Esther 3:2 Commentary: Rashi & Tze'enah Ure'enah

Kneeled and prostrated themselves. Because he made himself as a god;²Esther Rabbah 7:5. Alternatively, his robes were decorated with idols. (Ibn Ezra) therefore, “but Mordechai would neither kneel nor prostrate himself.”

“All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down” [3:2]. All the servants bowed down to Haman, but Mordecai did not want to bow down. He had an image over his heart.³⁰Esther Rabbah, 6.2. Mordecai said that Haman was a servant in the war and Mordecai had lent him bread and money.³¹B. Megillah, 15b. He wrote a letter about himself and Mordecai showed the servants that letter. Therefore, Mordecai did not want to bow down to Haman and was angry with Haman. He thought: it is a disgrace that I should allow one Jew to be killed. I will kill all the Jews at one time. That is why Haman conspired against all the Jews.