01
Source and decoding
״בלילה ההוא נדדה שנת המלך״. אמר רבי תנחום: נדדה שנת מלכו של עולם. ורבנן אמרי: נדדו עליונים, נדדו תחתונים. רבא אמר: שנת המלך אחשורוש ממש.
The king’s sleepless night is interpreted as referring to the King of the universe, to the upper and lower realms, and, according to Rava, to Achashverosh himself.
- 1Compare three readings of the king
- 2Trace the reversal of honor
- 3Connect light with Torah
Rabbi Tanhum reads the King of the universe, the Sages describe upper and lower realms, and Rava reads Achashverosh himself. Mordechai then receives honor, Haman falls, and light is interpreted as Torah.
Narrative study question: whom does Haman think the king wishes to honor?
Haman thinks the king wishes to honor him. The king then orders him to give Mordechai the honor he proposed for himself. This is a narrative reversal, not an answer to an objection posed by the Gemara.