The Eddie B. Sit Edition and audio series of the Talmud Bavli, Masechet Megillah, has been dedicated by our good friend Mr. Stephen and his wife Gila Israel, a charter member of our Daf Yomi shiur, for the success of both sets of parents and, of course, their dear children. May Hashem safeguard and sustain them, and with the help of Hashem, may they continue to flourish in all their endeavors. This masechet has also been dedicated by Stephen and his wife for the elevation of the souls of Adele bat Rosa and Sara bat Adele. May the spirit of Hashem rest upon them in Gan Eden, along with all the daughters of Israel who lie with them, in all mercy and forgiveness, and let us say Amen. Today's daf is being studied for the elevation of the soul of Ezra ben Maryam, dedicated by Mr. Simon Meyer. Ezra ben Maryam, may the spirit of Hashem rest upon him in Gan Eden, Amen. Daf Yud Alef, today's daf is also being studied for the elevation of the soul of Avraham ben Esther, may the spirit of Hashem rest upon him in Gan Eden, Amen.
We begin today's daf on Yud Alef Amud Bet, starting five lines from the bottom. We are in a sugya discussing the various introductory pesukim that the rabbis used to introduce Megillat Esther. It appears that the custom in ancient times was that before the rabbi would deliver his derasha on Megillat Esther, he would present a headline pasuk, which would serve as a springboard into other derashot discussing Megillat Esther. On the previous amud, we have been presenting different introductory pesukim that the rabbis were accustomed to use in their remarks regarding Megillat Esther. The Gemara continues.
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana opened his remarks regarding Megillat Esther with the following pasuk: "Le'adam she-tov lefanav natan chochma vedat vesimcha." To the one who is good in the eyes of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, God gives wisdom, understanding, and happiness. This refers to Mordechai HaTzaddik. And to the sinner, He gives the ability to amass wealth. This refers to Haman. What was the end game? "Latet letov lifne ha'elohim." In order to eventually give it to the good man, meaning Haman was set up to collect all his wealth so that he could eventually transfer it to the bank account of Mordechai. This is reaffirmed in the pasuk: "Vatasem Esther et Mordechai al beit Haman." At the end of the Megillah, it states that Achashverosh or Esther appointed Mordechai as the manager of Haman's estate, meaning he acquired all of Haman's wealth.
Rabba bar Ufran opened with the following pasuk: "Vesamti kis-i be-Elam veha'avadeti misham melech vesarim." Borei Olam says, "I will set my throne in Elam, and I will destroy kings and princes there." Rashi tells us that Elam refers to Shushan HaBirah, as it was in the province of Elam. The pasuk explains: "Melech zu Vashti." When it says that God will destroy the king, this refers to Vashti, who was destroyed. Achashverosh survived, but Vashti was the one who faced destruction, being a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar, hence she is referred to here as "Melech." And who are the princes? "Zeh Haman ve'aseret banav." This refers to Haman and his ten sons, who were also princes and were all destroyed.
The Gemara continues. Rav Dimi bar Yitzchak opened with the following pasuk: "Ki avadim anachnu uva'avdutenu lo azavanu Eloheinu." For we are slaves, and in our servitude, our God has not forsaken us. "Vayet aleinu chesed lifnei malchei Paras." He directed goodwill towards us from the Persian kings. When did this pasuk come to fruition? Eimatai? This occurred during the times of Haman. Rashi tells us that the end of the pasuk is: "Vayet aleinu chesed lifnei malchei Paras latet aleinu michya." To grant us life. When did He grant us life? When the gezeira of Haman was overturned, which was intended to destroy, kill, and annihilate us, instead He granted us life, and His gezeira was overturned.
Rabbi Chanina bar Pappa opened his remarks with the following pasuk: "Hirkavta enosh leroshinu banu ba'esh uvamayim." You mounted a mortal human being over our heads. We entered fire and water. This pasuk is from Tehillim. The Gemara asks: When did we enter the fires? "Ba'esh," during the days of Nebuchadnezzar HaRasha, who cast Chananya, Mishael, and Azarya into a fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to an idol. And when did we enter the waters? "Uvamayim," during the days of Pharaoh, when he decreed that every male child be thrown into the river. "Vayotzieinu larvaya," and You brought us out into abundance, that was in the days of Haman, which means the exposure of Haman took place at a party.
