Tanach
Esther 2:5-10 אסתר ב׳:ה׳-י׳
Part of: Chapter 2
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
אִישׁ יְהוּדִי הָיָה בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה וּשְׁמוֹ מׇרְדֳּכַי בֶּן יָאִיר בֶּן־שִׁמְעִי בֶּן־קִישׁ אִישׁ יְמִינִֽי׃
There was a Yehudite man in the capital city of Shushan. His name: Mordechai, son of Yair, son of Shim’i, son of Kish, a Binyaminite man.
There was a Yehudite man in the capital city of Shushan. His name: Mordechai, son of Yair, son of Shim’i, son of Kish, a Binyaminite man.
Rashi
איש ימיני. מבנימין היה כך פשוטו, ורבותינו דרשו מה שדרשו:
A Binyaminite man. He was from Binyamin, that is the plain meaning. But our Rabbis expounded what they expounded.7Ibid.
אֲשֶׁר הׇגְלָה מִירוּשָׁלַיִם עִם־הַגֹּלָה אֲשֶׁר הׇגְלְתָה עִם יְכׇנְיָה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר הֶגְלָה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃
Who was exiled from Jerusalem with the captives exiled with Yechaniah, king of Yehudah, driven into exile by Nevuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
Who was exiled from Jerusalem with the captives exiled with Yechaniah, king of Yehudah, driven into exile by Nevuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
וַיְהִי אֹמֵן אֶת־הֲדַסָּה הִיא אֶסְתֵּר בַּת־דֹּדוֹ כִּי אֵין לָהּ אָב וָאֵם וְהַנַּעֲרָה יְפַת־תֹּאַר וְטוֹבַת מַרְאֶה וּבְמוֹת אָבִיהָ וְאִמָּהּ לְקָחָהּ מׇרְדֳּכַי לוֹ לְבַֽת׃
He was the foster parent of Hadassah—this was his cousin Esther—as she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was beautiful in form and appearance, and when her father and mother died, Mordechai adopted her as a daughter.
He was the foster parent of Hadassah—this was his cousin Esther—as she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was beautiful in form and appearance, and when her father and mother died, Mordechai adopted her as a daughter.
Rashi
לו לבת. רבותינו פירשו לבית לאשה:
As a daughter. Our Rabbis explained, “for a house” [i.e., לְבַת=לְבַיִת, meaning, as a wife.8Maseches Megillah 13a. Apparently בת here does not mean [lit.] daughter, because Esther was not his child.
וַיְהִי בְּהִשָּׁמַע דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְדָתוֹ וּֽבְהִקָּבֵץ נְעָרוֹת רַבּוֹת אֶל־שׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה אֶל־יַד הֵגָי וַתִּלָּקַח אֶסְתֵּר אֶל־בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־יַד הֵגַי שֹׁמֵר הַנָּשִֽׁים׃
Now it happened, when the king’s edict, his bylaw, was made public, and a large number of young women were gathered at the capital city of Shushan, in the custody of Heigai, that Esther was brought to the royal palace, in the custody of Heigai, the harem overseer.
Now it happened, when the king’s edict, his bylaw, was made public, and a large number of young women were gathered at the capital city of Shushan, in the custody of Heigai, that Esther was brought to the royal palace, in the custody of Heigai, the harem overseer.
וַתִּיטַב הַנַּעֲרָה בְעֵינָיו וַתִּשָּׂא חֶסֶד לְפָנָיו וַיְבַהֵל אֶת־תַּמְרוּקֶיהָ וְאֶת־מָנוֹתֶהָ לָתֵת לָהּ וְאֵת שֶׁבַע הַנְּעָרוֹת הָרְאֻיוֹת לָֽתֶת־לָהּ מִבֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיְשַׁנֶּהָ וְאֶת־נַעֲרוֹתֶיהָ לְטוֹב בֵּית הַנָּשִֽׁים׃
He viewed the young woman favorably, and she gained his benevolence. He eagerly delivered her cosmetics and her clothing allowance to her also the seven special maidservants assigned to her from the royal household staff. He favored her and her maidservants with preferential treatment at the harem residence.
He viewed the young woman favorably, and she gained his benevolence. He eagerly delivered her cosmetics and her clothing allowance to her also the seven special maidservants assigned to her from the royal household staff. He favored her and her maidservants with preferential treatment at the harem residence.
Rashi
ויבהל את תמרוקיה. זריז וממהר בשלה משל כולן:
He eagerly delivered her cosmetics. He was more expedient and quicker with bringing her [cosmetics] than with all the others.9To avoid eating non-kosher food Esther had Hagai provide her with natural uncooked food. See Maseches Megillah 13a.
הראיות לתת לה. לשרתה וכן עושין לכולן ורבותינו דרשו מה שדרשו:
Assigned to her. To serve her, and so they would do for all of them; and our Rabbis expounded what they expounded.10Ibid. By having seven maidservants Esther was able to know when it was Shabbos. She called each one on a different day of the week and when the one that was assigned for Shabbos would come, she knew it was Shabbos. Another reason for having seven maidservants, one for each day of the week, so that the maidservants for weekdays would not observe her resting on Shabbos and detect that she was Jewish. According to Targum, each maidservant’s name corresponded to a specific day’s part of creation.
וישנה. שינה אותה:
He favored her. I.e., he changed her וַיְשַׁנֶּהָ=שִׁנָּה אוֹתָהּ.
לֹא־הִגִּידָה אֶסְתֵּר אֶת־עַמָּהּ וְאֶת־מֽוֹלַדְתָּהּ כִּי מׇרְדֳּכַי צִוָּה עָלֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תַגִּֽיד׃ {ס}
Esther did not reveal [the identity of] her people or her heritage, since Mordechai had instructed her not to reveal it.
Esther did not reveal [the identity of] her people or her heritage, since Mordechai had instructed her not to reveal it.
Rashi
אשר לא תגיד. כדי שיאמרו שהיא ממשפחה בזויה וישלחוה שאם ידעו שהיא ממשפחת שאול המלך היו מחזיקים בה:
Not to reveal it. So that they should say that she was from an ignoble family and dismiss her, for if they knew that she was of the family of King Shaul, they would keep her.11According to Targum, Mordechai feared for Esther’s and the Jews’ safety.
איש יהודי. על שגלה עם גלות יהודה כל אותן שגלו עם מלכי יהודה היו קרויים יהודים בין הגוים ואפילו משבט אחר הם:
There was a Yehudite man. Because he was exiled with the exile of Yehudah.5Rashi offers this explanation to reconcile the contradiction at the end of this verse where Mordechai is described as a Binyaminite man. Targum renders איש יהודי, “a pious Jew.” Alternatively, יהוד is similar to יחוד [=unification], i.e., Mordechai publicly unified God’s Name by refusing to bow before Haman, who wore an idolatrous image. (Esther Rabbah 6:2 and see Maseches Megillah 12b-13a) All those who were exiled with the kings of Yehudah were called יְהוּדִים [Yehudites] among the nations, even if they were from another tribe.6Maseches Megillah 12b.