Many of us know Haman as the villain of the Purim story who decreed that all the Jews should be killed. What else do we know about Haman? The Megillah tells us a bit about his lineage, his wife Zeresh, and his children, but not much else. Esther Rabbah helps us understand him more deeply.
We know Haman’s ancestors were the Amalekites who attacked the Israelites and lived many generations earlier. What about Haman’s immediate family and upbringing?
אֲזַל בְּעֵי סַפָּר וְלָא אַשְׁכַּח, מָה עֲבֵיד אֲזִיל לְבֵיתֵיהּ וְאַיְיתֵי סַפָּרָא וְיָתֵיב וְקָא מְסַפַּר לֵיהּ, שָׁרֵי וּמִתְנַח, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַה לָּךְ מִתְנַח, אֲמַר לֵיהּ וַוי לַאֲבוּהּ דְּהַהוּא גַבְרָא מַעֲבֵיר דּוּמִין פַּנְטוֹן קוֹמִין קְלֵטוֹ עֲבֵיד בַּלָּן סַפָּר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וּבְהַהִיא שְׁאֵילִית לָךְ לֵית אֲנָא חַכִּים לַאֲבוּי דְּהַהוּא גַבְרָא בַּלָּן וְסַפָּר בִּכְפַר קַרְיָינוּס וְאַתְּ מַשְׁכַּחַת מָאנֵי סַפָּרָא דִידֵיהּ.
He [Haman] went and sought a barber and did not find one. What did he do? He went to his house and brought scissors and sat and gave him a haircut. He began to sigh. He [Mordekhai] said to him: ‘Why are you sighing?’ He said to him: ‘Woe to this man’s father – he [Haman] has been removed from being a high official and an overlord and has been made a bath attendant and a barber!’ He [Mordekhai] said to him: ‘That is why I asked you. Do I not know that the father of that man [Haman] was a bath attendant and a barber in Kefar Karyanus and you have found his barber tools?’
Haman is described as the son of a barber and bath attendant, two jobs which were not seen as prestigious. The Talmud notes that Haman himself was previously a barber and bath attendant. Haman, in other words, does not come from great means, in contrast with the king he advises. Moreover, Esther Rabbah describes him as a stranger in the land he resided in. Individuals in this position are generally more vulnerable than native born citizens.
Rather than coming from royalty, Esther Rabbah portrays Haman as an outsider who grows up poor, but eventually becomes rich. How does he become so powerful?
רַבִּי פִּנְחָס אָמַר, שְׁנֵי עֲשִׁירִים עָמְדוּ בָּעוֹלָם, אֶחָד לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶחָד לְעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים, וְלֹא עָמַד לָהֶם מָמוֹנָם אֶלָּא לְרָעָתָם. קֹרַח בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁמָּצָא אוֹצְרוֹת שֶׁל כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב שֶׁהִטְמִין יוֹסֵף. וְהָמָן בְּעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים, לָקַח אוֹצְרוֹת מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁרָאָה הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת עָשְׂרוֹ וַעֲשֶׂרֶת בָּנָיו לְפָנָיו שָׂרִים, עָמַד וְגִדְּלוֹ וְרוֹמְמוֹ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה גִּדַּל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ אֶת הָמָן בֶּן הַמְדָתָא הָאֲגָגִי וַיְנַשְֹּׂאֵהוּ
Rabbi Pinḥas said: Two wealthy men arose in the [history of the] world, one from Israel and one from the idolaters, and their property was only to their harm. Koraḥ in Israel, who found the treasures of gold and silver that Joseph had concealed, and Haman among the idolaters, as he took the treasures of the kings of Judah. When the king saw his wealth, and his ten sons [living] as princes, he arose and promoted and raised him up; that is what is written: “After these matters, King Aḥashverosh promoted Haman son of Hamedata…and he raised him up.”
Haman comes to power not because of any specific accomplishments or potential, but because Achashverosh is attracted to his wealth, which according to the midrash is itself built on stolen goods. Just as Haman’s rise is thanks to the actions of others (“Ahasuerus raised him up”), so too is his downfall, according to this midrashic take:
וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהֵבִיאוּהוּ לְפָנָיו הֱכִינוֹ עַל פֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ וּמָדַד עַצְמוֹ עָלָיו לְהַרְאוֹת עֲבָדָיו הֵיאַךְ יִתָּלֶה מָרְדֳּכַי עָלָיו. הֱשִׁיבַתּוּ בַּת קוֹל, נָאֶה לְךָ הָעֵץ, מְתֻקָּן לְךָ הָעֵץ מִשֵּׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְרֵאשִׁית. רַבָּנָן דְּתַמָּן אָמְרִין, מִנַּיִן לְהָמָן מִן הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ג, יא): הֲמִן הָעֵץ. דָּרִישׁ לֵיהּ הָמָן הָעֵץ.
When they brought [suitable wood] before Haman, he prepared it at the entrance to his house and measured himself on it to show his servants how Mordekhai should be hanged on it. A divine voice replied to him: ‘The tree is suitable for you; this tree has been prepared for you since the six days of Creation.’ The Rabbis there [i.e. Babylonia] say: Where in the Torah is there [an allusion] to Haman? It is, as it is stated: “Was it from the tree [hamin haetz]” (Genesis 3:11), which is expounded to read: Haman haetz.