Rabbi Yochanan opened with the following pasuk: "Zachar chasdo ve'emunato l'veit Yisrael ra'u chol afsei aretz et yeshuat Elokeinu." Borei Olam recalled His kindness and pledge to the House of Israel, and to the ends of the earth, they saw the salvation of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. When did the entire world see the salvation that Hakadosh Baruch Hu performed for the Jewish people? Eimatai? This occurred during the days of Mordechai and Esther. The Maharsha explains that Achashverosh was the king of the entire world, and thus when the letters went out, they reached the whole world, and when the letters were retracted, the entire world became aware of the miracle that Hakadosh Baruch Hu performed, which was a novelty since normally, miraculous events for the Jews did not become known to the entire world.
Resh Lakish opened with the following pasuk: "Ari nohem, vedov shokek, moshel rasha al am dal." The lion roars, and the bear growls; so too a wicked ruler over a poor nation. The roaring lion refers to Nebuchadnezzar HaRasha, who destroyed the Beit HaMikdash, as it is written: "Ala aryeh mesubbacho," which literally means a lion arose from his thicket. The growling bear refers to Achashverosh, as it is written in Daniel, where Daniel had a dream of the different exiles. When it came to the Persian exile, he saw a beast that resembled a bear. The Gemara explains why: "Elu Parsiyim, she'ochlim ve'shotim ke'dov." These Persians eat and drink like a bear; they are covered with flesh like a bear; they grow hair like a bear; and they are never at rest, referring to Achashverosh.
The wicked ruler, "Zeh Haman," is the one who rules over a poor nation, which refers to Israel, who were impoverished in their observance of the commandments. Rabbi Elazar opened with the following pasuk: "Ba'atzaltayim yimach ha'mekareh, u'vishiflut yadayim yidlof ha'bayit." Literally, through laziness, the ceiling collapses. The Gemara explains that this refers to the laziness of the Jewish people, who did not engage in Torah study during the times of Achashverosh, leading to their becoming the enemy of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, as they did not allow Him to save them. As a result of their bitul Torah, it was as if Hakadosh Baruch Hu became impoverished, meaning He could not save Klal Yisrael.
Rav Nachman Bar Yitzchak opened with the following pasuk: "Shir Ha'maalot Lulei Hashem She'hayah Lanu Yomar Na Yisrael." The Jewish people said, had Hashem not been with us, the Jewish people said, "Lulei Hashem She'hayah Lanu," if it weren't for Hashem being with us, "Be'kum Aleinu Adam," when the man came against us. The Gemara interprets: "Adam ve'lo Melech." In this situation, it was unique because normally, it was the antisemitic kings who came against Klal Yisrael. In this case, it was different; Haman was not a king, but a man, which made it a more serious case.
The Mepharshim explain that a king must consider his image and the repercussions of committing genocide against an entire people, while Haman, as a common citizen, had nothing to lose and thus posed a greater threat. Therefore, when "Be'kum Aleinu Adam," it was a more severe situation. The Gemara cites that the pasuk states: "Lev Melachim Ve'sarim Be'yad Hashem," meaning the heart of kings is controlled by Hakadosh Baruch Hu. The Gemara states that anyone who troubles Israel becomes a king, which is beneficial because once they become a king, God restrains them. However, if they do not become a king, they have more leeway, which made Haman's situation even more serious.
Rav opened with the following pasuk: "Birvot tzaddikim yismach ha'am." When the righteous are exalted, the people rejoice. "Uvimshol rasha ye'enach ha'am." But when the wicked rule, the people sigh. "Birvot tzaddikim yismach ha'am," refers to the tzaddikim Mordechai and Esther, as it is written: "V'ha'ir Shushan tzahala v'simcha." The city of Shushan was cheerful and glad. However, "Uvimshol rasha ye'enach ha'am," when the rasha ruled, the people sighed, referring to Haman, as it is written: "V'ha'ir Shushan navocha." The city of Shushan was bewildered after Haman made his decree to annihilate the Jewish people.
Then the Gemara states that Rav Matna opened Megillah with the following pasuk: "Ki mi goy gadol asher lo Elohim kerovim elav." Who is like the Jewish nation, that God is so close to them? The Mepharshim explain that Haman claimed regarding the Jewish people: "Yeshno am echad mefuzar umforad bein ha'amim bechol medinot malchutecha," meaning he asserted that the Jewish people were scattered everywhere. However, the Maharsha states that this does not mean anything, as Borei Olam is close to them wherever they are. "Bechol koreinu elav," for wherever they call me from, Borei Olam is close to them.
Rabbi Ashi opened with the pasuk: "Hanissah Elohim lakachat lo goy mikerev goy." This refers to the correlation between the redemption during Purim and the redemption in Egypt. In the story of Egypt, the Egyptians attempted to annihilate the Jewish people by throwing all the Jewish babies into the water. The Gemara states: "Midah k'neged midah," as the Jewish people were to be annihilated, it was the Egyptians who faced the same fate. Similarly, during Purim, the Jewish people were meant to be destroyed, but instead, it was a goy who faced the same fate, as Haman and his sons were hanged.
