Questions tagged [haman]
A minister in the ancient Persian empire of King Ahasuerus who sought to exterminate the Jewish people. He is the primary antagonist in the book of Esther.
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If Mordechai knew he would endanger the whole nation would he bow to Haman?
If I understand the plot correctly, the story of Haman's hatred to Mordechai and the whole Jewish people started with Mordechai disobeying the king's laws.
First, did Mordechai (as a prophet) know he ...
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Purim fighting in Adar - why wait for 8 months?
According to the Purim timeline:
the 13th of Adar (of the next year) was set as the target day for wiping the Jews.
Mordechai became the vice in Nissan and the new decrees to fight Amolekites ware ...
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Purim in Adar and not Av?
We all presume that Haman was well literate and familiar with our Tanachic sources. It is widely known that since the sin of the Spies (Meraglim) 9th of Av was chosen for all kinds of misfortunes for ...
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Purim in Adar: Haman's choice or a toss?
בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן ... הִפִּיל פּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל לִפְנֵי הָמָן
מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם וּמֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר הוּא־חֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר׃ (Ester 3.6)
In the first month ... pur—which means “the ...
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Does anyone draw a parallel between Haman selling himself to Mordechai and Esav selling the birthright to Yaakov?
There’s a famous Yalkut Shimoni (Nach 1056:18, referenced by Rashi in explaining Megillah 15a), which reads as follows:
א"ר חסדא זה בא בפרוזבולי וזה בא בפרוזבוטי, פעם אחת נתן המלך ממון ושגרם בראשי ...
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When was the war in which Haman sold himself to Mordechai?
There’s a famous Yalkut Shimoni (Nach 1056:18, referenced by Rashi in explaining Megillah 15a), which reads as follows:
א"ר חסדא זה בא בפרוזבולי וזה בא בפרוזבוטי, פעם אחת נתן המלך ממון ושגרם בראשי ...
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How old was Haman in the Megillah?
I'm on a bit of a quest to contextualize the story of Purim by getting a better sense of the ages of the main characters. So far, with Mi Yodeya's help, I've explored the age of Esther, and I have ...
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Haman going to the second feast dirty
In all story tapes/videos I've seen it always portrays that Haman was taken to Esther's second feast dirty while in the Megillah all it says is just that they took him while "he was still talking" "...
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How did Haman know Moshe Rabeinu's Yahrzeit but not his Birthday?
I remember learning some years ago in Gemarah Megillah 13: that when Haman drew lots he was happy it landed in Adar since it is the month that Moshe Rabeinu died. However, he didn't know that Moshe ...
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Why does Achashveirosh ask who is responsible for the decree against the Jews?
In Esther 7:5 it says
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֑ה מִ֣י ה֥וּא זֶה֙ וְאֵֽי־זֶ֣ה ה֔וּא אֲשֶׁר־מְלָא֥וֹ לִבּ֖וֹ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת כֵּֽן׃
Thereupon King Ahasuerus ...
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Why does the Targum switch the order when identifying Memuchan and Hasach?
Targum on Esther identifies Memuchan as Haman (in 1:16):
ממוכן הוא המן
Memuchan, who is Haman
Yet on 4:5, when he identifies Hasach as Daniel, he switches the order:
דניאל דמתקרי התך
...
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Why was Achashverosh so angry about Haman's plot?
In Megilas Esther 7:4, Esther tells Achashveros that someone is planning on wiping out her people:
כִּי נִמְכַּרְנוּ אֲנִי וְעַמִּי, לְהַשְׁמִיד לַהֲרוֹג וּלְאַבֵּד; וְאִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחוֹת ...
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Why did Mordechai not stand before Haman?
I understand that (one of) the reason(s) that Mordechai did not bow before Haman was that Haman wore an idol around his neck and therefore bowing to him would (appear to?) be bowing before an idol. ...
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Was Haman Jewish?
I read the question about whether Achashverosh was Jewish and I was wondering, why isn't Haman Jewish? He was Mordechai's slave (see Megillah bottom of 15a through the top of 15b with Rashi) and as an ...
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Why did Memuchan make the decree on all women?
Memuchan states (Esther 1:16-20) that Achashveirosh should kill Vashti and decree that all women who rebel against their husbands should also be put to death. Achashveirosh (v. 21-22) agrees and does ...
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