## Rashi on Esther Chapter 3

###### Rashi on Esther 3:1:1
[Rashi on Esther 3:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:1:1)

**אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה.** שֶׁנִבְרֵאת רְפוּאָה זוּ לִהְיוֹת לִתְשׁוּעָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**After these events.** That this remedy was created as a salvation for Yisroel.


###### Rashi on Esther 3:1:2
[Rashi on Esther 3:1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:1:2)

**גִּדַּל הַמֶּלֶךְ וְגוֹ' אֶת הָמָן.** שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בּוֹרֵא רְפוּאָה לְמַכָּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל קוֹדֶם שֶׁיָבִיא הַמַּכָּה עֲלֵיהֶם:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**King [Achashveirosh] conferred eminence on Haman.** For the Holy One Blessed Is He, creates a remedy for Yisroel’s blow before He brings the blow upon them.¹

footnotes:
¹ Maseches Megillah 13b.


###### Rashi on Esther 3:2:1
[Rashi on Esther 3:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:2:1)

**כֹּרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים.** שֶׁעָשָׂה עַצְמוֹ אֱלוֹהַּ, לְפִיכָךְ, וּמָרְדְּכַי לֹא יִכְרַע וְלֹא יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Kneeled and prostrated themselves.** Because he made himself as a god;² therefore, “but Mordechai would neither kneel nor prostrate himself.”

footnotes:
² Esther Rabbah 7:5. Alternatively, his robes were decorated with idols. (Ibn Ezra)


###### Rashi on Esther 3:4:1
[Rashi on Esther 3:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:4:1)

**הֲיַעַמְדוּ דִּבְרֵי מָרְדְּכַי.** הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה עוֹלָמִית, כִּי הוּא יְהוּדִי, וְהוּזְהַר עַל עֲבוֹדַת אֱלִילִים:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**If Mordechai’s avowal would be sustained.** Who said that he would never prostrate himself because he is a Jew, and was admonished against idolatry.³

footnotes:
³ Esther Rabbah 7:8. When his servants told him that Mordechai refused to kneel, Haman remarked that Mordechai’s ancestors, Yaakov, Rachel and their children had prostrated themselves before Eisav, Haman’s ancestor. Upon hearing Haman’s remark, Mordechai replied that he was a descendant of Binyamin, who was born after Yaakov’s meeting with Eisav, and who had thus never prostrated himself before Eisav. Alternatively, היעמדו דברי מרדכי means “whether Mordechai’s words will avail,” i.e., if his actions were successful they would become a precedent for others to follow.


###### Rashi on Esther 3:7:1
[Rashi on Esther 3:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:7:1)

**הִפִּיל פּוּר.** הִפִּיל מִי שֶׁהִפִּיל, וְלֹא פִּירֵשׁ מִי. וּמִקְרָא קָצֵר הוּא:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**A *pur* was cast.** Whoever cast, cast, and the verse does not specify who [cast the *pur*]. This is an abbreviated verse.


###### Rashi on Esther 3:7:2
[Rashi on Esther 3:7:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:7:2)

**הוּא הַגּוֹרָל.** הַכָּתוּב מְפָרֵשׁ וּמַהוּ הַפּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל. הִפִּיל הַגּוֹרָל בְּאֵיזֶה חֹדֶשׁ יַצְלִיחַ:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Meaning “lot.**” Scripture explains; and what is the *pur*? “That is the lot.” He cast lots [to determine] in which month he would succeed.


###### Rashi on Esther 3:7:3
[Rashi on Esther 3:7:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:7:3)

**מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם.** בְּאֵיזֶה יוֹם בַּחֹדֶשׁ יַצְלִיחַ:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**For a specific day.** On which day of the month he would succeed.⁴

footnotes:
⁴ Haman felt gratified when the lot he cast resulted in the month of Adar, because Moshe died in that month so it was obviously an inopportune time for the Jews. (Maseches Megillah 13b)


###### Rashi on Esther 3:8:1
[Rashi on Esther 3:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:8:1)

**וְאֶת דָּתֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ.** לָתֵת מַס לַעֲבוֹדַת הַמֶּלֶךְ:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**And [they do not abide by] his majesty’s bylaws.** To pay taxes for the king’s work.


###### Rashi on Esther 3:8:2
[Rashi on Esther 3:8:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:8:2)

**אֵין שֹׁוֶה.** אֵין חֲשַׁשׁ. כְּלוֹמַר אֵין בֶּצַע:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Has nothing to gain.** There is no apprehension; i.e., there is no profit by letting the Jews live.


