Tanach
Esther 7 אסתר ז׳
Part of: Setumah, Esther 6:1Setumah, Esther 7:5Setumah, Esther 7:9
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיָּבֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן לִשְׁתּוֹת עִם־אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּֽה׃
The king and Haman came to drink with Queen Esther.
The king and Haman came to drink with Queen Esther.
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּר גַּם בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי בְּמִשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן מַה־שְּׁאֵלָתֵךְ אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וְתִנָּתֵֽן לָךְ וּמַה־בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד־חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת וְתֵעָֽשׂ׃
The king said to Esther, at the second day’s winefest as well, “Whatever your request, Queen Esther, shall be granted you! Whatever you wish, even until half the empire, it shall be fulfilled!”
The king said to Esther, at the second day’s winefest as well, “Whatever your request, Queen Esther, shall be granted you! Whatever you wish, even until half the empire, it shall be fulfilled!”
וַתַּעַן אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וַתֹּאמַר אִם־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאִם־עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב תִּנָּֽתֶן־לִי נַפְשִׁי בִּשְׁאֵלָתִי וְעַמִּי בְּבַקָּשָׁתִֽי׃
Queen Esther replied, saying, “If I have gained your majesty’s favor and if his majesty deems it proper, let my life be granted me by my request, and my people by my wish.
Queen Esther replied, saying, “If I have gained your majesty’s favor and if his majesty deems it proper, let my life be granted me by my request, and my people by my wish.
Rashi
ועמי ינתן לי בבקשתי שלא יהרגו ואם תאמר מה איכפת לך כי איככה אוכל וראיתי וגו':
And my people. Shall be given me in my request, that they should not be slain. Now if you ask, “What does it concern you?” [my answer is] “For how can I see, etc.?”1Below 8:6.
כִּי נִמְכַּרְנוּ אֲנִי וְעַמִּי לְהַשְׁמִיד לַהֲרוֹג וּלְאַבֵּד וְאִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחוֹת נִמְכַּרְנוּ הֶחֱרַשְׁתִּי כִּי אֵין הַצָּר שֹׁוֶה בְּנֵזֶק הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ {ס}
For we were sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, slaughtered, and annihilated. Now, had we been sold as slaves and maidservants, I would have remained silent, but the oppressor has no regard for losses incurred by his majesty.
For we were sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, slaughtered, and annihilated. Now, had we been sold as slaves and maidservants, I would have remained silent, but the oppressor has no regard for losses incurred by his majesty.
Rashi
כי אין הצר שוה בנזק המלך. איננו חושש בנזק המלך שאילו רדף אחר הנאתך היה לו לומר מכור אותם לעבדים ולשפחות וקבל הממון או החי' אותם להיות לך לעבדים הם וזרעם:
For the oppressor has no regard for losses incurred by his majesty. He is not concerned about the king’s loss, for if he had sought your benefit, he should have said, “Sell them as slaves and maidservants and take the money,” or “keep them now to be your slaves, they and their descendants.”
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ וַיֹּאמֶר לְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה מִי הוּא זֶה וְאֵֽי־זֶה הוּא אֲשֶׁר־מְלָאוֹ לִבּוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּֽן׃
King Achashverosh spoke. He said to Queen Esther, “Who is this? Who is the one that had the audacity to act this way?”
King Achashverosh spoke. He said to Queen Esther, “Who is this? Who is the one that had the audacity to act this way?”
Rashi
ויאמר המלך אחשורוש ויאמר לאסתר המלכה. כל מקום שנאמר ויאמר ויאמר ב' פעמים אינו אלא למדרש ומדרשו של זה בתחלה היה מדבר עמה על ידי שליח עכשיו שידע שממשפחת מלכים היא דבר עמה הוא בעצמו:
King Achashveirosh spoke. He said to Queen Esther. Wherever it states, “and he said ... and he said,” twice, it is to be expounded upon. And the Midrashic interpretation of this is: Originally, he would speak to her through an intermediary, but now that he knew that she was of a royal family, he spoke to her personally.2Maseches Megillah 16a.
וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר אִישׁ צַר וְאוֹיֵב הָמָן הָרָע הַזֶּה וְהָמָן נִבְעַת מִלִּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַמַּלְכָּֽה׃
Esther exclaimed, “An oppressive man, an enemy—this evil Haman!”—and Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
Esther exclaimed, “An oppressive man, an enemy—this evil Haman!”—and Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
וְהַמֶּלֶךְ קָם בַּחֲמָתוֹ מִמִּשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן אֶל־גִּנַּת הַבִּיתָן וְהָמָן עָמַד לְבַקֵּשׁ עַל־נַפְשׁוֹ מֵֽאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה כִּי רָאָה כִּֽי־כָלְתָה אֵלָיו הָרָעָה מֵאֵת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
The king rose, in a fit of rage, from the winefest toward the orchard garden, while Haman got up to plead with Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that it would end up badly for him from the king.
