וְנָת֨וֹן הַלְּב֜וּשׁ וְהַסּ֗וּס עַל־יַד־אִ֞ישׁ מִשָּׂרֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַֽפַּרְתְּמִ֔ים וְהִלְבִּ֙ישׁוּ֙ אֶת־הָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חָפֵ֣ץ בִּֽיקָר֑וֹ וְהִרְכִּיבֻ֤הוּ עַל־הַסּוּס֙ בִּרְח֣וֹב הָעִ֔יר וְקָרְא֣וּ לְפָנָ֔יו כָּ֚כָה יֵעָשֶׂ֣ה לָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ חָפֵ֥ץ בִּיקָרֽוֹ׃
At ibigay ang kasuotan at ang kabayo sa kamay ng isa sa mga pinakamarangal na pinuno ng hari, at bihisan nila ang lalaking nais parangalan ng hari, at pasakayin siya sa kabayo sa liwasan ng lungsod, at ipahayag nila sa unahan niya: “Ganito ang gagawin sa lalaking nais parangalan ng hari!”
Esther Rabbah
“When they [the king’s servants] spoke to him [Mordekhai] daily and he did not heed them, they told Haman, to see whether Mordekhai’s words would prevail; for he had told to them that he was a Jew” (Esther 3:4).
“When they spoke to him daily” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Binyamin bar Rabbi Levi: The children of Rachel, their miracles are equal and their ascent to greatness is equal. Their miracles are equal; that is what is written: “It was when she spoke to Joseph day after day” (Genesis 39:10). Here it written: “When they spoke to him daily and he did not heed them,” and there it is written: “And he did not heed her to lie with her, to be with her” (Genesis 39:10). And their ascent to greatness is equal; that is what is written: “Pharaoh removed his ring from his hand and he gave it to Joseph, and he garbed him in garments of linen” (Genesis 41:42). Here it is written: “The king removed the ring that he had taken from Haman, and he gave it to Mordekhai” (Esther 8:2). There it is written: “He had him ride in his second chariot, and they cried before him: ‘Avrekh’”3The meaning of avrekh is unclear. One opinion, based on the ancient Egyptian, is that it means “pay attention.” (Genesis 41:43); here, it is written: “And let the garments and the horse be placed…and they will proclaim before him: So shall be done to the man whose honoring the king desires” (Esther 6:9).
“When they spoke to him daily” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Binyamin bar Rabbi Levi: The children of Rachel, their miracles are equal and their ascent to greatness is equal. Their miracles are equal; that is what is written: “It was when she spoke to Joseph day after day” (Genesis 39:10). Here it written: “When they spoke to him daily and he did not heed them,” and there it is written: “And he did not heed her to lie with her, to be with her” (Genesis 39:10). And their ascent to greatness is equal; that is what is written: “Pharaoh removed his ring from his hand and he gave it to Joseph, and he garbed him in garments of linen” (Genesis 41:42). Here it is written: “The king removed the ring that he had taken from Haman, and he gave it to Mordekhai” (Esther 8:2). There it is written: “He had him ride in his second chariot, and they cried before him: ‘Avrekh’”3The meaning of avrekh is unclear. One opinion, based on the ancient Egyptian, is that it means “pay attention.” (Genesis 41:43); here, it is written: “And let the garments and the horse be placed…and they will proclaim before him: So shall be done to the man whose honoring the king desires” (Esther 6:9).
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer
"On that night the king's sleep fled" (Esth. 6:1). That night the throne of the King who is King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, became unsteady, because He saw that Israel was in great distress. The sleep of the king on earth fled, for he had seen in his dream Haman taking the sword to slay him; || and he became agitated and arose from his sleep, and he told the sons of Haman, the scribes, to read in the books so as to see what had happened to him. They opened the books, and found the incident which Mordecai had told, but they did not wish to read this, and they rolled up the scrolls. The king said to them: Read ye what is written before you. But they were unwilling to read, and the writing was read (of its own account) by itself, as it is said, "And they were read before the king" (ibid.). It is not written here, "They were reading," but "They were read." The king spake to his servants: Call ye Haman to me. They said to him: Behold, he is standing outside. The king said: The thing is true which I saw in my dream; he has come only in this hour to slay me. He said: Let him come in. He entered before the king. The king said to him: I wish to exalt and aggrandize a certain man; what shall be done to him? Haman said in his heart, for the seed of Esau speak in their hearts, but never reveal their secret with their mouths, as it is said, "And Haman said in his heart" (Esth. 6:6). Haman said in his heart: He does not desire to exalt any other man except me. I will speak words so that I shall be a king just as he is. He said to him: Let them bring the apparel || which the king wore on the day of the coronation, and (let them bring) the horse upon which the king rode on the coronation day, and the crown which was put upon the head of the king on the day of coronation. The king was exceedingly angry because of the crown. The king said: It does not suffice this villain, but he must even desire the crown which is upon my head. Haman saw that the king was angry because of the crown; he said: "And let the apparel and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes" (Esth. 6:9). (The king) said to him: Go, and do thus to Mordecai. As soon as Haman heard this he became greatly agitated, and he said to him: My lord, O king! There are very many named Mordecai. The king answered: "The Jew." (Haman) said to him: There are very many Jews. The king said to him: "He who sits at the king's gate" (Esth. 6:10).
