Inspired by the work and insights of Professor Rachel Adelman, and Rabbis Daniel Roth, Haggai Resnikoff, and Rabbi Hody Nemes.
Credit: Anonymous illustrator in late 19th century Germany. William Ely Hill (1887 - 1962), a British cartoonist, produced a later, well-known version. A link to image can found here and is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0.
(א) אַחַ֣ר ׀ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה גִּדַּל֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֜וֹשׁ אֶת־הָמָ֧ן בֶּֽן־הַמְּדָ֛תָא הָאֲגָגִ֖י וַֽיְנַשְּׂאֵ֑הוּ וַיָּ֙שֶׂם֙ אֶת־כִּסְא֔וֹ מֵעַ֕ל כָּל־הַשָּׂרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּֽוֹ׃ (ב) וְכָל־עַבְדֵ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־בְּשַׁ֣עַר הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ כֹּרְעִ֤ים וּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִים֙ לְהָמָ֔ן כִּי־כֵ֖ן צִוָּה־ל֣וֹ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וּמָ֨רְדֳּכַ֔י לֹ֥א יִכְרַ֖ע וְלֹ֥א יִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶֽה׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֨אמְר֜וּ עַבְדֵ֥י הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־בְּשַׁ֥עַר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לְמָרְדֳּכָ֑י מַדּ֙וּעַ֙ אַתָּ֣ה עוֹבֵ֔ר אֵ֖ת מִצְוַ֥ת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (ד) וַיְהִ֗י באמרם [כְּאָמְרָ֤ם] אֵלָיו֙ י֣וֹם וָי֔וֹם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לְהָמָ֗ן לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲיַֽעַמְדוּ֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י מָרְדֳּכַ֔י כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥יד לָהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא יְהוּדִֽי׃ (ה) וַיַּ֣רְא הָמָ֔ן כִּי־אֵ֣ין מָרְדֳּכַ֔י כֹּרֵ֥עַ וּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה ל֑וֹ וַיִּמָּלֵ֥א הָמָ֖ן חֵמָֽה׃ (ו) וַיִּ֣בֶז בְּעֵינָ֗יו לִשְׁלֹ֤ח יָד֙ בְּמָרְדֳּכַ֣י לְבַדּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥ידוּ ל֖וֹ אֶת־עַ֣ם מָרְדֳּכָ֑י וַיְבַקֵּ֣שׁ הָמָ֗ן לְהַשְׁמִ֧יד אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר בְּכָל־מַלְכ֥וּת אֲחַשְׁוֵר֖וֹשׁ עַ֥ם מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃
(1) Some time afterward, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite; he advanced him and seated him higher than any of his fellow officials. (2) All the king’s courtiers in the palace gate knelt and bowed low to Haman, for such was the king’s order concerning him; but Mordecai would not kneel or bow low. (3) Then the king’s courtiers who were in the palace gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s order?” (4) When they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s resolve would prevail; for he had explained to them that he was a Jew. (5) When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel or bow low to him, Haman was filled with rage. (6) But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone; having been told who Mordecai’s people were, Haman plotted to do away with all the Jews, Mordecai’s people, throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
Guiding Questions:
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Why does Haman expect people to bow to him?
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Does the text indicate why Mordechai refuses to bow to Haman?
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Why do you think Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman?
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Do you think Mordechai should or should not have bowed to Haman? What are some reasons to bow, and some not to bow?
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Was Mordechai’s decision a sign of good leadership or not (think of what happens next in the story...)?
(9) That day Haman went out happy and lighthearted. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the palace gate, and Mordecai did not rise or even stir on his account, Haman was filled with rage at him.
Guiding Questions
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At this point, Mordechai knows that Haman plans to destroy all the Jews. Do you think he should bow this time? Why or why not?
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What do you make of the fact that in this scene, the text does not mention bowing at all, but rather merely rising in Haman’s presence?
Guiding Questions
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This is what immediately precedes Mordechai’s first refusal to bow. How might this help explain why Mordechai does not bow to Haman?
הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה גִּדַּל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ אֶת הָמָן בֶּן הַמְדָתָא הָאֲגָגִי וַיְנַשְֹּׂאֵהוּ, וְצִוָּה הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁיְהוּ כּוֹרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לוֹ, מֶה עָשָׂה הָמָן, עָשָׂה לוֹ צֶלֶם מְרֻקָּם עַל בְּגָדָיו וְעַל לִבּוֹ, וְכָל מִי שֶׁהָיָה מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לְהָמָן הָיָה מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים.
“Some time afterward, King Achashverosh promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite; he advanced him and seated him higher than any of his fellow officials. All the king’s courtiers in the palace gate knelt and bowed low to Haman, for such was the king’s order concerning him; but Mordecai would not kneel or bow low.” (Esther 3:1-2) What had Haman done? He attached an embroidered [idolatrous] image to his garment upon his breast, and everyone who bowed down to Haman bowed down to the idolatrous image.
