Talmudic Interpretations of the Book of Esther: Esther 6:13-7:10 (Megillah 16a)
Part of a series on the extended aggadic sugya in Tractate Megillah 10b-17a. See the previous installments here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.1
Happy Shushan Purim!
This discussion focuses on Haman’s downfall and the turning point in Mordecai’s and Esther’s fortunes. The Talmud examines the shift in how Haman’s advisors are described, linking wisdom to universal truth rather than nationality. It draws on biblical precedents to explain why Haman could never hope to overcome Mordecai, based on the strength of certain tribes. It explores Esther’s rhetorical skill, the supernatural elements guiding events, and the political opportunism at play.
A key theme is the Jewish nation's dual nature—rising to the stars in success, falling to the dust in adversity—reflecting historical cycles of exile and redemption. The discussion also highlights the unseen role of angels, intervening at pivotal moments, whether by redirecting Esther’s accusation or orchestrating Haman’s final disgrace.
Outline
The Shift from "Friends" to "Wise Men" (Esther 6:13): Even a non-Jew who speaks wisdom is called “wise”
The Strength of Certain Tribes (Esther 6:13): if Mordecai descends from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, or Manasseh, Haman will not be able to defeat him (Genesis 49:8; Psalms 80:3)
The Jewish Nation’s Dual Nature (Esther 6:13): when they decline, they fall to the dust, but when they rise, they reach the stars
Haman’s Sudden Summons (Esther 6:14)
Esther’s Accusation Against Haman (Esther 7:4): just as Haman orchestrated Vashti’s downfall, he now seeks to harm Esther
Ahasuerus’ Recognition of Esther’s Status (Esther 7:5): At first Ahasuerus speaks to Esther through a translator, Once she reveals her descent from King Saul, he addresses her directly as a queen
Esther’s Accusation Redirected (Esther 7:6): Esther initially pointed at Ahasuerus when calling out the enemy, but an angel redirected her hand toward Haman
Ahasuerus' Growing Fury (Esther 7:7-8): He Encounters Ministering Angels in Human Form Uprooting Trees, Claiming Haman Commanded It
The Angel’s Influence in Haman’s Downfall (Esther 7:8): Repeatedly Pushing Him Onto Esther’s Couch, Fueling Ahasuerus’ Suspicion
Harbonah’s Opportunism (Esther 7:9): Once Aligned with Haman, He Switches Sides and Reveals the Gallows Meant for Mordecai (Job 27:22)
The Waning of Wrath (Esther 7:10): Ahasuerus' and God’s Anger Subside, or Ahasuerus' Fury Over Esther and Vashti Finds Resolution
Appendix 1 - “Non-Jewish Scholarship” in the Talmud
Blessings Upon Seeing Non-Jewish Scholars (Berakhot 57b-58a)
Two Fundamental Debates in Astronomy between Jewish and non-Jewish Scholars (Pesachim 94b)
Divergent chronological systems in Jewish and Non-Jewish traditions (Rosh Hashanah 12a)
Appendix 2 - Talmudic anecdotes of divine incarnations, especially of angels
Angels incarnated as sailors (Taanit 24a-b)
The angels who appeared to Abraham incarnated as Arabs (Kiddushin 32b)
The Passage
The Shift from "Friends" to "Wise Men" (Esther 6:13): Even a non-Jew who speaks wisdom is called “wise”
The verse states that Haman recounted to his wife Zeresh and to his friends everything that had happened. The Talmud notes that Haman's associates are first called "friends" and later "wise men."
R' Yoḥanan explains that anyone who speaks wisdom (חכמה), even a non-Jew, is called “wise”.2
״ויספר המן לזרש אשתו ולכל אוהביו וגו׳״.
קרי להו ״אוהביו״,
וקרי להו ״חכמיו״.
אמר רבי יוחנן:
כל האומר דבר חכמה,
אפילו באומות העולם,
נקרא חכם.
The following verse states: “And Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and to all his friends everything that had befallen him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him: If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, be of the seed of the Jews, then you will not prevail over him, but you shall fall before him” (Esther 6:13).
The Gemara comments: At the beginning of the verse it calls them “his friends,”
and in the continuation of the verse it calls them “his wise men.”
R' Yoḥanan said:
Whoever says something wise,
even if he is from the nations of the world,
is called a wise man.
The Strength of Certain Tribes (Esther 6:13): if Mordecai descends from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, or Manasseh, Haman will not be able to defeat him (Genesis 49:8; Psalms 80:3)
Haman’s advisors tell him that if Mordecai descends from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, or Manasseh, Haman will not be able to defeat him.3
They cite biblical verses showing these tribes' strength in battle.
