Commentary for Esther 6:18

The king’s sleep was disturbed. It was a miracle.¹Otherwise, would Achashveirosh’s sleep be disturbed, particularly on this night, after having partied earlier in the day. Achashveirosh’s sleep was disturbed by a dream in which he saw Haman grabbing a sword to kill him. (Esther Rabbah 10:1) And some [Rabbis] say that he took to heart that Esther had invited Haman; [thinking] perhaps she had set eyes upon him, and he [Haman] would assassinate him.²Maseches Megillah 15b.

To bring the book of archives. It is the custom of kings that when their sleep is disturbed, parables and tales are recounted before them until their sleep is restored. Our Rabbis, however, explained that since he took to heart [the matter of] Haman and Esther, he said [to himself], “It is impossible that someone who is my friend should not know their plan and divulge it to me.” He [thought] again and said [to himself], “Perhaps someone did me a favor, and I did not repay him and they do not care about me anymore.” Therefore, “he ordered to bring the book of archives.”³Ibid.

Let the robe and the horse be handed to a man. But he did not mention the crown, because he saw that the king became jealous when he said that they should place the crown on [another] person’s head.

Mordechai then returned. To his sackcloth, and to his fasting.⁴Maseches Megillah 16a. This was the last day of Mordechai’s three day fast. (Sifsei Chachomim)

Grief stricken, his head covered [in shame]. Our Rabbis explained this matter in Maseches Megillah.⁵16a; The Rabbis explained that Haman’s daughter mistook the horse rider as her father, and the man leading him as Mordechai. Unwittingly, she tossed the contents of a chamber pot on her father. When Haman looked up and she saw that it was her father, she fell off the roof and died. Therefore Haman was “grief stricken” on account of his daughter’s death, and “his head covered” by the chamber pot’s contents.

Since you have begun to fall, etc. She said, “This nation has been compared to the stars and to the dust. When they descend, they descend to the dust, and when they ascend, they ascend up to the sky and the stars.”⁶Maseches Megillah 15a. Zeresh and Haman’s advisers forewarned Haman that Mordechai’s rise to honor signified the beginning of the rise of the Jews and of Haman’s downfall.