Tanach
Esther 5:3-14 אסתר ה׳:ג׳-י״ד
Part of: Chapter 5
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ מַה־לָּךְ אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וּמַה־בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד־חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת וְיִנָּתֵֽן לָֽךְ׃
The king said to her: “What do you need, Queen Esther, what do you wish? Up until half the empire, and it shall be granted to you!”
The king said to her: “What do you need, Queen Esther, what do you wish? Up until half the empire, and it shall be granted to you!”
Rashi
וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר אִם־עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב יָבוֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן הַיּוֹם אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂיתִי לֽוֹ׃
Esther said, “If his majesty deems it proper, let his majesty and Haman attend, today, a feast which I have prepared for him.”
Esther said, “If his majesty deems it proper, let his majesty and Haman attend, today, a feast which I have prepared for him.”
Rashi
יבוא המלך והמן. רבותינו אמרו טעמים הרבה בדבר מה ראתה אסתר שזימנה את המן כדי לקנאו במלך ובשרים שהמלך יחשוב שהוא חשוק אליה ויהרגנו ועוד טעמים רבים:
Let his majesty and Haman attend. Our Rabbis listed many reasons for the matter.4Ibid. What did Esther see [i.e., what motivated her] to invite Haman? In order to make the king and the princes jealous of him, [or], so that the king should think that he desired her and kill him; and many other reasons.5Another reason given is that she felt that the Jews would rely on her influence with the king rather than on G. She therefore created the impression that she abandoned them in favor of Haman, so that they would concentrate fully on prayer and penitence. (Megillah 15b)
אל המשתה. כל סעודה נקראת על שם היין שהוא עיקר:
At the feast. Every feast is called מִשְׁתֶּה on account of the wine, which is the principal feature.
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ מַהֲרוּ אֶת־הָמָן לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־דְּבַר אֶסְתֵּר וַיָּבֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָה אֶסְתֵּֽר׃
The king said, “Urge Haman to quickly fulfill Esther’s instructions.” So the king and Haman arrived at the feast which Esther had prepared.
The king said, “Urge Haman to quickly fulfill Esther’s instructions.” So the king and Haman arrived at the feast which Esther had prepared.
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּר בְּמִשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן מַה־שְּׁאֵלָתֵךְ וְיִנָּתֵֽן לָךְ וּמַה־בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד־חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת וְתֵעָֽשׂ׃
The king said to Esther at the winefest, “Whatever you request shall be granted to you! Whatever you wish, up until half the empire, shall be fulfilled!”
The king said to Esther at the winefest, “Whatever you request shall be granted to you! Whatever you wish, up until half the empire, shall be fulfilled!”
וַתַּעַן אֶסְתֵּר וַתֹּאמַר שְׁאֵלָתִי וּבַקָּשָׁתִֽי׃
Esther replied, saying, “My request, and my wish:
Esther replied, saying, “My request, and my wish:
אִם־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאִם־עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב לָתֵת אֶת־שְׁאֵלָתִי וְלַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־בַּקָּשָׁתִי יָבוֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר אֶֽעֱשֶׂה לָהֶם וּמָחָר אֶֽעֱשֶׂה כִּדְבַר הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
If I have gained His Majesty’s favorable regard, and if His Majesty deems it proper fo fulfill my request and gratify my wish; let His Majesty and Haman attend the feast which I shall tender for them—and tomorrow I shall comply with His Majesty’s command.”
If I have gained His Majesty’s favorable regard, and if His Majesty deems it proper fo fulfill my request and gratify my wish; let His Majesty and Haman attend the feast which I shall tender for them—and tomorrow I shall comply with His Majesty’s command.”
Rashi
ומחר אעשה כדבר המלך. מה שבקשת ממני כל הימים לגלות לך את עמי ואת מולדתי:
And tomorrow I shall comply with his majesty’s command. That which you requested of me all these days, i.e., to reveal my nationality and lineage to you.
וַיֵּצֵא הָמָן בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא שָׂמֵחַ וְטוֹב לֵב וְכִרְאוֹת הָמָן אֶֽת־מׇרְדֳּכַי בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא־קָם וְלֹא־זָע מִמֶּנּוּ וַיִּמָּלֵא הָמָן עַֽל־מׇרְדֳּכַי חֵמָֽה׃
Haman ventured forth, that day, joyful and content; but when Haman perceived Mordechai at the gateway to the king, neglecting to rise or bestir himself for him, Haman was totally incensed at Mordechai.
Haman ventured forth, that day, joyful and content; but when Haman perceived Mordechai at the gateway to the king, neglecting to rise or bestir himself for him, Haman was totally incensed at Mordechai.
