in the days of Mordechai and Esther, or after the Destruction ...
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The Propriety of Ralbag's Benefits: Pshat v. Drash?

The Ralbag famously includes lists of lessons/benefits after sections of Tanach. FE, at the beginning of his Esther benefits: התועלה הראשון הוא במדות. והוא שראוי לשמוח בטוב בהימצאו, כאומרו "ביום ...
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Can one read the megilla in Adar rishon when traveling afar?

The Mechaber writes in 688:7 : "If one is sailing at sea or going out in a caravan and does not find a Megillah to take with, one should read on the 13th or the 12th or the 11th without a ...
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Did Haman actually try to rape Esther?

In the book of Esther, verse 7:8, most translations translate נָפַל as fallen, subdue, force or violate. A few actually translate it as "rape". Was this just a euphemism or could Haman have, ...
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Is there a Sefer that explains each 'melech' in the megilla? [duplicate]

Esther Rabba (3:10) says that any place in the megilla where it says מלך without specifying אחשוורוש afterwards, it is referring to both the mundane king - Achashverosh, and to the holy king - hashem. ...
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Why isn't the Gemara Megillah 16b more direct with its sources?

The Gemara Megillah 16b selection of the pasuk from Devarim (28:10) to explain the term וִיקָר is quite puzzling. It appears that it would have been more fitting and straightforward for the gemara to ...
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Why are Haman's ten sons mentioned in the megillah

The reasons given for the death of Haman's ten sons is their active role in halting the construction of the beis hamikdash (this is one of many midrashic sources) My question is why was it necessary ...
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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 ...
rosends's user avatar
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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!
user218076's user avatar
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1 answer
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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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