Resources for Megillah 12

Rabbi Yitzchok Gutterman

1. The גמרא brings the discussion between רשב"י and his students as to what the cause for the גזרה against the Jewish people was. The students suggested it was משום שנהנו מסעודתן של אחשורוש. However, רשב"י says it was because the Jews bowed down to the idol during the time of נבוכדנצר. It is interesting to note that in  שיר השירים רבה פּרק ז, אותח it says almost the exact opposite—namely that the רבנן say that the איסור was bowing down to the idol and רשב"י says the עברה was that the Jews ate בישול עכו"ם at the סעודה of אחשורוש. See also the תרגום on פּרק א' פּסוק ה where the תרגום says that the Jews sinned “דאיתמניאו עם ערלאין” (they were counted with the non-Jews) which sounds that they were simply co-mingling with the non-Jews.
2. The פּסוקים and גמרא discuss the two parties that אחשורוש had: the first for the people throughout his kingdom and the second for the people of שושן. It is noteworthy that the תרגום mentioned above says explicitly that מרדכי was not in attendance at the second party. This is consistent with the מדרש in שיר השירים (referenced above) that says that מרדכי told the Jewish people not to go to the second party. However, the תרגום in פּסוק ג when describing the first party, says that Jewish leaders did attend that party and that when they saw the כלים of the בית המקדש being used they mourned and cried. See the מהרש"א who says that it is clear that the sin of נהנו מסעודתן של אחשורוש was at the second party and not at the first. This is consistent with ‘רשב"י’s response in the גמרא to his students that if the עברה that caused the rise of המן was משום שנהנו מסעודתן של אחשורוש, it should only have been a גזרה against the people of שושן, since the עברה was only committed at the second party in שושן.
3. In regards to רשב"י’s position in our גמרא that the sin of the Jews was bowing down to the idol of נבוכדנצר, it is unclear what the exact nature of that חטא The simple understanding is that they bowed down to actual idols. This is also the opinion of the מדרש referenced above, רש"י, and other ראשונים. However, see תוספות in ע"ז דף ג' ד"ה שלא who says that the צלם was only a statue of the king but not an actual idol for worshipping. The עברה of bowing down to it was a lack of קידוש השם by bowing down to something that appeared to bean idol. תוספות brings a proof to his פּשט from the end of our גמרא that says the Jews were saved since they only sinned "לפנים".  This sounds like the עברה was only superficial but not real. According to רש”י however, it was real! However, רש”י in our גמרא explains "לפנים" as “forced out of fear” and not true to their hearts.
4. The גמרא says that אחשורוש wore the בגדי כהונה at his party but does not seem to indicate that he was punished for this, although he was punished for using the כלים of the בית המקדש. See the ספר המקנהon דף נ"ד who suggests that בגדי כהונה, at least according to the רמב"ם, are מותר בשמוש אפילו שלא בשעת עבודה which means that כהנים can wear it in the בית המקדש even during times that they are not doing עבודה. Therefore, their קדושה was lower than the other כלים which can never be used for other purposes. As such, אחשורוש using the בגדי כהונה was not as big as an offense.

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