Megilah
16
Zichru Daf Simanim
Siman- Megillah Daf 16
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 90%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 
Download
Share

The majority of this Daf details the pesukim from the downfall of Haman until the end of the Megillah.

  • Haman’s humiliation

The Gemara relates that after Achashverosh commanded Haman to do to Mordechai all the things that Haman had advised should be done for a loyal servant, Haman was humiliated by having to become Mordechai’s bath attendant and barber. When Mordechai told Haman that he could not ascend the horse due to his weakness from fasting, Haman bent down and Mordechai stepped on his back, kicking Haman on his way up. Haman asked, is it not written, "בנפל אויבך אל תשמח" – Do not rejoice when your enemy falls? Mordechai answered that the passuk is referring to Jewish enemies, but about non-Jewish enemies, the passuk states: "ואתה על במותימו תדרך" – And you shall tread upon their high places. Haman then led Mordechai through the streets proclaiming, "ככה יעשה לאיש אשר המלך חפץ ביקרו" – This is what is done for the man whom the king wants to honor, and Haman's daughter mistakenly thought that it was Mordechai leading Haman, and she threw a chamber pot on his head. Upon realizing what she had done, she jumped to her death. This is what the passuk is referring to when it states that Haman returned to his house “אבל וחפוי ראש” - in mourning, and with his head covered

  • Yosef and Binyomin crying on each other’s necks

After the Gemara brings a derasha that teaches that the five garments Yosef gave Binyomin allude to Binyomin’s descendant, Mordechai, eventually leaving the king’s presence wearing five royal garments, it details Yosef’s reunion and reconciliation with his brothers. The passuk states: "ויפל על צוארי בנימין אחיו" – Then he fell upon his brother Binyamin’s neck and wept. The word "necks" is written in the plural, so the Gemara asks, how many necks did Binyamin have? Rebbe Elazar said: בכה על שני מקדשים שעתידין להיות בחלקו של בנימין ועתידין ליחרב- Yosef cried over the two Temples that in the future would be in Binyomin’s territory and were destined to be destroyed. "ובנימין בכה על צואריו" – And Binyomin cried upon his neck. Binyomin cried over Mishkan Shiloh, which in the future would be in Yosef’s territory and was destined to be destroyed.

  •  The reading and the writing of the ten sons of Haman

Rav Adda of Yaffo said: עשרת בני המן "ועשרת" צריך לממרינהו בנשימה אחת – The names of the tens sons of Haman, and the word “aseres” – ten, which follows, need to be pronounced by the Megillah reader in one breath. What is the reason? כולהו בהדי הדדי נפקו נשמתייהו – For their souls departed at the same moment. Rebbe Yochanan said that the letter vav of the name ויזתא, must be elongated like a long pole used by boatmen on the river Libros. The Gemara explains that this is because they were all hung on one pole, one above the other. Rebbe Chanina bar Pappa said that Rav Shila, a man of Kfar Temarta expounded: כל השירות כולן נכתבות אריח על גבי לבינה ולבינה על גבי אריח – All songs in Tanach are written in the form of a half brick above a whole brick, and a whole brick above a half brick, except for this shirah listing the ten sons of Haman, and the shirah listing the kings of Canaan, that are written a half brick above a half brick and a whole brick above a whole brick. The Gemara explains that the reason is שלא תהא תקומה למפלתן – that there should never be a rising up from their downfall.

Siman – Toes. The acrobat with the big toes who kicked his evil competitor while doing a back flip getting on to a horse, and then jumped on to his brother’s neck, finished his act by sliding down a long pole while reciting ten names in one breath.

Previous Page
Next Page
Rabbi Avraham Goldhar

Rabbi Avraham Goldhar has been designing and teaching Jewish literacy courses for over thirty years. His knowledge frameworks for Biblical mastery, Jewish History, Talmudic Law & Jewish Holidays enable students of all backgrounds to better integrate Jewish concepts and learn systematically. After serving as the Educational Director of Aish HaTorah New York, Avraham launched GoldharSchool.com, Home of Big Picture Jewish Education, featuring Jewish literacy content for schools and individuals. He is the developer of the Goldhar Method, a revolutionary learning system that integrates memory into the learning process and has trained over 80,000 students, teachers and professionals. He lectures internationally on the topic of academic mastery and the solutions required to raise the bar in education. Avraham learned in Aish HaTorah, Mir, and Chaim Berlin and received his ordination under the tutelage of Rabbi Yitzchok Berkovits in Jerusalem.