Komentaryo sa Ester 6:1: Rashi & Tze'enah Ure'enah

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.

“That night, the king could not sleep” [6:1]. The king could not sleep that night. He thought about what was the news that Esther wanted to tell him. What does she need? It is certainly a large request about Mordecai who had raised her. The king remembered that Mordecai had protected the king from death. Therefore, the king ordered that night to search in the book if the king had done something to repay Mordecai for the favor he had done for the king. They found that Mordecai had not been repaid. The king became very frightened. He thought that Esther would ask for a large estate for Mordecai, particularly since he had protected the king from death. It was already dawn and the king asked, who is in the court? Haman was there because he wanted to ask the king that Mordecai should be hanged. His wife’s advice had been that he should go to the king very early, before the banquet, to have Mordecai hanged. The king said: let him come immediately and Haman was brought in. That is to say, they should rush before Esther comes and will want to ask about Mordecai and the favor that he did for the king. Here one asks a question. Did Ahasuerus hate Haman that he sent him out into the streets looking for Mordecai? The answer is that Ahasuerus said to Haman: I love you more than any of my ministers, but we have to pay Mordecai for the favor he did before Esther comes. This is how Ahasuerus thought. Therefore, he would ask Haman: what should be done for a person that the king desires to honor? Haman thought to himself: Whom does the king love more than myself? Haman said that he should ride a horse that the king had ridden. He should be crowned and have the clothes the king had worn at the same time. This should be done to that man. The king said: go immediately and accomplish everything that you said to Mordecai the Jew. Haman said: which Mordecai the Jew? There are many Jews named Mordecai. The king said: the Mordecai who sits in the gate.⁴¹B. Megillah, 16a. You Haman go before Mordecai in the royal clothes and the king’s horse in all the streets and call out: the king wants to honor this man. Ahasuerus said: I do not hate you, but I am afraid of Esther, that she will ask a very great favor for Mordecai. However, if you will go and lead Mordecai in all the streets then Esther will see that Mordecai has great honor done to him and the vizier himself honored him, then she won’t be able to ask any more for Mordecai.