Tanach
Esther 4:1-12 אסתר ד׳:א׳-י״ב
Part of: Chapter 4
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וּמׇרְדֳּכַי יָדַע אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה וַיִּקְרַע מׇרְדֳּכַי אֶת־בְּגָדָיו וַיִּלְבַּשׁ שַׂק וָאֵפֶר וַיֵּצֵא בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדוֹלָה וּמָרָֽה׃
Mordechai was apprised of everything that had transpired. Mordechai rent his garments, and garbed himself in sackloth and ashes. He proceeded into the city, and sounded a great, bitter wail.
Mordechai was apprised of everything that had transpired. Mordechai rent his garments, and garbed himself in sackloth and ashes. He proceeded into the city, and sounded a great, bitter wail.
Rashi
וַיָּבוֹא עַד לִפְנֵי שַֽׁעַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי אֵין לָבוֹא אֶל־שַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּלְבוּשׁ שָֽׂק׃
He came to the front of the king’s gate, for one could not enter the gateway to the king clad in sackcloth.
He came to the front of the king’s gate, for one could not enter the gateway to the king clad in sackcloth.
Rashi
כי אין לבוא. אין דרך ארץ לבוא אל שער המלך בלבוש שק:
For one could not enter. It is improper to enter the king’s gate dressed in sackcloth.
וּבְכׇל־מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה מְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְדָתוֹ מַגִּיעַ אֵבֶל גָּדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים וְצוֹם וּבְכִי וּמִסְפֵּד שַׂק וָאֵפֶר יֻצַּע לָֽרַבִּֽים׃
And in each and every colony, wherever the king’s directives and bylaws reached—there was immense grief among the Yehudim, fasting, weeping and lamenting. Sackcloth and ashes cloaked multitudes.
And in each and every colony, wherever the king’s directives and bylaws reached—there was immense grief among the Yehudim, fasting, weeping and lamenting. Sackcloth and ashes cloaked multitudes.
Rashi
דבר המלך ודתו. כשהשלוחים נושאי הספרים עוברים שם נתנה הדת בעיר:
The king’s directives and bylaws. When the couriers carrying the letters passed, the edict was given in the city.
(ותבואינה) [וַתָּבוֹאנָה] נַעֲרוֹת אֶסְתֵּר וְסָרִיסֶיהָ וַיַּגִּידוּ לָהּ וַתִּתְחַלְחַל הַמַּלְכָּה מְאֹד וַתִּשְׁלַח בְּגָדִים לְהַלְבִּישׁ אֶֽת־מׇרְדֳּכַי וּלְהָסִיר שַׂקּוֹ מֵעָלָיו וְלֹא קִבֵּֽל׃
Esther’s maidservants and stewards came and told her about it, and the queen was extremely shaken. She dispatched garments to clothe Mordechai and remove his sackcloth, but he refused them.
Esther’s maidservants and stewards came and told her about it, and the queen was extremely shaken. She dispatched garments to clothe Mordechai and remove his sackcloth, but he refused them.
וַתִּקְרָא אֶסְתֵּר לַהֲתָךְ מִסָּרִיסֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱמִיד לְפָנֶיהָ וַתְּצַוֵּהוּ עַֽל־מׇרְדֳּכָי לָדַעַת מַה־זֶּה וְעַל־מַה־זֶּֽה׃
She then called for Hasach, one of the king’s officials, whom he had placed at her disposal, and instructed him concerning Mordechai, to ascertain what was happening, and why.
She then called for Hasach, one of the king’s officials, whom he had placed at her disposal, and instructed him concerning Mordechai, to ascertain what was happening, and why.
וַיֵּצֵא הֲתָךְ אֶֽל־מׇרְדֳּכָי אֶל־רְחוֹב הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי שַֽׁעַר־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
Hasach withdrew, and went to Mordechai, to the city thoroughfare, which was at the front of the gateway to the king.
Hasach withdrew, and went to Mordechai, to the city thoroughfare, which was at the front of the gateway to the king.
וַיַּגֶּד־לוֹ מׇרְדֳּכַי אֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר קָרָהוּ וְאֵת ׀ פָּרָשַׁת הַכֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר אָמַר הָמָן לִשְׁקוֹל עַל־גִּנְזֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ (ביהודיים) [בַּיְּהוּדִים] לְאַבְּדָֽם׃
Mordechai informed him of all that he had experienced, and of the silver which Haman had explicitly promised to weigh into the royal coffers so that the Yehudim would be annihilated.
