Midrash sur Esther 4:7
וַיַּגֶּד־ל֣וֹ מָרְדֳּכַ֔י אֵ֖ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר קָרָ֑הוּ וְאֵ֣ת ׀ פָּרָשַׁ֣ת הַכֶּ֗סֶף אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר הָמָן֙ לִ֠שְׁקוֹל עַל־גִּנְזֵ֥י הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ ביהודיים [בַּיְּהוּדִ֖ים] לְאַבְּדָֽם׃
et Mardochée lui fit part de tout ce qui lui était advenu ainsi que du montant de la somme d’argent qu’Aman avait promis de verser dans les trésors du roi, en vue des juifs qu’il voulait faire périr.
Esther Rabbah
“Mordekhai told him everything that had befallen him [karahu]” (Esther 4:7). He said to Hatakh: ‘Tell her that the descendant of karahu6Amalek, the subject of the verse in Deuteronomy 25:18. has come against you; that is what is written: “That he encountered you [kareḥa] on the way”’ (Deuteronomy 25:18).
Alternatively, “that had befallen him” in a dream, indicating that he reminded her of a dream that he had dreamed along these lines during the second year of the reign of Aḥashverosh. He saw, and behold, a great and powerful earthquake, panic in the world, and fear and trembling for all its residents. And behold, two great serpents each bellowing toward the other and they waged a war, and all the nations of the world fled due to their noise. There was among them a certain small nation, and all the nations attacked the small nation to eliminate any memory of it from the earth. On that day there was darkness for the entire world, and that small nation was very distressed and they cried to God. The serpents were waging war furiously and there was no one to separate between them.
Mordekhai saw, and behold, there was a certain spring of water that passed between these serpents and it separated between them, preventing the war they had been waging. The spring swelled and became a raging stream, like the flow of the Mediterranean Sea, that gradually inundated the land. He saw and the sun shone for the entire land and the world was illuminated. The small nation was elevated, the dominant were lowered, and peace and truth were found throughout the land.
It was from that day forward, Mordekhai kept that dream that he had dreamt, and when Haman was causing him distress, he said to her [Esther] by means of her emissary: ‘This is the dream that I told you in your youth. Now, arise and ask for mercy from the Holy One blessed be He, and come before the king and entreat him on behalf of your people and your family.’
Alternatively, “that had befallen him” in a dream, indicating that he reminded her of a dream that he had dreamed along these lines during the second year of the reign of Aḥashverosh. He saw, and behold, a great and powerful earthquake, panic in the world, and fear and trembling for all its residents. And behold, two great serpents each bellowing toward the other and they waged a war, and all the nations of the world fled due to their noise. There was among them a certain small nation, and all the nations attacked the small nation to eliminate any memory of it from the earth. On that day there was darkness for the entire world, and that small nation was very distressed and they cried to God. The serpents were waging war furiously and there was no one to separate between them.
Mordekhai saw, and behold, there was a certain spring of water that passed between these serpents and it separated between them, preventing the war they had been waging. The spring swelled and became a raging stream, like the flow of the Mediterranean Sea, that gradually inundated the land. He saw and the sun shone for the entire land and the world was illuminated. The small nation was elevated, the dominant were lowered, and peace and truth were found throughout the land.
It was from that day forward, Mordekhai kept that dream that he had dreamt, and when Haman was causing him distress, he said to her [Esther] by means of her emissary: ‘This is the dream that I told you in your youth. Now, arise and ask for mercy from the Holy One blessed be He, and come before the king and entreat him on behalf of your people and your family.’
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