Happy Purim!

[searchinmyroots]

Happy Purim to al that celebrate, may we have the strength, courage and wisdom of Esther to make the right decisions to stand against our enemies who try to annihilate us.

After reading through the Megillah I noticed something that generated a question.

In Chapter 5, Verse 14 it says -

And Zeresh his wife and all his friends said, "Let them make a gallows fifty cubits high, and in the morning say to the king that they should hang Mordecai on it, and go to the king to the banquet joyfully." The matter pleased Haman, and he made the gallows.

Then, later in the next chapter it says -

Chapter 6 Verse 13 it says -

And Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and to all his friends all that had befallen him, and his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish stock, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him."

So my question is - Why did Zeresh tell Haman to make a gallows for Mordecai to hang if she knew that Haman would not prevail against him since he is a Jew?

It seems Zeresh knew Mordecai was Jewish since Mordecai stated so in Verse 13 just before she suggested to hang him -

Chapter 5 Verse 13 -
But all this is worth nothing to me, every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting in the king's gate."

[Blue Bird]

Thank you for this question, it's very interesting to think about.

It is strange. Zeresh didn't know yet that the queen was also Jewish and that this was a threat to their plan to hang Mordecai.

When I read it, it feels like Zeresh was a weak and/or unfaithful woman. She first wants to please her husband and suggests that Mordecai be hanged. Then, when she saw that Mordechai was honoured by the king, she was afraid and stopped supporting her husband. Instead she agreed with the wise men and doubted that the gallow would succeed.

Or she was prophesying, or there was a hint of Deuteronomy 11:25.

[Dana]

That is certainly an interesting observation that raises more questions to my mind.  What was she thinking when she gave the advice to build a gallows?  I don't think it is possible to know for certain what goes on in another's mind especially in a time of long ago when the culture was different.

Was alcohol involved and were they being boisterous and careless when giving advice and he with his hatred of the Jewish people heard only what he wanted to
and ran with it?  Or, was she knowingly encouraging her husband to do something that would cause his demise?

[Blue Bird]

Maybe we can find evidence for one theory or another.

[Dana]

Indeed.  And then there is the matter of the 10 sons that were hung as a result of their father's actions.  Surely, she would have known the consequences that would result for them.

[searchinmyroots]

Thank you for your insightful replies!

To be fair, it seems others were involved in the decision as well.

Chapter 5 says "And Zeresh his wife and all his friends said, "Let them make a gallows fifty cubits high, and in the morning say to the king that they should hang Mordecai on it, and go to the king to the banquet joyfully."

Chapter 6 seems to add "wise men" as his friends, or are they different people in addition to his friends?

[Dana]

It looks as if chapter 5 verse 14 the English says all his "friends" while in the Hebrew it is written his loved ones.

Then, in chapter 6 verse 13 there is an addition to the sentence.  Haman tells his wife and loved ones everything that has happened to him.  But it is the wise men and his wife that speak up to give the warning.   Are the wise men a different set of people?

[searchinmyroots]

Thank you for the correct wording Dana, much appreciated!

So it looks like the plot thickens!

This looks like a great one to run by Rabbi Fohrman!

[Blue Bird]

It looks as if chapter 5 verse 14 the English says all his "friends" while in the Hebrew it is written his loved ones.

Then, in chapter 6 verse 13 there is an addition to the sentence.  Haman tells his wife and loved ones everything that has happened to him.  But it is the wise men and his wife that speak up to give the warning.   Are the wise men a different set of people?

Perhaps the wise men came by accidentaly. It's hard to believe Haman had wise friends. Perhaps his friends, like his wife, changed their minds and were then called wise?

[rosends]

The Hebrew word is Ohavav and it means those who were connected to him (emotionally) -- his supporters, as distinct from family. Hebrew has no word for "like" (the same word as for love is used), so the ones who "loved him" were his supporters.

The Ohr Chadash deals with the specific order that each spoke in various spots, but the Steinzaltz also points out that after Haman told his story in chapt 6, his supporters were divinely inspired and realized what was happening -- they were now "wise" and no longer supported Haman because they saw where he was headed.