״אם מזרע היהודים מרדכי וגו׳״.
אמרו ליה:
אי משאר שבטים קאתי — יכלת ליה,
ואי משבט
יהודה
ובנימין
ואפרים
ומנשה —
לא יכלת ליה.
יהודה,
דכתיב: ״ידך בערף אויביך״,
אינך,
דכתיב בהו:
״לפני
אפרים
ובנימין
ומנשה
עוררה את גבורתך״.
The Gemara explains that their wise remark, which earned them their distinction, is contained in their advice: “If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews [Yehudim], then you will not prevail over him” (Esther 6:13).
The word Yehudim can also refer to people from the tribe of Judah. Haman’s wise men thereby said to him:
If he descends from the other tribes, you can still prevail over him,
but if he descends from the tribe of either
Judah,
Benjamin,
Ephraim,
or Manasseh,
you cannot prevail over him.
With regard to Judah,
the proof of this is as it is written: “Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies” (Genesis 49:8), indicating that Judah will emerge victorious over his enemies.
And the proof that Haman cannot prevail over the others that were mentioned
is as it is written with regard to them:
“Before
Ephraim
and Benjamin
and Manasseh,
stir up Your might” (Psalms 80:3).
The Jewish Nation’s Dual Nature (Esther 6:13): when they decline, they fall to the dust, but when they rise, they reach the stars
R' Yehuda bar Ilai explains that the phrase "nafol tippol" (נפול תפול - “falling, you shall fall”) signifies the Jewish nation's dual nature:
When they decline, they “fall to the dust”, but when they rise, they “reach the stars”.4
״כי נפול תפול לפניו״.
דרש רבי יהודה בר אלעאי:
שתי נפילות הללו, למה?
אמרו לו:
אומה זו, משולה לעפר ומשולה לכוכבים.
כשהן יורדין — יורדין עד עפר,
וכשהן עולין — עולין עד לכוכבים.
The wise men continued: “But you shall fall [nafol tippol] before him” (Esther 6:13).
R' Yehuda bar Ilai interpreted a verse homiletically:
Why are these two fallings, nafol and tippol, mentioned here?
The wise men said to Haman:
This Jewish nation is compared in the Bible to the dust of the earth and it is also compared to the stars in heaven.
This teaches you that when they descend, they descend to the dust,
and when they rise, they rise to the stars. Accordingly, when Mordecai is on the rise, you will be utterly incapable of prevailing over him.
Haman’s Sudden Summons (Esther 6:14)
The verse describing Haman being hurried to the king (Esther 6:14) is interpreted to mean that he was taken in a state of disarray.5
״וסריסי המלך הגיעו ויבהילו״.
מלמד:
שהביאוהו בבהלה.
The next verse states: “The king’s chamberlains came, and they hastened [vayavhilu] to bring Haman” (Esther 6:14).
This teaches that:
they brought him in disarray [behala], not even giving him a chance to wash himself from the filth.
Esther’s Accusation Against Haman (Esther 7:4): just as Haman orchestrated Vashti’s downfall, he now seeks to harm Esther
At the banquet, Esther reveals to the king that she and her people have been sold to be annihilated. She states that had they only been enslaved, she would have remained silent, as such an affliction (צר) would not be worth (שוה) the damage (נזק) to the king.
The Talmud interprets that Esther was subtly accusing Haman of consistently harming the king:
First, Haman was envious6 of Vashti and orchestrated her execution.7 Now, out of jealousy, he seeks to destroy Esther and her people.
״כי נמכרנו אני ועמי וגו׳
כי אין הצר שוה בנזק המלך״.
אמרה לו:
צר זה, אינו שוה בנזק של מלך.
איקני בה בושתי, וקטלה,
השתא איקני בדידי, ו(מ)בעי למקטלי.
During the banquet Esther said to Ahasuerus: “For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to be annihilated. But if we had been sold merely for bondmen and bondwomen, I would have held my tongue,
since the affliction [tzar] would not have been worth [eino shoveh] the damage to the king” (Esther 7:4).
The Gemara explains that she said to him:
This adversary [tzar] is not concerned [eino shoveh] about the damage that he is constantly causing to the king.
First he was jealous of Vashti and killed her, as it has been explained that Memucan, who suggesting killing Vashti, was Haman;
now he is jealous of me and desires to kill me.
