ESTHER RABBAH

The second verse in Megillat Esther says: In those days when the King Achashverosh was sitting on his
throne that was in Shushan. At first glance it seems as though the megillah is providing a historical
fact. However, this is not so, as Chazal explain how such a small, “insignificant” statement is replete
with hashgacha pratit (Divine providence). The Midrash explains that Achashverosh longed to have
Shlomo Hamelech’s magnificent throne. He therefore hired artisans in Shushan to build a throne
identical to the original. However, after the throne’s completion, they realized that it was too heavy
to be brought to Bavel, which was the true capital of Achashverosh’s empire. Achashverosh desired
this royal throne so much that he decided to change his capital from Bavel to Shushan so that he
would be able to rule while seated on it (Esther Rabbah 1:12).

MEGILLAH ON
And it came to pass [vayhi] in the days of Achashverosh. Rabbi Levi ‫ ָאַמר ַר ִּבי ֵלִוי ְוִא יֵּת יָמא ַר ִּבי‬.‫ַוְיִהי ִּביֵמ י ֲא ַחְׁש ֵורֹוׁש‬
ESTHER 1:1 said, and some say [that it was] Rabbi Yonatan [who said]: This matter is
a tradition [received] from the members of the Great Assembly.
,‫ ָּד ָבר ֶזה ָמ סֹוֶר ת ְּבָיֵד ינּו ֵמַאְנֵׁש י ְּכֶנֶסת ַהְּגדֹוָלה‬:‫יֹוָנָת ן‬
Anywhere that vayhi is stated, it is [an ominous] term [indicating… .‫ׇּכ ל ָמקֹום ֶׁשֶּנֱא ַמר ״ַוְיִהי״ ֵא ינֹו ֶאָּלא ְלׁשֹון ַצַער‬
impending] grief [as if the word were a contraction of the words vai and
hi, meaning woe and mourning] (Megillah 10 2:4).

‫ כתבו המפרשים משום דכיון דמייחס הכתוב את הימים לאדם אחד כאלו הימים לו לבדו הם ולא‬,‫טעם הדבר דכל ויהי בימי אינו אלא לשון צער‬
Achashverosh. And‫באחשורוש‬
Shmuel‫הרעה‬
said:‫תלה‬
[The
‫ ומאת הקב״ה לא תצא הרעות לכן‬,‫ אלא ודאי משום שהם ימי צרה‬,‫לכל באי עולם והול״ל ויהי במלוך אחשורוש‬.
name Achashverosh should be understood
in the sense of black‫התרגום‬
[shaḥor], as] the face
‫שמירת‬
of the Jewish people was blackened in his
days like the bottomThe purpose
of a pot. And Rabbi of "And it came to pass [vayhi] in the days of” is nothing but a
Yoḥanan said [a different explanation:]
Everyone who recalled language
him said: “Woe of sorrow. The commentators wrote that
upon his head” [aḥ lerosho]. And Rabbi
because the scriptures attribute the days to one person,
Ḥanina said: [The name alludes to the
fact] that everyone asbecame if poor
the[rash]
days in are for him alone and not for everyone in
his days*, as it is stated: “And the king
Achashverosh laid athe tributeworld. That is why the evil hangs in the air.
upon the land”
(Esther 10:1). Megillah 11a:16
*As a result of taxes and property taxes (Torah
Temima).

This is [hu] Achashsverosh. The term hu,

this is, comes to teach that he [Achashverosh]
remained as he was in his wickedness from
beginning to end (Megillah 11a:17).
The meaning of the word is upon that [Achasherosh] did not change from then until now, therefore
regarding Achashverosh we find his wickedness from the beginning of his reign in that he stood to---
Israel from building the Second Holy Temple as elaborated in Ezra Chapter 4, and in the reign of
Achashverosh in the start of his reign it was written ---upon Yehudah and Yerushalayim and after in
the act of Haman.