וַיִּתְאַפַּק הָמָן וַיָּבוֹא אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ וַיִּשְׁלַח וַיָּבֵא אֶת־אֹהֲבָיו וְאֶת־זֶרֶשׁ אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃
Haman restrained himself, arrived at his home, and gathered his friends and his wife Zeresh.
Haman restrained himself, arrived at his home, and gathered his friends and his wife Zeresh.
Rashi
ויתאפק. נתחזק לעמוד על כעסו כי היה ירא להנקם בלא רשות, ויתאפק, אישט"ניר בלע"ז:
[Haman] restrained himself. He strengthened himself to control his anger because he was afraid to take revenge without [the king’s] permission. וַיִּתְאַפַּק is e se retint in O.F. [and he controlled himself].
וַיְסַפֵּר לָהֶם הָמָן אֶת־כְּבוֹד עׇשְׁרוֹ וְרֹב בָּנָיו וְאֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר גִּדְּלוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר נִשְּׂאוֹ עַל־הַשָּׂרִים וְעַבְדֵי הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
Haman boasted, to them, of the glories of his affluence and of his profusion of sons; of all the eminence the king had given him, and that he had exalted him above the ministers and the royal servants.
Haman boasted, to them, of the glories of his affluence and of his profusion of sons; of all the eminence the king had given him, and that he had exalted him above the ministers and the royal servants.
וַיֹּאמֶר הָמָן אַף לֹא־הֵבִיאָה אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה עִם־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂתָה כִּי אִם־אוֹתִי וְגַם־לְמָחָר אֲנִי קָֽרוּא־לָהּ עִם־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
“And,” Haman declared, “Even now, Queen Esther let no man come with the king to the feast that she had prepared, but myself; moreover, tomorrow also I have been invited by her to join the king.
“And,” Haman declared, “Even now, Queen Esther let no man come with the king to the feast that she had prepared, but myself; moreover, tomorrow also I have been invited by her to join the king.
וְכׇל־זֶה אֵינֶנּוּ שֹׁוֶה לִי בְּכׇל־עֵת אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי רֹאֶה אֶת־מׇרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
Still, all this is meaningless to me whenever I see Mordechai the Yehudi sitting at the gateway to the king.”
Still, all this is meaningless to me whenever I see Mordechai the Yehudi sitting at the gateway to the king.”
Rashi
איננו שוה לי. איני חש לכל הכבוד אשר לי:
[This] is meaningless to me. I do not care for all the honor that I have.
בכל עת וגו'. אמרו רבותינו שהיה מראה לו שטר שמכר עצמו לעבד על חוסר מזונות כשנתמנו ראשי גייסות מרדכי והמן במלחמה אחת:
Whenever, etc. Our Rabbis said that he [Mordechai] would show him [Haman] a deed that he had sold himself [to Mordechai] as a slave because of lack of food when they were appointed—Mordechai and Haman as commanders of troops—in the same war.6Maseches Megillah 15a-b.
וַתֹּאמֶר לוֹ זֶרֶשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ וְכׇל־אֹֽהֲבָיו יַֽעֲשׂוּ־עֵץ גָּבֹהַּ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה וּבַבֹּקֶר ׀ אֱמֹר לַמֶּלֶךְ וְיִתְלוּ אֶֽת־מׇרְדֳּכַי עָלָיו וּבֹֽא־עִם־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה שָׂמֵחַ וַיִּיטַב הַדָּבָר לִפְנֵי הָמָן וַיַּעַשׂ הָעֵֽץ׃ {ס}
His wife Zeresh told him—and so too all his friends—“Let them build a gallows fifty amohs high. In the morning, suggest to the king that they hang Mordechai from it and join the king at the feast joyfully.” The scheme pleased Haman, and he built the gallows.
His wife Zeresh told him—and so too all his friends—“Let them build a gallows fifty amohs high. In the morning, suggest to the king that they hang Mordechai from it and join the king at the feast joyfully.” The scheme pleased Haman, and he built the gallows.
עד חצי המלכות. דבר שהוא באמצע ובחצי המלכות הוא בית המקדש שהתחילו לבנותו בימי כורש וחזר בו וצוה לבטל המלאכה ואחשורוש שעמד אחריו גם הוא ביטל המלאכה ופשוטו של מקרא אף אם תשאלי ממני חצי המלכות אתן לך:
Up until half the empire. A thing that is in the middle and at the halfway mark of the empire; that is, the Beis Hamikdosh, which they started to build in the days of Koresh, and he reneged and commanded to discontinue the work.3See Maseches Megillah 15b. And Achashveirosh, who succeeded him, he too discontinued the work. The simple meaning of the verse is, “Even if you request half of the empire from me, I will give it to you.”