Megillah 13 - Shabbat December 25, 21 Tevet

This is the daf for Shabbat. For Friday's daf, click here. Today's daf is sponsored by Keren Sherrington on her birthday in loving memory of her grandfather Avraham and grandmothers Miriam and Chana. "I miss them and am honored that my daughters are named after them and keep their memories alive." Today’s daf is also sponsored by Susan Cashdan in loving memory of her father Yitzchak ben Moshe Chone. Why is Mordechai called both Yehudi (presumably, from the tribe of Judah) and Yemini (from the tribe of Binyamin)? Several different explanations are brought. Yehudi could also refer to one who doesn’t worship idols, as can be proven from a verse in Chronicles 1 4:18 referring to Pharoah’s daughter. According to the verse, she was married to Caleb – what is similar about them on account of which they married each other? Why is Esther called Hadassah or why is Hadassah called Esther? What was her relationship with Mordechai? Why did she have seven young women serving her when she was preparing for the months leading up to her meeting Achashverosh? What type of special treatment did she get? What does it mean that she found favor in everyone’s eyes? Why was she brought to him in the month of Tevet? What different tactics did Achashverosh use to get Esther to tell him what nation she belonged to? Rachel and Shaul were rewarded for their tzniut – what did they do that showed their tzniut and what was their reward? Why did Bigtan and Teresh want to kill Achashverosh? To what other story does the Gemara compare it to? How did Mordechai know what they were plotting? Only after that story did Haman rise in stature – this teaches that God prepares the solution before bringing the bad decree upon us. However, with gentiles, it is the reverse. Why was Haman excited when the lottery fell on Adar? But why was he wrong? What were Haman’s arguments against the Jews by which he convinced Achashverosh to let him destroy them? They were classic anti-Semitic arguments. God commanded the Jews to give the half shekel for the Temple and this was traditionally announced on Rosh Chodesh Adar – this was God’s way of giving us a commandment to protect us from the money that Haman decreed that the Jews would need to pay.