Tanach
Esther 9:20-28 אסתר ט׳:כ׳-כ״ח
Part of: Chapter 9
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיִּכְתֹּב מׇרְדֳּכַי אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיִּשְׁלַח סְפָרִים אֶל־כׇּל־הַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר בְּכׇל־מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הַקְּרוֹבִים וְהָרְחוֹקִֽים׃
Mordechai wrote of these matters, and dispatched scrolls to all the Yehudim in all of King Achashverosh’s colonies, those nearby and those distant.
Mordechai wrote of these matters, and dispatched scrolls to all the Yehudim in all of King Achashverosh’s colonies, those nearby and those distant.
Rashi
לְקַיֵּם עֲלֵיהֶם לִהְיוֹת עֹשִׂים אֵת יוֹם אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לְחֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר וְאֵת יוֹם־חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ בְּכׇל־שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָֽה׃
Mandating that they resolve to permanently observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and the fifteenth day of the month, each and every year.
Mandating that they resolve to permanently observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and the fifteenth day of the month, each and every year.
כַּיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר־נָחוּ בָהֶם הַיְּהוּדִים מֵאֹיְבֵיהֶם וְהַחֹדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר נֶהְפַּךְ לָהֶם מִיָּגוֹן לְשִׂמְחָה וּמֵאֵבֶל לְיוֹם טוֹב לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹתָם יְמֵי מִשְׁתֶּה וְשִׂמְחָה וּמִשְׁלֹחַ מָנוֹת אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ וּמַתָּנוֹת לָֽאֶבְיֹנִֽים׃
Corresponding with the days when the Yehudim realized deliverance from their antagonists, and the month which had been transformed for them, from one of anguish to rejoicing, from grief to days of celebration; to observe them as days of feasting and rejoicing, sending gifts of food to one another, and gifts to the poor.
Corresponding with the days when the Yehudim realized deliverance from their antagonists, and the month which had been transformed for them, from one of anguish to rejoicing, from grief to days of celebration; to observe them as days of feasting and rejoicing, sending gifts of food to one another, and gifts to the poor.
וְקִבֵּל הַיְּהוּדִים אֵת אֲשֶׁר־הֵחֵלּוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר־כָּתַב מׇרְדֳּכַי אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
The Yehudim accepted, as binding, the observances that they had begun, and those that Mordechai had mandated in his letter to them.
The Yehudim accepted, as binding, the observances that they had begun, and those that Mordechai had mandated in his letter to them.
כִּי הָמָן בֶּֽן־הַמְּדָתָא הָֽאֲגָגִי צֹרֵר כׇּל־הַיְּהוּדִים חָשַׁב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִים לְאַבְּדָם וְהִפִּל פּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל לְהֻמָּם וּֽלְאַבְּדָֽם׃
For Haman, the son of Hamdasa, the Agagite, oppressor of all the Yehudim, thought that he would annihilate the Yehudim. He cast a pur, meaning “lot,” to terrorize, then annihilate them.
For Haman, the son of Hamdasa, the Agagite, oppressor of all the Yehudim, thought that he would annihilate the Yehudim. He cast a pur, meaning “lot,” to terrorize, then annihilate them.
Rashi
כי המן בן המדתא. חשב להומם ולאבדם:
For Haman, the son of Hamdasa. Devised to terrify them and destroy them.
וּבְבֹאָהּ לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אָמַר עִם־הַסֵּפֶר יָשׁוּב מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׁב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִים עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וְתָלוּ אֹתוֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָיו עַל־הָעֵֽץ׃
But when she came before the king, he directed, in writing, that the evil scheme which he intended for the Yehudim rebound against his own head, and they hung him and his sons from a gallows.
But when she came before the king, he directed, in writing, that the evil scheme which he intended for the Yehudim rebound against his own head, and they hung him and his sons from a gallows.
Rashi
ובבאה. אסתר אל המלך להתחנן לו:
But when she came. [When] Esther [came] to the king to appeal to him.
אמר עם הספר. אמר המלך בפיו וצוה לכתוב ספרים שתשוב מחשבתו הרעה בראשו:
He directed in writing. The king stated orally and commanded to write letters that his [Haman’s] wicked scheme should return upon his own head.
עַל־כֵּן קָֽרְאוּ לַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה פוּרִים עַל־שֵׁם הַפּוּר עַל־כֵּן עַל־כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי הָאִגֶּרֶת הַזֹּאת וּמָֽה־רָאוּ עַל־כָּכָה וּמָה הִגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
For this reason, these days are entitled purim, because of the lottery. [They are celebrated] for this reason—because of all that is narrated in this letter. [This letter records] why they saw fit to act in such a way, and what happened to them as a result.
For this reason, these days are entitled purim, because of the lottery. [They are celebrated] for this reason—because of all that is narrated in this letter. [This letter records] why they saw fit to act in such a way, and what happened to them as a result.