The king rose, in a fit of rage, from the winefest toward the orchard garden, while Haman got up to plead with Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that it would end up badly for him from the king.
Rashi
כי כלתה. נגמרה הרעה והשנאה והנקמה:
That it would end up. The evil, the hatred, and the vengeance were decided.
וְהַמֶּלֶךְ שָׁב מִגִּנַּת הַבִּיתָן אֶל־בֵּית ׀ מִשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן וְהָמָן נֹפֵל עַל־הַמִּטָּה אֲשֶׁר אֶסְתֵּר עָלֶיהָ וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ הֲגַם לִכְבּוֹשׁ אֶת־הַמַּלְכָּה עִמִּי בַּבָּיִת הַדָּבָר יָצָא מִפִּי הַמֶּלֶךְ וּפְנֵי הָמָן חָפֽוּ׃ {ס}
When the king returned from the orchard garden to the winefest room, Haman had fallen on the couch upon which Esther reclined. The king exclaimed, “Even to overpower the queen with me in the palace?” The words left the king’s mouth, and Haman’s face was enveloped in humiliation.
When the king returned from the orchard garden to the winefest room, Haman had fallen on the couch upon which Esther reclined. The king exclaimed, “Even to overpower the queen with me in the palace?” The words left the king’s mouth, and Haman’s face was enveloped in humiliation.
Rashi
והמן נפל. המלאך דחפו:
Haman had fallen. The angel pushed him.3Ibid. The literal translation is “and Haman was falling,” meaning that he tried to rise but the angel kept pushing him onto the couch and into a compromising position, which infuriated the king even more.
על המטה אשר אסתר עליה. דרכן היה לישב בסעודה על צדן על גבי המטות כמו שאמר בראש הספר מטות זהב וכסף לבני המשתה:
On the couch upon which Esther reclined. Their custom was to sit at a meal [reclining] on their sides on couches, as it is stated in the beginning of the Book, “couches of gold and silver”4Above 1:6. for those who participated in the feast.
הגם לכבוש. לשון תימה הוא לכבוש לאנוס בחזקה כמו (במדבר לב) ונכבשה הארץ:
Even to overpower the queen. This is an expression of wonder. לִכְבּוֹשׁ [denotes] to subdue with force, as in “and the land is conquered [וְנִכְבְּשָׁה].”5Bamidbar 32:22.
וַיֹּאמֶר חַרְבוֹנָה אֶחָד מִן־הַסָּרִיסִים לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ גַּם הִנֵּה־הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה הָמָן לְֽמׇרְדֳּכַי אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר־טוֹב עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ עֹמֵד בְּבֵית הָמָן גָּבֹהַּ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ תְּלֻהוּ עָלָֽיו׃
Then Charvonah declared, [he was] one of the king’s personal stewards, “Moreover, there is the gallows which Haman built for Mordechai, who spoke up in favor of the king, standing in Haman’s house—fifty amohs high.” The king commanded, “Hang him from it.”
Then Charvonah declared, [he was] one of the king’s personal stewards, “Moreover, there is the gallows which Haman built for Mordechai, who spoke up in favor of the king, standing in Haman’s house—fifty amohs high.” The king commanded, “Hang him from it.”
Rashi
גם הנה העץ. גם רעה אחרת עשה שהכין העץ לתלות אוהבו של מלך שהציל המלך מסם המות:
Moreover, there is the gallows. He “also” committed another evil, that he prepared the gallows to hang the king’s friend, who saved the king from [being] poison[ed].
וַיִּתְלוּ אֶת־הָמָן עַל־הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר־הֵכִין לְמׇרְדֳּכָי וַחֲמַת הַמֶּלֶךְ שָׁכָֽכָה׃ {פ}
They hung Haman from the gallows which he had prepared for Mordechai, and the king’s anger dissipated.
They hung Haman from the gallows which he had prepared for Mordechai, and the king’s anger dissipated.
תנתן לי נפשי. שלא אהרג בשלשה עשר באדר שגזרת גזירת הריגה על עמי ומולדתי:
Let my life be granted me. That I should not be slain on the thirteenth of Adar, for you have issued an edict of massacre upon my people and my heritage.