###### Rashi on Esther 3:9:1
[Rashi on Esther 3:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:9:1)

**יִכָּתֵב לְאַבְּדָם.** יִכָּתֵב סְפָרִים לִשְׁלֹחַ לְשָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינוֹת לְאַבְּדָם:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Let it be inscribed that they are to be exterminated.** Let letters be written to be sent to the ministers of the provinces to destroy them.⁵

footnotes:
⁵ Haman had advised Achashveirosh to entice the Jews into behaving sinfully so that they would incur God’s wrath. Following Haman’s advice, Achashveirosh invited the Jews to the royal feast. Using his foresight, Mordechai them not to attend. However, many ignored his warning and joined in the drunken debauchery. The incriminating angel then argued that the Jews were worthy of destruction, and God agreed. (Esther Rabbah 7:13)


###### Rashi on Esther 3:10:1
[Rashi on Esther 3:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:10:1)

**וַיָּסַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת טַבַּעְתּוֹ.** הוּא מַתַּן כָּל דָּבָר גָּדוֹל שֶׁיִּשְׁאֲלוּ מֵאֵת הַמֶּלֶךְ, לִהְיוֹת מִי שֶׁהַטַּבַּעַת בְּיָדוֹ שַׁלִּיט בְּכָל דְּבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**The king removed his ring.** This represents the granting of any great matter that is required of the king;⁶ that the one who has the ring on his hand is the ruler over all the king’s affairs.

footnotes:
⁶ Otherwise why would the king present the ring to Haman who did not ask for it but rather requested to annihilate the Jews. The king’s removal of his ring was more effective than the forty-eight prophets sent by God to admonish the Jews. They were unable to convince them to repent, but the transfer of the ring to Haman resulted in repentance and three days of fasting. (Maseches Megillah 14a)


###### Rashi on Esther 3:13:1
[Rashi on Esther 3:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:13:1)

**וְנִשְׁלוֹחַ סְפָרִים.** וְיִהְיוּ נִשְׁלָחִים אישטר"א טרמי"ש בלע"ז. וְהוּא מִגִּזְרַת "אִם נִלְחוֹם נִלְחַם" נִלְחוֹם, "הַנִגְלֹה נִגְלֵיתִי" נִגְלֹה, "נִדְמֹה נִדְמֵיתִי": נִדְמֹה:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**So that scrolls would be dispatched.** And letters shall be sent, *estre tramis* in O.F. [to be sent], which is of the [same grammatical] form as, “Did he ever fight [נִלְחוֹם]?”⁷ and as “Did I not appear [הַנִגְלֹה]?”⁸ and as “will be silenced [נִדְמֹה].”⁹

footnotes:
⁷ Shoftim 11:25.
⁸ I Shmuel 2:27.
⁹ Hoshea 10:15.


###### Rashi on Esther 3:13:2
[Rashi on Esther 3:13:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:13:2)

**בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר לְחֹדֶשׁ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר.** בְּיוֹם י"ג לְאוֹתוֹ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהוּא י"ב לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָנָה:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month.** On the thirteenth day of that month [Adar], which is the twelfth of the months of the year.


###### Rashi on Esther 3:14:1
[Rashi on Esther 3:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:14:1)

**פַּתְשֶׁגֶן.** לָשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי פַּתְשֶׁגֶן סִפּוּר הַכְּתָב דרישמאנ"ט בְּלַעַ"ז:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**The terms.** An Aramaic term [meaning] the account of the writ, *disreinement* in O.F. [text, content, account].


###### Rashi on Esther 3:14:2
[Rashi on Esther 3:14:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:14:2)

**לְהִנָּתֵן דָּת.** צִוּוּי הַכְּתָב שֶׁהָיָה אוֹמֵר לְהִנָּתֵן חֹק גְּזֵרַת הַמֶּלֶךְ:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Would become legally binding.** The command of the writ which proclaimed that the decree of the king should be issued as a statute.


###### Rashi on Esther 3:14:3
[Rashi on Esther 3:14:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:14:3)

**גָּלוּי לְכָל הָעַמִּים.** דָּבָר זֶה:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Displayed conspicuously before all the people.** This matter [that they be prepared for this specific date].


###### Rashi on Esther 3:15:1
[Rashi on Esther 3:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:15:1)

**וְהַדָּת נִתְּנָה בְּשׁוּשַׁן.** מָקוֹם שֶׁהָיָה הַמֶּלֶךְ שָׁם נִתַּן הַחֹק בּוֹ בַיּוֹם, לִהְיוֹת עֲתִידִים לְיוֹם י"ג לְחֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר. לְכַךְ,

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**And the decree was delivered in Shushan.** The place where the king was situated; there the statute was issued on that day, to be poised for the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. Therefore,


###### Rashi on Esther 3:15:2
[Rashi on Esther 3:15:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Esther/r/3:15:2)

**וְהָעִיר שׁוּשָׁן נָבוֹכָה.** הַיְּהוּדִים שֶׁבָּהּ:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**The city of Shushan was in confusion.** I.e., the Jews therein.¹⁰

footnotes:
¹⁰ The gentiles of Shushan began to harass and taunt the Jews by telling them that they will be killed and their money will be confiscated. (Esther Rabbah 7:25)