Guiding Questions
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What answer does this midrash provide to the question of why did Mordechai refuse to bow to Haman?
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Is there textual evidence in the story in the megillah for this explanation?
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Do you find the answer given in the midrash convincing?
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What do you think motivated the writer of this midrash to read the scene this way?
מָה אָמַר לָהֶם מָרְדֳּכַי לְמִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר לוֹ: מַדּוּעַ אַתָּה עוֹבֵר אֵת מִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ, רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר, אָמַר לָהֶם מָרְדֳּכַי, משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ הִזְהִיר לָנוּ בַּתּוֹרָה (דברים כז, טו): אָרוּר הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה פֶסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה, וְרָשָׁע זֶה עוֹשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים. וִישַׁעְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא הִזְהִירָנוּ (ישעיה ב, כב): חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ כִּי בַמֶּה נֶחְשָׁב הוּא, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁאֲנִי אִיסְגַנְטֵירִין שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁכָּל הַשְּׁבָטִים נוֹלְדוּ בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, וּזְקֵנִי נוֹלַד בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֲמַרוּן לֵיהּ וְנֵימַר לֵיהּ, מִיָּד, וַיַּגִּידוּ לְהָמָן וגו'. אֲמַר לוֹן הָמָן, אֱמַרוּן לֵיהּ זְקֵנוֹ הֲלֹא הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לִזְקֵנִי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית לג, ו): וַתִּגַּשְׁןָ הַשְּׁפָחוֹת וגו' וְאַחַר נִגַּשׁ יוֹסֵף וְרָחֵל וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ. הֵיתִיב, וַעֲדַיִּן לֹא נוֹלַד בִּנְיָמִין. אֲמַרִין לֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיַּגִּידוּ לְהָמָן.
רבי בנימין בר לוי אמר איסגנטריני של הקב"ה אני וכי איסגנטרין משתחוה להדיוט: (ילקוט שמעוני)
…I am a noble of the Holy Blessed One. For all of the tribes were born outside of the land and my grandfather was born in the land of Israel. Immediately, “And they told Haman etc.” Haman said to them, Say to him that his grandfather bowed before my grandfather! Thus it says, “And the maidservants came forward…And then came Joseph and Rachel and they bowed.” He replied, ‘But Benjamin had not yet been born.’ Thus it says, “And they told Haman.”
(Yalkut Shimoni on Nach: 1054:5 - "I am a noble of the Holy Blessed One, and should a noble bow to a layman?"
Guiding Questions:
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How do you reconcile Mordechai’s high self-perception here, as a “nobleman of God” with his refusal to commit idolatry? Do you think he is being hypocritical, or guilty of a form of idolatry himself?
בבלי מסכת מגילה טו ע''א - טו ע''ב (כ"י ספרייה
בריטית (044) 0045 .LRAH, אשכנזי)
פעם אחת נתן להם המלך ממון ושיגרו ראשי גייסות לכבוש את המדינה. נטל המן חציו של ממון ואכלו ולא נשתייר הימנו כלום וכשבא להוציא על בעלי המלחמה לא היה בידו כלום. בא אצל מרדכי שכל הממון שלם בידו כשם שנתנו לו המלך. אמ' לו המן למרדכי הלויני מן ממון זה שיש בידך. אמ' לו איני מלווך אלא אם כן תמכור לי נפשך לעבד קיבל על נפשו והלווהו כתב ליה הכי בשטרא המן עבדא דמרדכי זבין נפשיה למרדכי בטולמא דנהמא והינו דקאמ' ליה מרדכי להמן עבדא דקני ניכסי עבדא דמן ניכסי דמן.
Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 15a-15b - Mss. British Museum 400
Once King Achashverosh issued money to his heads of armies and dispatched them to conquer the province. Haman took his and there did not remain anything, so when he came to spend it on the soldiers he did not have anything left. He approached Mordecai because (Mordecai was a possessor of money, and) the money was in Mordechai’s hand just as the king had issued it to him. Haman said to Mordecai: “Lend me from this money which is in your hand.” Mordechai said to him: “I will not lend to you unless you sell yourself to me as a slave.” Haman accepted this upon himself and Mordechai made him the loan, and he wrote a contract as follows: ‘Haman, the slave of Mordecai, has sold himself to Mordecai for a loaf of bread.’ And this is what Mordecai says to Haman [when Haman expects Mordechai to bow to him]: When a slave acquires property - to whom does the slave belong? Therefore, to whom does the property belong? [Therefore, Mordechai refused to bow to Haman, because Mordechai thought it inappropriate to bow to his own slave.]
Guiding Questions:
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What answer does this Talmudic story provide to the question why did Mordechai refuse to bow to Haman?
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Is there textual evidence in the story in the megillah for this explanation?
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Do you find it convincing?
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What do you think motivated the writer of this midrash to read the scene this way?