Daf Yomi - Megillah 11 - Highlights

The Gemora begins discussing various verses in the Megillah. The Megillah begins: And it was in the days of Achashverosh. Rabbi Levi and according to others Rabbi Yochanan, said: This is a tradition that has been passed down from the men of the Great Assembly, that wherever it is written vayehi, (and it was), this introduces some disaster. Regarding the Megillah, there was Haman who wanted to destroy the Jews. The Gemora cites many other examples from Scriptures proving that vayehi introduces disaster. The Gemora challenges this contention that whenever it is written in Scripture states vayehi, it introduces disaster and the Gemora cites several examples where it denotes fortunate times. The Gemora amends the statement and says: Wherever it is written vayehi bimei, (and it was in the days), this introduces some disaster. (10b)

Rabbi Levi also said: This is a tradition that has been passed down from our ancestors that the place of the Aron (the Holy Ark in the Beis Hamikdosh) miraculously did not take up any space inside the Kodesh Kodoshim (Holy of Holies). This can be proven from the following braisa: the Aron that Moshe made had ten amos (cubits) of space in each direction between it and the walls of the Kodesh Kodoshim. However, the space of the Kodesh Kodoshim itself was only twenty amos by twenty amos. It emerges that the place of the Aron did not take up any space. (10b)

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmeini introduced his lecture on Megillas Esther with the following interpretation: It is written [Yeshaya 55:13] Instead of the thorn, shall come up a cypress, and instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle. Instead of the thorn, i.e., instead of Haman the wicked, who made himself an idol, shall come up a cypress, i.e., Mordechai, who was the essence to all the spices, Instead of the nettle, i.e., Vashti the wicked, who was granddaughter of Nebuchadnezzar the wicked, who had burnt the Beis Hamikdosh, shall come up the myrtle, i.e., shall rise Esther the righteous, who was called Hadassa (myrtle), And it shall be to Hashem for a name, i.e., the reading of the Megillah; for a sign of everlasting that shall not be cut off, i.e., the Days of Purim. (10b)

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi introduced his lecture on Megillas Esther with the following interpretation: It is written [Devarim 28:63]: And it shall come to pass that as Hashem rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so will Hashem rejoice to destroy you. Does Hashem rejoice when the wicked are in misfortune? Rabbi Yochanan states that Hashem does not rejoice at the downfall of the wicked. Rabbi Yochanan also said: The angels of heaven wanted to sing a song of praise when the Egyptians were drowning, and Hashem said to them: My creations are drowning in the sea, and you want to sing songs? Rabbi Elozar answers: He Himself does not rejoice, but He makes others rejoice. (10b)

Rish Lakish introduced his lecture on Megillas Esther with the following interpretation: It is written [Mishlei 28:15]: As a roaring lion, and a ravenous bear; so is a wicked ruler over a poor people. A roaring lion is referring to Nebuchadnezzar the wicked; a ravenous bear is referring to Achashverosh. Proof to this is learned from Rav Yosef who states that the Persians eat and drink like a bear and are corpulent like a bear and grow hair like a bear and do not repose like a bear. A wicked ruler is referring to Haman and a poor people is referring to the Jewish people who were considered poor because of their deficiencies in observing mitzvos. (11a)

Rabbi Elozar introduced his lecture on Megillas Esther with the following interpretation: It is written [Koheles 10:18]: Through laziness the ceiling collapses and with idleness of hands the house leaks. Because the Jewish people were lazy regarding the study of Torah, the enemy of Hashem (referring to Hashem Himself) became poor. (11a)

Rabbi Elozar introduced his lecture on Megillas Esther with the following interpretation: It is written [Vayikra 26:44]: I will not cast them away, neither will I loathe them, to destroy them utterly, to break my covenant with them, for I am Hashem, their G-d. I will not cast them away is referring to the times of the Greeks; neither will I loathe them is referring to the times of Nebuchadnezzar; to destroy them utterly is referring to the times of Haman; to break my covenant with them is referring to the times of Persians; for I am Hashem, their G-d is referring to the times of Gog and Magog.

