Purim Shiur
- 3/4/15 -One of the first decrees that Haman instituted on behalf of Achasveirosh after the debacle with Vashti was that “every man should be ruling his family and should be speaking the language of his own people”. [Meaning that the dominant language of a house should be the mother tongue of the husband, not of the wife].
The question is asked, we can understand why Achasveirosh wanted the man to be the ruler of the house, but what is the importance as to what language they speak at home?
Answer: Achasveirosh was from Iran, he thus spoke Persian. His wife Queen Vasthi being Nevuchadnetzer’s granddaughter spoke Babylonian/Acadian.
When the king’s messenger’s came to get Vashti she refused to go. She started swearing in her native language: Babylonian. “Tell than low life …….
The Persian messengers did not understand what she was saying. Had they an inkling of what Vashti had to say to Achasveirosh they would not have repeated it. They went back to Achasveirosh and repeated word for word what she said in Babylonian causing him great embarrassment because many were of his guests spoke Babylonian.
As a result he instituted that all families should only speak the husband’s language!
Melech “ti’pesh” indeed.
- We mentioned the Vort from Reb Yonoshon Eibshitz why it took 70 days from the time of Haman’s demise [Nisan 16] until the new decree from Achasveirosh (allowing the Jews to defend themselves, sent at the urging of Mordechai), were sent out [Sivan 23]?
- see below:
1- The decree was ordered on the 13th of Nisan.
2- Three days of fasting were declared.
3- Esther approached the king on the “3rd day”.
4- Esther hosted two feast on two consecutive days.
5- Haman was hung at the conclusion of the second feast.
Besides #1, when did numbers 2 to 5 occur?
L’halacha it is paskened that Haman was hanged on the Second day of Pesach- Nisan 16. Therefore the Alter Rebbe says a person should add something extra on the second day Pesach meal to commemorate hanging of Haman. See here.
As you can see in the table above there is a difference of opinions between the Midrash and Rashi regarding when the first day of the fast was; the 13th or 14th of Nisan.
The Rebbe explains that according to Rashi the meaning of the verse in the Megilla “And Mordechai knew all that was happening” means that he found out in a dream, therefore the fast was only instituted untill the next day.
However, according to the Midrash, Mordechai knew either through Ruach Hakodesh or through Eliyahu Hanavi therefore he was able to institute the fast right away.
See here for the source.