Megillah 15b

מגילה ט״ו ע״ב

Learn Megillah 15b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Aggadot on the מגילה: המן's shame, אסתר before the king, why she invited המן, and the king's sleepless night

Overview

This amud keeps explaining the פסוקים of מגילת אסתר, with several side discussions. It starts with המן's shame before מרדכי, who knew him as a former slave sold for bread. It then explains why המן said all his treasures were worth nothing to him. A side teaching on ישעיה 28 says that הקדוש ברוך הוא will be a crown for humble צדיקים. It then shows מדת הדין challenging why ישראל are treated differently from the nations. Back in the מגילה, the שכינה leaves אסתר at the room of idols, and three מלאכים help her before the king, including stretching his scepter. The king offers up to half the kingdom, but not the rebuilding of the בית המקדש. A long list of תנאים and אמוראים give reasons why אסתר invited המן, and אליהו says all of them are true. The amud ends with המן's many sons, the king's sleepless night, and the records that read themselves; the explanation of the word ״כָתוּב״ continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (53)

1. Statementהמן was called the slave sold for bread
2. Statementהמן's treasures engraved on his heart
3. StatementGod will be a crown for every righteous person
4. QuestionWhat do 'crown of glory' and 'diadem of beauty' mean?
5. ResponseFor those who do His will and await His glory
6. ChallengeMaybe the crown is for everyone
7. ResolutionOnly for those who see themselves as leftovers
8. StatementJudging your own יצר and judging truthfully
9. StatementOvercoming the יצר and battling in Torah
10. StatementThe gate: scholars who come early and stay late
11. Challengeמדת הדין asks why ישראל is different
12. ResolutionGod answers that ישראל learns Torah
13. Challengeמדת הדין replies that ישראל also sinned
14. StatementExplaining the words פקו and פליליה
15. StatementThe שכינה leaves אסתר at the room of idols
16. Questionאסתר asks if she is judged for a forced act
17. Questionאסתר wonders if it was because she called him a dog
18. Conclusionאסתר takes it back and calls him a lion
19. StatementThree מלאכים helped אסתר when the king saw her
20. QuestionHow far was the scepter stretched?
21. Responseרבי ירמיה: from two אמות to twelve, or more
22. ResponseA ברייתא says sixty, like בת פרעה's arm and the teeth of the wicked
23. ResponseA tradition says two hundred cubits
24. StatementHalf the kingdom, but not the Temple
25. QuestionWhy did אסתר invite המן?
26. Responseרבי אלעזר: she set a trap for him
27. ResponseShe learned to feed her enemy from her father's home
28. ResponseKeeping המן close so he would not plot a rebellion
29. ResponseHiding that she was Jewish
30. ResponseSo the Jews would keep praying
31. ResponseKeeping המן always within reach
32. ResponseHoping ה׳ would notice and make a miracle
33. ResponseWilling to die together with המן
34. ResponseThe king was fickle
35. ResponseStill need המודעי: she made everyone jealous of המן
36. ResponsePride comes before a fall
37. ResponseA feast that leads to ruin
38. Conclusionאליהו: she had all the reasons in mind
39. QuestionHow many sons did המן have?
40. Responseרב says thirty sons
41. Responseרבנן say the beggars were seventy
42. Responseרמי בר אבא says 208 sons
43. ChallengeThe math adds up to 214, not 208
44. ResolutionThe word is written without the second vav
45. StatementThe King of the world could not sleep
46. StatementAngels above and Jews below could not sleep
47. Statementרבא: it was literally אחשורוש
48. StatementThe king suspects a plot against him
49. StatementThe king questions his own suspicion
50. StatementThe king realizes he may have failed to reward someone, so he calls for the records
51. StatementThe records read themselves
52. ChallengeWhy does the מגילה say ״כָתוּב״ and not ״כְּתָב״?
53. ResolutionThe answer begins: this teaches