Ahasuerus’ Recognition of Esther’s Status (Esther 7:5): At first Ahasuerus speaks to Esther through a translator, Once she reveals her descent from King Saul, he addresses her directly as a queen
At first, Ahasuerus speaks to Esther through a translator.8
Once she reveals her descent from King Saul9 he addresses her directly as a queen.
״ויאמר המלך אחשורוש ויאמר לאסתר המלכה״.
״ויאמר״ ״ויאמר״ למה לי?
אמר רבי אבהו:
בתחלה על ידי תורגמן,
כיון דאמרה ליה מדבית שאול קאתינא,
מיד: ״ויאמר לאסתר המלכה״.
The verse states: “Then said the king Ahasuerus and said to Esther the queen” (Esther 7:5).
The Gemara asks: Why do I need it to say “said” and again “said”?
R' Abbahu said:
At first he spoke to her through the translator, who would interpret on his behalf, because he thought that she was a common woman of lowly ancestry.
Once she told him that she came from the house of Saul,
immediately it says: “And said to Esther the queen.” Ahasuerus himself spoke to her, as if she had royal lineage, she was a woman befitting his status.
Esther’s Accusation Redirected (Esther 7:6): Esther initially pointed at Ahasuerus when calling out the enemy, but an angel redirected her hand toward Haman
R' Elazar states that Esther initially pointed (מחווה) at Ahasuerus when calling out the enemy, but an angel redirected10 her hand toward Haman.
״ותאמר אסתר איש צר ואויב המן הרע הזה״.
אמר רבי אלעזר:
מלמד:
שהיתה מחווה כלפי אחשורוש,
ובא מלאך, וסטר ידה כלפי המן.
The next verse states: “And Esther said: An adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman” (Esther 7:6).
R' Elazar said:
This teaches that:
she was in fact pointing toward Ahasuerus, indicating that in fact he was an adversary and enemy,
and an angel came and pushed her hand toward Haman.
Ahasuerus' Growing Fury (Esther 7:7-8): He Encounters Ministering Angels in Human Form Uprooting Trees, Claiming Haman Commanded It
The Talmud explains that Ahasuerus' anger escalates when he finds ministering angels incarnated as men (גברי) uprooting trees from the garden.11
They tell him Haman ordered this, further fueling his fury.
״והמלך קם בחמתו וגו׳
והמלך שב מגנת הביתן״.
מקיש שיבה לקימה:
מה קימה בחימה,
אף שיבה בחימה.
דאזל ואשכח למלאכי השרת דאידמו ליה כגברי,
וקא עקרי לאילני דבוסתני,
ואמר להו: מאי עובדייכו?
אמרו ליה: דפקדינן המן.
The verse states: “And the king arose from the banquet of wine in his wrath and went into the palace garden” (Esther 7:7),
and the next verse states: “Then the king returned out of the palace garden to the place of the wine drinking” (Esther 7:8).
The Gemara comments: The verses here compare his returning to his arising:
Just as his arising was in wrath,
so too, his returning was in wrath.
And why did he return in wrath? For when he went out he found ministering angels who appeared to him as people
and they were uprooting trees from the garden,
and he said to them: What are you doing?
They said to him: Haman commanded us to do this.
The Angel’s Influence in Haman’s Downfall (Esther 7:8): Repeatedly Pushing Him Onto Esther’s Couch, Fueling Ahasuerus’ Suspicion
Haman is described as “falling” (נופל) rather than having fallen (נפל).
The Talmud interprets this as an angel repeatedly pushing him down onto Esther’s couch. This reinforced Ahasuerus’ suspicion, and he said: “Woe (ויי) [unto me] in the house, and woe [unto me] outside“.12
Ahasuerus then rhetorically exclaimed regarding Haman (as stated in the verse): “Will he even (הגם) force (לכבוש) the queen before me in the house?!”
אתא לביתיה,
״והמן נופל על המטה״,
״נופל״ — ״נפל״ מיבעי ליה!
אמר רבי אלעזר:
מלמד שבא מלאך, והפילו עליה,
אמר: ויי מביתא, ויי מברא.
״ויאמר המלך: הגם לכבוש את המלכה עמי בבית?!״.
And when he entered his house
he saw that “Haman was falling upon the bed” (Esther 7:8).
The Gemara asks: Why does it say “was falling” [nofel] in the present tense, implying that he was currently falling? It should have said “fell” [nafal] in the past tense.
R' Elazar said:
This teaches that an angel came and pushed him down on it, and every time he would try to stand up, the angel would push him down again.
