בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא נָדְדָה שְׁנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר לְהָבִיא אֶת־סֵפֶר הַזִּכְרֹנוֹת דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים וַיִּהְיוּ נִקְרָאִים לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ

On that night, after Esther’s feast, the king’s sleep was disturbed, for no evident reason; and he said to bring the book of records, the chronicles, the book of royal history, and they, sections of the book, would be read before the king, in order to divert his mind with memories of past events.

וַיִּמָּצֵא כָתוּב אֲשֶׁר הִגִּיד מָרְדֳּכַי עַל־בִּגְתָנָא וָתֶרֶשׁ שְׁנֵי סָרִיסֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ מִשֹּׁמְרֵי הַסַּף אֲשֶׁר בִּקְשׁוּ לִשְׁלֹחַ יָד בַּמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ

It was found written, among the various events that had transpired in the kingdom, that Mordekhai had reported of Bigtana, Bigtan, and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, among the guardians of the threshold, who were very close to the king, who had sought to do violence to King Ahashverosh. Their assassination attempt, the disclosure of the plot, and the fact that they had been hanged, were all recorded in the book.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ מַה־נַּעֲשָׂה יְקָר וּגְדוּלָּה לְמָרְדֳּכַי עַל־זֶה וַיֹּאמְרוּ נַעֲרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ מְשָׁרְתָיו לֹא־נַעֲשָׂה עִמּוֹ דָּבָר

The king said: What honor or greatness has been bestowed upon Mordekhai for this? Perhaps he had received some form of reward, but as the details did not involve the king, they were not recorded in the book. The king’s lads, his servants, said to him: Nothing was done with him to reward him.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ מִי בֶחָצֵר וְהָמָן בָּא לַחֲצַר בֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְ הַחִיצוֹנָה לֵאמֹר לַמֶּלֶךְ לִתְלוֹת אֶת־מָרְדֳּכַי עַל־הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר־הֵכִין לוֹ

The king said: Who is in the courtyard? These events likely occurred in the wee hours of the morning, and the king sought someone with whom he could converse and receive counsel about the matters that were disturbing his rest. Now just at that moment Haman had come to the outer courtyard of the king’s palace, to say to the king his request to hang Mordekhai on the gibbet that he had prepared for him, in accordance with the advice he had received from his wife and friends. Although Mordekhai and the Jewish people were associated in his mind, since it was Mordekhai’s presence that bothered Haman on a daily basis, he wished to dispose of him without delay.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ נַעֲרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלָיו הִנֵּה הָמָן עֹמֵד בֶּחָצֵר וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ יָבוֹא

The king’s lads said to him: Behold, Haman is standing in the courtyard. The king said: Let him enter.

וַיָּבוֹא הָמָן וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ מַה־לַּעֲשׂוֹת בָּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר הָמָן בְּלִבּוֹ לְמִי יַחְפֹּץ הַמֶּלֶךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת יְקָר יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנִּי

Haman came, and the king said to him: What is to be done to the man whose honoring the king desires, whom he wishes to honor in public? Haman said in his heart: Upon whom would the king desire to bestow honor more than I? Under the circumstances, Haman interpreted the king’s question as though it were directed to him personally: How would you wish to be honored?

וַיֹּאמֶר הָמָן אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ

Haman said to the king: My advice is, for the man whose honoring the king desires,

יָבִיאוּ לְבוּשׁ מַלְכוּת אֲשֶׁר לָבַשׁ־בּוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְסוּס אֲשֶׁר רָכַב עָלָיו הַמֶּלֶךְ וַאֲשֶׁר נִתַּן כֶּתֶר מַלְכוּת בְּרֹאשׁוֹ

let them bring royal garments that the king himself has worn, and a horse upon which the king has ridden while a royal crown was set on his, the king’s, head, while he rode the horse. Alternatively, a royal crown was set upon the horse’s head, demonstrating that it was the king’s horse.

וְנָתוֹן הַלְּבוּשׁ וְהַסּוּס עַל־יַד־אִישׁ מִשָּׂרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַפַּרְתְּמִים וְהִלְבִּשׁוּ אֶת־הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ וְהִרְכִּיבֻהוּ עַל־הַסּוּס בִּרְחוֹב הָעִיר וְקָרְאוּ לְפָנָיו כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ

And once all these have been assembled, have them put the garments and the horse in the hand of one of the king’s princes, of the nobles, a senior minister rather than a lowly servant; they will dress the man whose honoring the king desires, and they will lead him riding on the horse in the city square, and they, the nobles who lead him, will proclaim before him: So shall be done to the man whose honoring the king desires. Haman had no difficulty imagining himself riding on the horse, wearing royal clothing, after selecting one of the other ministers who would run before him.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהָמָן מַהֵר קַח אֶת־הַלְּבוּשׁ וְאֶת־הַסּוּס כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ וַעֲשֵׂה־כֵן לְמָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אַל־תַּפֵּל דָּבָר מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ

The king said to Haman: This is indeed a good idea. Hurry, quickly take the garments and the horse, as you have spoken, and do so to Mordekhai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Perhaps the king was not greatly familiar with Mordekhai, but he was not an anonymous figure either. His status and position in the royal court were well known. Do not omit anything from all that you have spoken.

וַיִּקַּח הָמָן אֶת־ הַלְּבוּשׁ וְאֶת־הַסּוּס וַיַּלְבֵּשׁ אֶת־מָרְדֳּכָי וַיַּרְכִּיבֵהוּ בִּרְחוֹב הָעִיר וַיִּקְרָא לְפָנָיו כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ

The king’s order left Haman no choice. Haman took the garments and the horse, dressed Mordekhai, led him riding through the city square, and proclaimed before him: So shall be done to the man whose honoring the king desires.

וַיָּשָׁב מָרְדֳּכַי אֶל־שַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן נִדְחַף אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ אָבֵל וַחֲפוּי רֹאשׁ

Mordekhai returned to the king’s gate. Even if Mordekhai was pleased at Haman’s humiliation, this did not ease the terror in his heart over the fate of the Jews. And Haman hastened to his house, mourning and with covered head, as he was humiliated and wanted to hide his shame.

וַיְסַפֵּר הָמָן לְזֶרֶשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ וּלְכָל־אֹהֲבָיו אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר קָרָהוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לּוֹ חֲכָמָיו וְזֶרֶשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ אִם מִזֶּרַע הַיְּהוּדִים מָרְדֳּכַי אֲשֶׁר הַחִלּוֹתָ לִנְפֹּל לְפָנָיו לֹא־תוּכַל לוֹ כִּי־נָפוֹל תִּפּוֹל לְפָנָיו

Haman related to Zeresh his wife and to all his supporters everything that had befallen him. He told them that he had followed their advice, but that he had arrived at the king’s courtyard at the wrong moment and had suffered a terrible humiliation. His wise men who, perhaps significantly, are no longer described as his supporters, and Zeresh his wife, said to him dispassionately: If Mordekhai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the progeny of the Jews, you will not prevail against him; rather, you will fall before him. There is no middle ground in our relations with the Jews. One who fights against them will either crush them or be utterly defeated by them.

עוֹדָם מְדַבְּרִים עִמּוֹ וְסָרִיסֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הִגִּיעוּ וַיַּבְהִלוּ לְהָבִיא אֶת־הָמָן אֶל־הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָה אֶסְתֵּר

These comments certainly did not improve Haman’s mood. They were still talking with him, and the king’s chamberlains arrived, and they hastened to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared, despite the fact that feasts were generally held in the evening hours. As part of the royal formalities, officials were sent to Haman informing him that his presence was requested at the feast immediately.