Midrash sur Esther 1:7

(Est. 1, 7) And the royal wine was in abundance. Rab said: "We infer from this that he gave to each to dring wine that was older than he." (Ib. 8) And the drinking was according to the order. What is the meaning. According to the order? R. Anan said, in the name of R. Meier: "It was according to the order of our Torah. As in our Torah eating exceeds drinking [in the Temple] so he also gave more to eat than to drink." Without compulsion. "From this," said Raba, "it can be learned that everyone was given to drink of wine that grew in his own country. (lb. b) On the seventh day when the heart of the king was merry with wine? And till then, what did he do? Was he not till then merry with wine? Rab said: "The seventh day was Sabbath. When Israelites eat and drink on Sabbath, they begin with words of the Bible and continue to praise the Lord; but the other nations, when they celebrate, they speak about women. And so it happened here: Some said that the Medians were more beautiful, and others said that the Persian women were more beautiful. And Ahasuerus said to them: The one that I have is neither Median nor Persian, but Chaldean, yet she is fairer than them all; and if you wish you can see her. And so came the execution of Vashti."

“Drink was served in vessels of gold and vessels of diverse kinds, and abundant royal wine, in keeping with the king’s bounty” (Esther 1:7).
“Drink was served in vessels of gold” – all the drinks served by that wicked one were only in gold vessels. They objected: But is it not written: “All the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of the Lebanon were of pure gold”¹²The question lies in the fact that drinking out of gold vessels does not appear to have been unique to Aḥasheverosh’s court (Etz Yosef). (I Kings 10:21)? Rabbi Pinḥas says in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: Is it not disgusting to drink wine in a gold vessel? Rather, these were goblets of finely-crafted crystal, in which their images were mirrored, and they were as beautiful and valuable as gold vessels.

“And vessels of diverse kinds” – he brought his vessels and vessels of Elam, and his were more beautiful than those from Elam. He brought his vessels and the Temple vessels, and they were found to be finer and more beautiful than his. [This is comparable] to a woman who had a beautiful maidservant; whenever she would look at her maidservant, her face would change color. So too, whenever the Temple vessels would be shown with his vessels, his vessels would change and appear like lead. Rabbi Taḥlifa bar bar Ḥana said: [“Vessels of diverse kinds”] – vessels whose form changes after a few days.¹³Meaning that were extremely fragile and frequently broke (Etz Yosef). Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Naḥman: Vessels that destroy those who use them while they [those using the vessels] persist in their corruption. Who caused Belshatzar’s foundations to be undermined, was it not because he used the Temple vessels? That is what is written: “Belshatzar said, as he tasted the wine, to bring the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had removed…” (Daniel 5:2). What is written? “During that night, Belshatzar the Chaldean king was killed” (Daniel 5:30).

“And abundant royal wine.” Later it is written: “[King Belshazzar made a great banquet for his thousand nobles,] and before the thousand he drank wine” (Daniel 5:1); however, here it is written: “And abundant royal wine, in keeping with the king’s bounty [keyad hamelekh],” – like the number of goblets in the hand of the king [beyad hamelekh].¹⁴Aḥashverosh, in contrast to Belshatzar, allowed his nobles to drink as much as he did.

Rabbi Tachanah said: Come and see how wealthy Ahasuerus was, for he was wealthier than all the kings of Media and Persia, and concerning him the Scripture saith, "And the fourth shall be far richer than they all" (Dan. 11:2). What was the wealth of Ahasuerus? He erected couches of gold and silver in the streets of the city, to show all the peoples how rich he was, as it is said, "The couches were of gold and silver" (Esth. 1:6). All the vessels used by Ahasuerus were not vessels of silver, but vessels of gold. He brought the vessels of the Temple, and all the vessels of his palace were changed in appearance, so that they became like lead, as it is said, "The vessels being diverse one from another" (Esth. 1:7).