| 1So the king and Haman came to drink with Queen Esther. |
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אוַיָּבֹ֤א הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ וְהָמָ֔ן לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת עִם־אֶסְתֵּ֥ר הַמַּלְכָּֽה: |
| 2And the king said to Esther also on the second day during the wine feast, "What is your petition, Queen Esther, and it shall be given to you. And what is your request, even up to half the kingdom, and it shall be granted." |
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בוַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּ֜ר גַּ֣ם בַּיּ֤וֹם הַשֵּׁנִי֙ בְּמִשְׁתֵּ֣ה הַיַּ֔יִן מַה־שְּׁאֵֽלָתֵ֛ךְ אֶסְתֵּ֥ר הַמַּלְכָּ֖ה וְתִנָּ֣תֵֽן לָ֑ךְ וּמַה־בַּקָּֽשָׁתֵ֛ךְ עַד־חֲצִ֥י הַמַּלְכ֖וּת וְתֵעָֽשׂ: |
| 3And Queen Esther replied and said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, O king, and if it pleases the king, may my life be given me in my petition and my people in my request. |
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גוַתַּ֨עַן אֶסְתֵּ֤ר הַמַּלְכָּה֙ וַתֹּאמַ֔ר אִם־מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֨יךָ֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ ט֑וֹב תִּנָּֽתֶן־לִ֤י נַפְשִׁי֙ בִּשְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔י וְעַמִּ֖י בְּבַקָּֽשָׁתִֽי: |
| may my life be given 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 kindred. |
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תִּנָּתֶן לִי נַפְשִׁי.
שֶׁלֹּא אֵהָרֵג בִּשְׁלשָׁה עָשָׂר בַּאֲדָר שֶׁגָּזַרְתָּ גְזֵרַת הֲרֵגָה עַל עַמִּי וּמוֹלַדְתִּי:
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| 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?” (below 8:6): “For how can I see, etc.?” |
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וְעַמִּי.
יִנָּתֵן לִי "בְּבַקָּשָׁתִי" שֶׁלֹּא יֵהָרְגוּ. וְאִם תּאמַר: מָה אִכְפַּת לָךְ? "כִּי אֵיכָכָה אוּכַל וְרָאִיתִי, וגו'":
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| 4For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish; now had we been sold for slaves and bondswomen, I would have kept silent, for the adversary has no consideration for the king's loss." |
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דכִּ֤י נִמְכַּ֨רְנוּ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמִּ֔י לְהַשְׁמִ֖יד לַֽהֲר֣וֹג וּלְאַבֵּ֑ד וְ֠אִלּ֠וּ לַֽעֲבָדִ֨ים וְלִשְׁפָח֤וֹת נִמְכַּ֨רְנוּ֙ הֶֽחֱרַ֔שְׁתִּי כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין הַצָּ֛ר שֹׁוֶ֖ה בְּנֶ֥זֶק הַמֶּֽלֶךְ: |
| for the adversary has no consideration for the king’s loss. He does not care for the king’s loss, for if he sought your benefit, he should have said, “Sell them for slaves and bondswomen and receive the money, or keep them to be your slaves, they and their descendants.” |
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כִּי אֵין הַצָּר שֹׁוֶה בְּנֵזֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ.
אֵינֶנּוּ חוֹשֵׁשׁ בְּנֵזֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁאִלּוּ רָדַף אַחַר הֲנָאָתְךָ, הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר: מְכֹר אוֹתָם לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחוֹת וְקַבֵּל הַמָּמוֹן אוֹ הַחֲיֵה אוֹתָם לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לַעֲבָדִים הֵם וְזַרְעָם:
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| 5And King Ahasuerus said, and he said to Queen Esther, "Who is this and where is he, who dared to do this?" |
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הוַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה מִ֣י ה֥וּא זֶה֙ וְאֵי־זֶ֣ה ה֔וּא אֲשֶׁר־מְלָא֥וֹ לִבּ֖וֹ לַֽעֲשׂ֥וֹת כֵּֽן: |
| And King Ahasuerus said, and he said to Queen Esther. Wherever it says, “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 by messenger, but now that he knew that she was of a royal family, he spoke to her personally. |
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וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ וַיֹּאמֶר לְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה.
כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וַיֹּאמֶר, וַיֹּאמֶר" שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים, אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא לְמִדְרָשׁ, וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ שֶׁל זֶה: בַּתְּחִלָּה הָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִמָּהּ עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ. עַכְשָׁיו שֶׁיָּדַע שֶׁמִּמִּשְׁפַּחַת מְלָכִים הִיא, דִּבֵּר עִמָּהּ הוּא בְעַצְמוֹ:
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| 6And Esther said, "An adversary and an enemy, this evil Haman!" And Haman became terrified before the king and the queen. |
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ווַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֶסְתֵּ֔ר אִ֚ישׁ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב הָמָ֥ן הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה וְהָמָ֣ן נִבְעָ֔ת מִלִּפְנֵ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ וְהַמַּלְכָּֽה: |
| 7And the king arose in his fury from the wine feast to the orchard garden, and Haman stood to beg for his life of Queen Esther, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. |
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זוְהַמֶּ֜לֶךְ קָ֤ם בַּֽחֲמָתוֹ֙ מִמִּשְׁתֵּ֣ה הַיַּ֔יִן אֶל־גִּנַּ֖ת הַבִּיתָ֑ן וְהָמָ֣ן עָמַ֗ד לְבַקֵּ֤שׁ עַל־נַפְשׁוֹ֙ מֵֽאֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה כִּ֣י רָאָ֔ה כִּי־כָֽלְתָ֥ה אֵלָ֛יו הָֽרָעָ֖ה מֵאֵ֥ת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ: |
| was determined. the evil, the hatred, and the vengeance were decided. |
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כִּי כָלְתָה.
נִגְמְרָה הָרָעָה וְהַשִּׂנְאָה וְהַנְּקָמָה:
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| 8Then the king returned from the orchard garden to the house of the wine feast, and Haman was falling on the couch upon which Esther was, and the king said, "Will you even force the queen with me in the house?" The word came out of the king's mouth, and they covered Haman's face. |
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חוְהַמֶּ֡לֶךְ שָׁב֩ מִגִּנַּ֨ת הַבִּיתָ֜ן אֶל־בֵּ֣ית | מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה הַיַּ֗יִן וְהָמָן֙ נֹפֵ֗ל עַל־הַמִּטָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶסְתֵּ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הֲ֠גַ֠ם לִכְבּ֧וֹשׁ אֶת־הַמַּלְכָּ֛ה עִמִּ֖י בַּבָּ֑יִת הַדָּבָ֗ר יָצָא֙ מִפִּ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּפְנֵ֥י הָמָ֖ן חָפֽוּ: |
| and Haman was falling. The angel pushed him. |
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וְהָמָן נֹפֵל.
הַמַּלְאָךְ דְּחָפוֹ:
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| On the couch upon which Esther was. Their custom was to sit at a meal [leaning] on their sides on couches, as is stated in the beginning of the Book (1:6): “couches of gold and silver” for those who participated in the banquet. |
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עַל הַמִּטָּה אֲשֶׁר אֶסְתֵּר עָלֶיהָ.
דַּרְכָּן הָיָה לֵישֵׁב בִּסְעוּדָה עַל צִדָּן עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּטּוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּרֹאשׁ הַסֵּפֶר: "מִטּוֹת זָהָב וָכֶסֶף" לִבְנֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה:
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| Will you even force. Heb. הֲגַם. This is an expression of wonder. לְכְבּוֹשּׁ [denotes] to subdue with force, like (Num. 32:22): “and the land is conquered (וְנִכְבְּשָּׁה).” |
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הֲגַם לִכְבּוֹשׁ.
לְשׁוֹן תֵּמַהּ הוּא. לִכְבּוֹשׁ לֶאֱנוֹס בְּחָזְקָה, כְּמוֹ "וְנִכְבְּשָׁה הָאָרֶץ":
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| 9Then said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains before the king, "Also, behold the gallows that Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke well for the king, standing in Haman's house, fifty cubits high!" And the king said, "Hang him on it!" |
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טוַיֹּ֣אמֶר חַ֠רְבוֹנָ֠ה אֶחָ֨ד מִן־הַסָּֽרִיסִ֜ים לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ גַּ֣ם הִנֵּֽה־הָעֵ֣ץ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֪ה הָמָן לְֽמָרְדֳּכַ֞י אֲשֶׁ֧ר דִּבֶּר־ט֣וֹב עַל־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ עֹמֵד֙ בְּבֵ֣ית הָמָ֔ן גָּבֹ֖הַּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אַמָּ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ תְּלֻ֥הוּ עָלָֽיו: |
| Also, behold the gallows. He also committed another evil, that he prepared the gallows to hang the king’s friend, who saved the king from poison. |
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גַּם הִנֵּה הָעֵץ.
"גַּם" רָעָה אַחֶרֶת עָשָׂה שֶׁהֵכִין הָעֵץ לִתְלוֹת אוֹהֲבוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ שֶׁהִצִּיל הַמֶּלֶךְ מִסַּם הַמָּוֶת:
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| 10And they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king's anger abated. |
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יוַיִּתְלוּ֙ אֶת־הָמָ֔ן עַל־הָעֵ֖ץ אֲשֶׁר־הֵכִ֣ין לְמָרְדֳּכָ֑י וַֽחֲמַ֥ת הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ שָׁכָֽכָה: |