Now the Gemara begins to analyze the name Achashverosh. Why was he called Achashverosh? Rav explains that he was the brother of the head and had the same character as the head. The Gemara will clarify that the head refers to Nebuchadnezzar. Thus, Achashverosh is an abbreviation: "Ach rosh," the brother of the head. The Gemara states that he had the same character as Nebuchadnezzar, who was successful in killing and destroying the Beit HaMikdash. Achashverosh sought to destroy it as well, as it is written: "Uve-malchut Achashverosh bi-tchilat malchuto katvu sitna al yoshvei Yehuda vi-Yerushalayim." Before Achashverosh's reign, there was a movement in Eretz Yisrael to rebuild the Beit HaMikdash under Zerubbabel's leadership, but Achashverosh participated in halting its construction.
Shmuel explains that the Jewish people's faces became darkened like the bottom of a pot on the fire during Achashverosh's reign. Therefore, Achashverosh, in this sense, is referred to as "Esh shachor." Rabbi Yochanan states that anyone who mentions Achashverosh would say "ach," indicating woe to themselves or woe to his head. Rabbi Chanina states that everyone became poor during his time, thus Achashverosh comes from the term "rash," meaning poor. It is written: "Vayasem hamelech Achashverosh mas," as he levied taxes, causing the people to become impoverished.
The Gemara continues, stating that it is redundant to say "Hu Achashverosh." The Gemara explains that he was a rasha from the beginning to the end of the story. Just as we saw in the beginning, before the story of Achashverosh and Purim, he sought to stop the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash, and he remained a rasha when he conspired against the Jewish people with Haman. From the beginning of his reign to the end, he was consistently the same.
Now the discussion shifts to Esav. The Gemara states that Esav was also a rasha from the beginning to the end, as he sold his birthright to Yaakov and disrespected it. At the end of his life, he protested at the burial of Yaakov Avinu. Thus, he too was a rasha from beginning to end. The same applies to Datan and Aviram, who were wicked from beginning to end. They were the ones who informed on Moshe and later joined Korach in his rebellion against Moshe Rabbeinu.
Rabbi Levi states that Esther opened with the pasuk: "Ve-im lo torishu et yoshvei ha-aretz." This pasuk warns that if the Jewish people do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, they will become a thorn in their side. Shaul HaMelech was commanded to destroy Amalek. Because he did not fulfill this divine command, Amalek persisted, leading to Haman's emergence.
Now the Gemara continues, stating that Rav Chiyya opened with the pasuk: "Ve-haya ka-asher dimiti la'asot lahem e'ese lachem." This warns Israel that if they do not fulfill their duty to destroy their enemies, they will face consequences. The Gemara emphasizes that Achashverosh is the embodiment of the rasha, as he ruled during this time.
The Gemara now begins to analyze Achashverosh's name. Achashverosh is interpreted as "Achiv shel rosh," referring to his connection to Nebuchadnezzar. The Gemara explains that Achashverosh had the same character, desiring to destroy the Beit HaMikdash and seeking the downfall of the Jewish people. The Gemara also notes that he was a rasha from beginning to end, highlighting the continuity of evil in his reign.
Now the Gemara discusses the scope of Achashverosh's reign: "Me'hodu ve'ad Kush." The Gemara seeks to clarify where these two places are. Rav and Shmuel debate whether Hodu and Kush were at opposite ends of the world or adjacent to each other. The point being made is that Achashverosh ruled over a vast empire, emphasizing his dominion.
The Gemara states that there were three kings who ruled the entire world: Achav, Achashverosh, and Nebuchadnezzar. The Gemara provides evidence for each of these kings, demonstrating their dominion over various nations and territories. The Gemara concludes that Achashverosh's rule extended from Hodu to Kush, showcasing his extensive power.
As the Gemara continues, it examines the events leading up to the celebration of Achashverosh's party. It notes that this occurred in the first year of his reign, but the party itself took place in the third year. The Gemara clarifies that this does not present a contradiction; rather, it signifies that Achashverosh's mind was settled, allowing him to celebrate without fear of rebellion from the Jewish people.
Ultimately, the Gemara concludes with a discussion of the significance of the events surrounding Achashverosh, Haman, and the Jewish people's survival. The narrative of Purim serves as a testament to the resilience of the Jewish people and the providence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu in their times of distress. The celebration of Purim is a reminder of the miracles that transpired during this period, and the lessons learned from the trials faced by the Jewish people.
Baruch Adonai L'Olam, Amen ve'Amen.