Ahasuerus said: Woe unto me in the house and woe unto me outside,
as the verse continues: “Then the king said: Will he even force the queen before me in the house?!” (Esther 7:8).
Harbonah’s Opportunism (Esther 7:9): Once Aligned with Haman, He Switches Sides and Reveals the Gallows Meant for Mordecai (Job 27:22)
Harbonah13 had originally sided with Haman.
When he saw Haman’s fate was sealed, he betrayed him and pointed out the gallows Haman had prepared for Mordecai.
״ויאמר חרבונה וגו׳״.
אמר רבי אלעזר:
אף חרבונה רשע —
באותה עצה היה,
כיון שראה שלא נתקיימה עצתו,
מיד ברח.
והיינו דכתיב:
״וישלך עליו ולא יחמול
מידו ברוח יברח״.
“And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, stands in the house of Haman” (Esther 7:9).
R' Elazar said:
Harbonah was also wicked
and involved in that plot, as he too wanted Mordecai executed.
Once he saw that his plot had not succeeded,
he immediately fled and joined Mordecai’s side.
And this is the meaning of that which is written:
“It hurls itself at him, and does not spare;
he would fain flee out of its hand” (Job 27:22), indicating that when God sends calamity upon a wicked person, his friends immediately flee from him.
The Waning of Wrath (Esther 7:10): Ahasuerus' and God’s Anger Subside, or Ahasuerus' Fury Over Esther and Vashti Finds Resolution
The Talmud asks why the verse states that the king’s wrath "was assuaged" (שככה) using a doubled expression.
One view is that both Ahasuerus' wrath and God’s wrath subsided.
Another view is that Ahasuerus' anger was over both Esther and Vashti, and both concerns were now resolved.
״וחמת המלך שככה״.
שתי שכיכות הללו למה?
אחת של מלכו של עולם
ואחת של אחשורוש.
ואמרי לה:
אחת של אסתר
ואחת של ושתי.
The verse states: “Then the king’s wrath was assuaged [shakhakha]” (Esther 7:10).
The Gemara asks: Why are there two assuagings here? The term shakhakha is used rather than shaka and indicates doubled wrath.
There was one assuaging of the wrath of the King of the universe,
and one of the wrath of Ahasuerus.
And some say:
Ahasuerus’s wrath burned within him for two reasons; one due to Haman’s involvement with Esther,
and one due to his involvement with Vashti, and now they were both assuaged.
Appendix 1 - “Non-Jewish Scholarship” in the Talmud
Blessings Upon Seeing Non-Jewish Scholars (Berakhot 57b-58a)
One who sees a non-Jewish sage recites a blessing acknowledging that God has granted wisdom to all of humanity.14
חכמי אומות העולם,
אומר: ״ברוך … שנתן מחכמתו לבשר ודם״.
One who sees Sages of the nations of the world recites:
Blessed…Who has given of His wisdom to flesh and blood.
Two Fundamental Debates in Astronomy between Jewish and non-Jewish Scholars (Pesachim 94b)
The Talmud cites a debate on the motion of the celestial sphere (גלגל):
The Jewish sages maintain that the celestial sphere is fixed (קבוע), while the constellations15 move (חוזרין) within it.
The non-Jewish sages argue the opposite: the entire celestial sphere rotates, while the constellations remain stationary within it.
תנו רבנן:
חכמי ישראל אומרים:
גלגל — קבוע,
ומזלות — חוזרין.
וחכמי אומות העולם אומרים:
גלגל — חוזר,
ומזלות — קבועין.
In a discussion related to the structure of the natural world, the Sages taught:
The Jewish Sages say:
The celestial sphere of the zodiac — is stationary,
And the constellations — revolve in their place within the sphere;
And the sages of the nations of the world say:
The entire celestial sphere — revolves,
And the constellations — are stationary within the sphere.
And ibid., two sections later, Pesachim.94b.5, that they debate over the sun’s path.
The Jewish sages assert that during the day, the sun moves beneath the firmament (רקיע), while at night, it rises above the firmament.
In contrast, the non-Jewish sages claim that the sun moves beneath the firmament during the day and beneath the earth at night.
חכמי ישראל אומרים:
ביום — חמה מהלכת למטה מן הרקיע,
ובלילה — למעלה מן הרקיע.
וחכמי אומות העולם אומרים:
ביום — חמה מהלכת למטה מן הרקיע,
ובלילה — למטה מן הקרקע.