Bereshit Rabbah
“It was as she spoke to Joseph, day after day, and he did not heed her to lie with her, to be with her” (Genesis 39:10).
“It was as she spoke to Joseph, day after day” – Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Binyamin: Rachel’s children,12The reference is to Joseph and to Mordekhai, who was a descendant of Benjamin. their ordeal was equal and their greatness was equal. Their ordeal was equal – “it was as she spoke to Joseph, day after day”; “it was, as they spoke to him, day after day” (Esther 3:4). Their greatness was equal – “Pharaoh removed his ring” (Genesis 41:42); “the king removed his ring” (Esther 8:2). “And he placed it upon Joseph's hand” (Genesis 41:42); “and he gave it to Mordekhai” (Esther 8:2). “He dressed him in garments of linen” (Genesis 41:42); “and place the garments and the horse…Haman took [the garments and horse and dressed Mordekhai]” (Esther 6:9–11). “He placed a gold chain on his neck” (Genesis 41:42); “Esther placed Mordekhai over the house of Haman” (Esther 8:2). “He had him ride in the second chariot that he had” (Genesis 41:43); “he had him ride the horse through the city square” (see Esther 6:11). “They cried before him: Kneel” (Genesis 41:43); “he cried before him: So [shall be done to the man whose honor the king desires]” (Esther 6:11).
“And he did not heed her to lie with her” – in this world, “to be with her” – to be with her in Gehenna in the future.
Another matter, “he did not heed her” – even for lying [with her] without intercourse.
A noblewoman asked Rabbi Yosei, she said to him: ‘Is it possible that Joseph, seventeen years old, at the height of his passion, could conduct himself in such a manner?’13Is it really possible that he withstood the temptation? He took out for her the book of Genesis and began reading before her the incident of Reuben and Bilha,14Genesis 35:22. the incident of Judah and Tamar.15Genesis 38:18. He said to her: ‘If these two, who were adults and in their father’s domain, the verse did not cover up their actions, this one who is young and on his own, all the more so.’
“It was as she spoke to Joseph, day after day” – Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Binyamin: Rachel’s children,12The reference is to Joseph and to Mordekhai, who was a descendant of Benjamin. their ordeal was equal and their greatness was equal. Their ordeal was equal – “it was as she spoke to Joseph, day after day”; “it was, as they spoke to him, day after day” (Esther 3:4). Their greatness was equal – “Pharaoh removed his ring” (Genesis 41:42); “the king removed his ring” (Esther 8:2). “And he placed it upon Joseph's hand” (Genesis 41:42); “and he gave it to Mordekhai” (Esther 8:2). “He dressed him in garments of linen” (Genesis 41:42); “and place the garments and the horse…Haman took [the garments and horse and dressed Mordekhai]” (Esther 6:9–11). “He placed a gold chain on his neck” (Genesis 41:42); “Esther placed Mordekhai over the house of Haman” (Esther 8:2). “He had him ride in the second chariot that he had” (Genesis 41:43); “he had him ride the horse through the city square” (see Esther 6:11). “They cried before him: Kneel” (Genesis 41:43); “he cried before him: So [shall be done to the man whose honor the king desires]” (Esther 6:11).
“And he did not heed her to lie with her” – in this world, “to be with her” – to be with her in Gehenna in the future.
Another matter, “he did not heed her” – even for lying [with her] without intercourse.
A noblewoman asked Rabbi Yosei, she said to him: ‘Is it possible that Joseph, seventeen years old, at the height of his passion, could conduct himself in such a manner?’13Is it really possible that he withstood the temptation? He took out for her the book of Genesis and began reading before her the incident of Reuben and Bilha,14Genesis 35:22. the incident of Judah and Tamar.15Genesis 38:18. He said to her: ‘If these two, who were adults and in their father’s domain, the verse did not cover up their actions, this one who is young and on his own, all the more so.’