This midrash teaches us that Haman’s fate was already sealed during the days of creation. Another midrash compares Haman to a ram, fattened only to be slaughtered later. Haman, too, “is made great [only] for his downfall.” Does Haman recognize that he received a promotion he did not earn or that his end was predetermined? Does he respond to these realities with humility, or does he feel deserving and untouchable? Esther Rabbah paints a picture of Haman as someone who feels he can control the uncontrollable:
בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן וגו' (אסתר ג, ז), תָּנֵי כְּשֶׁאָמַר הָמָן הָרָשָׁע לְאַבֵּד אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמַר הֵיאַךְ אֲנִי שׁוֹלֵט בָּהֶן, הֲרֵינִי מַפִּיל גּוֹרָלוֹת. וְרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ צוֹוַחַת (יואל ד, ג): וְאֶל עַמִּי יַדּוּ גוֹרָל. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רָשָׁע בֶּן רָשָׁע, גּוֹרָלְךָ עוֹלֶה לְהִצָּלֵב, הִפִּיל פּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל, עָלָיו נָפַל הַגּוֹרָל
“In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Aḥashverosh, he had cast a pur, that is, the lot, before Haman for each day and for each month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar” (Esther 3:7). “In the first month, that is, the month Nisan” – it is taught: When the wicked Haman sought to eliminate Israel, he said: ‘How can I gain control over them? I will cast lots.’ The Holy Spirit cried out: “Over My people they cast lots” (Joel 4:3). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Wicked one son of wicked one, your lot is drawn to be hanged.’ “He cast a pur, that is [hu], the lot” – upon him the lot fell.
In addition to lots, Haman advances both religious and economic arguments for why he thinks Jews are enemies of the state, some of which may be familiar to a contemporary reader. In an extensive letter, he suggests that the Jews throughout their history were always the villains, even in the Passover story!
Haman tries to control and eliminate the Jewish people through various means, but according to the midrash, neither God nor fate will allow him to succeed. Esther Rabbah depicts an interaction between Haman and God where God criticizes Haman directly for trying to reverse destiny and asserts that Haman’s goals are something even God would not have the power to achieve:
מָשָׁל דְּהָמָן רַשִּׁיעָא לְמָה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לְעוֹף שֶׁעָשָׂה קֵן עַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם וְשָׁטַף הַיָּם אֶת קִנּוֹ, וְאָמַר אֵינִי זָז מִשָּׁם עַד שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה יַם יַבָּשָׁה וְיַבָּשָׁה יָם, מֶה עָשָׂה נוֹטֵל מַיִם מִן הַיָּם בְּפִיו וְשׁוֹפֵךְ לַיַּבָּשָׁה, וְנוֹטֵל עָפָר מִן הַיַּבָּשָׁה וּמַשְׁלִיךְ לַיָּם. בָּא חֲבֵרוֹ וְעָמַד לוֹ עַל גַּבָּיו וְאָמַר לוֹ, בִּישׁ גַּדָּא וּטְמִיעַ מַזָּלָא, סוֹף סוֹף בַּמֶּה אַתְּ יָכֵיל, כָּךְ אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהָמָן הָרָשָׁע, אִי שׁוֹטֶה שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי לְהַשְׁמִידָם כִּבְיָכוֹל וְלֹא יָכֹלְתִּי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קו, כג): וַיֹּאמֶר לְהַשְׁמִידָם לוּלֵי משֶׁה בְחִירוֹ עָמַד בַּפֶּרֶץ לְפָנָיו לְהָשִׁיב חֲמָתוֹ מֵהַשְׁחִית, וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ לְהַשְׁמִיד לַהֲרֹג וּלְאַבֵּד, חַיֶּיךָ רֵישָׁךְ מִתּוֹרָם חֲלַף רֵישֵׁיהוֹן דְּאִינוּן לְשֵׁיזָבָא וְאַתְּ לִצְלִיבָא.
To what is the wicked Haman comparable? To a bird that made a nest on the seashore and the sea swept away its nest, and it said: ‘I will not move from here until the sea becomes dry land and the dry land becomes sea.’ What did it do? It would take water from the sea in its mouth and pour it on the land, and would take dirt from the land and cast it into the sea. Its fellow came and stood alongside it and said to it: ‘Luckless and unfortunate one! Ultimately, what can you accomplish?’ So said the Holy One blessed be He to the wicked Haman: ‘World class fool! I said I would destroy them, so to speak, and could not, as it is stated: “He said He would destroy them, were it not for Moses, His chosen one, who stood before Him in the breach to turn back His wrath from destruction” (Psalms 106:23), and you said “to destroy, to kill, and to eliminate” (Esther 3:13) [them]. By your life, your head will be severed instead of their heads, as they are destined for deliverance and you for hanging.’
Haman grows up in the lower classes and makes his way up the royal ladder by no feat of his own, according to this narrative in Esther Rabbah. Armed with power, Haman seeks to destroy the Jewish people - an objective the midrash says is completely out of his hands. Do these midrashim give us any hints to explain Haman’s motivations? Continue learning the creative midrashim of Esther Rabbah to find out what else we can learn about Haman!
From Haman the antagonist, we next turn to Esther the protagonist. Who is she? What makes her suited for the task that would come before her? What does she think as she seeks to save the Jewish people? She joins us in the second chapter of the Megillah and stays throughout the journey. Begin reading the second chapter of the Book of Esther right here.