Rashi
על כן על כל דברי האגרת הזאת. נקבעו הימים האלה ולכך נכתבה לדעת דורות הבאים:
For this reason ... because of all that is narrated in this letter. These days were designated, and therefore it [the Megillah] was written for the future generations to know.
ומה ראו. עושי המעשים האלו שעשאום:
Why they saw fit. Those who did these deeds, that they did them.
ומה הגיע אליהם. מה ראה אחשורוש שנשתמש בכלי הקודש ומה הגיע עליהם שבא שטן ורקד ביניהם והרג את ושתי, מה ראה המן שנתקנא במרדכי ומה הגיע אליו שתלו אותו ואת בניו, מה ראה מרדכי שלא יכרע ולא ישתחוה ומה ראתה אסתר שזימנה להמן:
And what happened to them as a result. What did Achashveirosh see that he used the sacred vessels, “and what happened to them as a result,” that Satan came and danced among them and slew Vashti. What did Haman see that he became jealous of Mordechai, “and what happened to him as a result,” that they hanged him and his sons. What did Mordechai see that he did not kneel or prostate himself, and what did Esther see that she invited Haman?8Maseches Megillah 19a.
קִיְּמוּ (וקבל) [וְקִבְּלוּ] הַיְּהוּדִים ׀ עֲלֵיהֶם ׀ וְעַל־זַרְעָם וְעַל כׇּל־הַנִּלְוִים עֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר לִהְיוֹת עֹשִׂים אֵת שְׁנֵי הַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה כִּכְתָבָם וְכִזְמַנָּם בְּכׇל־שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָֽה׃
The Yehudim resolved׀accepting as binding—for themselves, their progeny, and anyone associated with them, never to be changed, that they would observe these two days, as written, and at the proper time each year.
The Yehudim resolved׀accepting as binding—for themselves, their progeny, and anyone associated with them, never to be changed, that they would observe these two days, as written, and at the proper time each year.
Rashi
הנלוים עליהם. גרים העתידים להתגייר:
Anyone associated with them. Proselytes who are destined to convert to Judaism.9They too were affected by Haman’s decree because he tried to destroy the nation they would embrace at a future time.
ככתבם. שתהא המגילה כתובה כתב אשורית:
As written. That the Scroll [of Esther] should be written in the Ashuri script.10Ibid.
וְהַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה נִזְכָּרִים וְנַעֲשִׂים בְּכׇל־דּוֹר וָדוֹר מִשְׁפָּחָה וּמִשְׁפָּחָה מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וְעִיר וָעִיר וִימֵי הַפּוּרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֹא יַֽעַבְרוּ מִתּוֹךְ הַיְּהוּדִים וְזִכְרָם לֹא־יָסוּף מִזַּרְעָֽם׃ {ס}
These days shall be recalled and observed in every generation, by every family, in every colony and every city; and these Purim days shall never pass from among the Yehudim, nor their memory depart from their descendants.
These days shall be recalled and observed in every generation, by every family, in every colony and every city; and these Purim days shall never pass from among the Yehudim, nor their memory depart from their descendants.
Rashi
נזכרים. בקריאת מגילה:
Shall be recalled. With the reading of the Scroll [of Esther].11Talmud Yerushalmi Megillah 1:5.
ונעשים. משתה ושמחה ויום טוב לתת מנות ומתנות:
And observed. [As days of] feasting12Ibid. and rejoicing and a holiday, to give portions [of food to friends] and gifts [to the poor].
משפחה ומשפחה. מתאספין יחד ואוכלים ושותין יחד וכך קבלו עליהם שימי הפורים לא יעברו:
By every family. Gathers together and feast and drink together; and so they took upon themselves that the days of Purim would not be revoked.13Midrash Mishlei 9.
וזכרם. קריאת מגילה:
Their memory. The reading of the Scroll [of Esther].
לא יסוף. תרגום שלא יתום דמתרגם עד תום עד דסף וא"א לומר להיות מגזרת (בראשית יט) פן תספה ומגזרת (שמואל א כז) עתה אספה יום אחד שאם כן היה לו לכתוב לא יספה מזרעם:
Should not depart. The Aramaic translation of14There seems to be an error in Rashi’s text because Targum renders לא יסוף as לא ישתיצי. The suggested correct text omits the first two words “תרגום של” [=the Aramaic translation of] from Rashi’s text. (Sifsei Chachomim) יִתּם [= will end], for the Targum of עַד תּם15Bamidbar 32:13. is עַד דְּסָף [until it ended]. But it is impossible to say that it [יָסוּף] is derived from the same root as “lest you perish [תִּסָּפֶה]”16Bereishis 19:17. or from the same root as “I may perish [אֶסָּפֶה] one day,”17I Shmuel 27:1. for if it were so, Scripture should have written לֹּא יִסָּפֶה מִזַּרְעָם.
ויכתב מרדכי. היא המגלה הזאת כמות שהיא:
Mordechai wrote. This scroll [of Esther], as it is [i.e., in its present state].7To ensure the continued annual celebration of the Purim festival.