Mordechai informed him of all that he had experienced, and of the silver which Haman had explicitly promised to weigh into the royal coffers so that the Yehudim would be annihilated.
Rashi
פרשת הכסף. פירוש הכסף:
And of the silver. The explanation of the silver.3Mordechai wanted to make it clear to Esther that the king could not be bribed. He therefore provided her with an explanation of the silver, i.e., that Achashveirosh was reluctant to accept the 10,000 silver kikars offered by Haman.
וְאֶת־פַּתְשֶׁגֶן כְּתָֽב־הַדָּת אֲשֶׁר־נִתַּן בְּשׁוּשָׁן לְהַשְׁמִידָם נָתַן לוֹ לְהַרְאוֹת אֶת־אֶסְתֵּר וּלְהַגִּיד לָהּ וּלְצַוּוֹת עָלֶיהָ לָבוֹא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהִֽתְחַנֶּן־לוֹ וּלְבַקֵּשׁ מִלְּפָנָיו עַל־עַמָּֽהּ׃
A copy of the text of the legally binding writ which had been delivered in Shushan, mandating that they be destroyed, he gave to him, to show Esther, and to inform her; and to order her to gain entrance to the king, to plead with him, and to beg him to spare her people.
A copy of the text of the legally binding writ which had been delivered in Shushan, mandating that they be destroyed, he gave to him, to show Esther, and to inform her; and to order her to gain entrance to the king, to plead with him, and to beg him to spare her people.
וַיָּבוֹא הֲתָךְ וַיַּגֵּד לְאֶסְתֵּר אֵת דִּבְרֵי מׇרְדֳּכָֽי׃
Hasach came back, and conveyed, to Esther, Mordechai’s remarks.
Hasach came back, and conveyed, to Esther, Mordechai’s remarks.
וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר לַהֲתָךְ וַתְּצַוֵּהוּ אֶֽל־מׇרְדֳּכָֽי׃
Esther spoke with Hasach, and instructed him to [tell] Mordechai:
Esther spoke with Hasach, and instructed him to [tell] Mordechai:
כׇּל־עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְעַם־מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ יֹֽדְעִים אֲשֶׁר כׇּל־אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר יָבֽוֹא־אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִית אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יִקָּרֵא אַחַת דָּתוֹ לְהָמִית לְבַד מֵאֲשֶׁר יֽוֹשִׁיט־לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־שַׁרְבִיט הַזָּהָב וְחָיָה וַאֲנִי לֹא נִקְרֵאתִי לָבוֹא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ זֶה שְׁלוֹשִׁים יֽוֹם׃
“All of his majesty’s servants, as well as the peoples of his majesty’s colonies, know that any man or woman who comes as close to his majesty as the innermost courtyard without an invitation, suffers a single fate; execution—save for someone toward whom his majesty extends the golden sceptre, to permit him to live. And I have not been granted an invitation to visit his majesty these thirty days.”
“All of his majesty’s servants, as well as the peoples of his majesty’s colonies, know that any man or woman who comes as close to his majesty as the innermost courtyard without an invitation, suffers a single fate; execution—save for someone toward whom his majesty extends the golden sceptre, to permit him to live. And I have not been granted an invitation to visit his majesty these thirty days.”
וַיַּגִּידוּ לְמׇרְדֳּכָי אֵת דִּבְרֵי אֶסְתֵּֽר׃ {פ}
They conveyed Esther’s remarks to Mordechai.
They conveyed Esther’s remarks to Mordechai.
ומרדכי ידע. בעל החלום אמר לו שהסכימו העליונים לכך לפי שהשתחוו לצלם בימי נבוכדנצר ושנהנו מסעודת אחשורוש:
Mordechai was apprized. The Master of Dreams told him1He was told by means of a dream and not by רוח הקדש [The Holy Spirit], a higher form of prophecy, because “Shushan was in confusion,” and רוח הקדש [The Holy Spirit] dwells only in the midst of joy. Alternatively, Eliyahu the prophet told him. that the celestial beings had consented to this [decree], because they had prostrated themselves to the idol in the days of Nevuchadnetzar, and because they had enjoyed Achashveirosh’s feast.2See Esther Rabbah 7:13 and Maseches Megillah 12a.