The Gemora cites a braise that understands the above verse differently. I will not cast them away is referring to the times of the Chaldeans, for in that time I appointed for them Daniel, Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; neither will I loathe them is referring to the times of the Greeks, as I appointed for them Shimon Hatzaddik, the Chashmenoi and his sons and Matisyahu the Kohen Gadol; to destroy them utterly is referring to the times of Haman, as I appointed for them Mordechai and Esther; to break my covenant with them is referring to the times of Persians, as I appointed for them Rebbe and other sages of that generation; for I am Hashem, their G-d is referring to the future, when no nation will be able to control the Jewish people. (11a)

The Gemora discusses the interpretation of the name Achashverosh. Rav said: He was the brother of the head. This is referring to Nebuchadnezzar the wicked, who was called head. Achashverosh was similar to Nebuchadnezzar in several ways. Nebuchadnezzar killed and Achashverosh intended to kill. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Beis Hamikdosh and Achashverosh wished to destroy it. Shmuel interprets the name Achashverosh: In his time the faces of the Jews were black as the bottom of a pot. Rabbi Yochanan says: Everyone who remembered him would say "woe to his head." Rabbi Chanina said: His taxes were so heavy that everyone became poor. (11a)

It is written: Achashverosh, who is Achashverosh. The Gemora understands this to mean that he remained wicked from the beginning to end. The Gemora cites other examples like this. It is written [Divrei Hayamim 2, 1:26]: Avram, that is Avraham. The Gemora understands this to mean that he remained righteous from beginning to end. The Gemora cites other examples like this. (11a)

It is written: Achashverosh, who is Achashverosh, who ruled from Hodu to Cush. Rav says these countries were at opposite ends of the world, thus the verse teaches that Achashverosh ruled the entire world. Shmuel says they were adjacent to one another and the verse teaches that he ruled the entire world as easily as he ruled these two countries. (11a)

It is written: Achashverosh, who is Achashverosh, who ruled from Hodu to Cush, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces. Rav Chisda said: Initially, he ruled over seven provinces, later he ruled over another twenty, and at the end he ruled over all one hundred and twenty-seven provinces. (11a)

The Gemora cites a braisa: There were only three kings that ruled over the entire world; Achav, Achashverosh and Nebuchadnezzar.

The Gemora asks: Didn’t King Shlomo rule over the entire world? The Gemora answers: He didn’t complete his reign (he became a common man towards the end of his reign). Alternatively, he was a ruler over the being above (demons) and below, so he wasn’t included in the listing.

The Gemora asks again: Didn’t Sancheriv rule over the entire world? The Gemora answers that he didn’t capture Yerushalayim.

The Gemora asks again: Didn’t Daryavesh (Darius) rule over the entire world? The Gemora answers that there were seven countries that he did not rule over.

The Gemora asks again: Didn’t Koresh (Cyrus) rule over the entire world? The Gemora answers that the only proof we have for this is Koresh’s own words and they are not reliable. (11a – 11b)

It is written: In those days, when King Achashverosh sat on his royal throne, which was in Shushan the capital. This would seem to be referring to the beginning of his reign; yet from the next verse, it explicitly says the third year. It is written: In the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his ministers and servants. Rava explains: In the third year, his mind was put at ease and he celebrated with a grand party. Achashverosh said: “Balshetzar calculated the seventy years of exile but made a mistake; I calculated the seventy years (which concluded now) and I did not make any mistakes.”

The Gemora explains: Balshetzar’s mistake was to calculate the starting point of the seventy years with the time that Nebuchadnezzar ascended the throne. Achashverosh sought to correct that and he calculated from the exile of Yehoyachin. The Gemora states that the correct calculation would have been to count from the destruction of Yerushalayim. (11b – 12a)