The Gemara presents a similar dispute:
The Jewish Sages say that:
During the day — the sun travels beneath the firmament and is therefore visible,
And at night — it travels above the firmament.
And the sages of the nations of the world say that:
During the day — the sun travels beneath the firmament,
And at night — it travels beneath the earth and around to the other side of the world.
In both of those debates, R’ Yehuda HaNasi responds:
In the first dispute, R’ Yehuda HaNasi argues against the non-Jewish sages’ idea of a rotating celestial sphere by pointing out that certain constellations, such as Ursa Major,16 are never observed in the South, while others, like Scorpio,17 are never seen in the North.
This suggests that the stars themselves move rather than the entire sphere.
אמר רבי:
תשובה לדבריהם —
מעולם לא מצינו עגלה בדרום ועקרב בצפון.
R’ Yehuda HaNasi said:
A refutation of their words that the entire sphere moves can be derived from the fact that
we have never found the constellation of Ursa Major in the South or Scorpio in the North.
This indicates that it is the stars themselves that revolve in place and not the celestial sphere as a whole, because otherwise it would be impossible for Ursa Major to remain in the North and Scorpio to remain in the South.
In the second dispute, R’ Yehuda HaNasi acknowledges that the explanation of the non-Jewish sages appears more convincing.
As evidence, he cites the observation that underground springs (מעינות) are cold (צוננין) during the day but boiling hot (רותחין) at night.18
אמר רבי:
ונראין דבריהן מדברינו,
שביום — מעינות צוננין,
ובלילה — רותחין.
R’ Yehuda HaNasi said:
And the statement of the sages of the nations of the world appears to be more accurate than our statement.
A proof to this is that
During the day — springs that originate deep in the ground are cold,
And during the night — they are hot compared to the air temperature,
which supports the theory that these springs are warmed by the sun as it travels beneath the earth.
Divergent chronological systems in Jewish and Non-Jewish traditions (Rosh Hashanah 12a)
The Talmud cites divergent calendar systems between Jewish and non-Jewish sages:
The Jewish sages follow R’ Eliezer’s system for counting the years from Creation and the Flood (מבול), beginning in Tishrei.
However, the Jewish sages follow R’ Yehoshua’s system for calculating the cycles (תקופה) of the sun and moon, which starts in Nisan.
The non-Jewish sages differ by aligning both their reckoning of the Flood and Creation with R’ Yehoshua’s system, beginning in Nisan.19
תנו רבנן:
חכמי ישראל —
מונין למבול כרבי אליעזר,
ולתקופה כרבי יהושע.
חכמי אומות העולם —
מונין אף למבול כרבי יהושע.
The Sages taught in a baraita:
The Jewish Sages —
count the years from Creation and the flood in accordance with the opinion of R’ Eliezer, from Tishrei,
and they calculate the cycles of the sun and the moon in accordance with the opinion of R’ Yehoshua, from Nisan.
The sages of the gentile nations of the world, on the other hand —
count both the years from Creation and the flood in accordance with the opinion of R’ Yehoshua, from Nisan.
Appendix 2 - Talmudic anecdotes of divine incarnations, especially of angels
For other Talmudic anecdotes of divine incarnations, see my piece ““He appeared to him as a [X]”: Talmudic Stories of Incarnations of God, Eliyahu, Satan, and Demons“.
For another example of specifically angels incarnating, see my piece “Some Notes on the Anthropomorphization of God in the Talmud“, section “Sanhedrin 95b - God appeared to Sennacherib as an old man (gavra saba), and angels appeared to him as men (gavrei)“.
Angels incarnated as sailors (Taanit 24a-b)
Rav Mari bar Rachel recounts witnessing angels incarnated as sailors (מלחי) filling boats (ארבי) with sand, which miraculously turned into fine (סמידא) flour.
Despite the widespread eagerness to purchase the flour (since there was a famine), Rav Mari advises against it, emphasizing that it is the “product of miracles”.20
אמר רב מרי ברה דבת שמואל:
אנא הוה קאימנא אגודא דנהר פפא,
חזאי למלאכי דאידמו למלחי,
דקא מייתי חלא
ומלונהו לארבי,
והוה קמחא דסמידא.
אתו כולי עלמא למיזבן,
אמינא להו:
מהא לא תיזבנון,
דמעשה נסים הוא,
Rav Mari, son of Shmuel’s daughter, said:
At that moment, I was standing on the bank of the Pappa River.
I saw angels who appeared as sailors
bringing sand
and filling ships with it,
and it became fine flour.
Everyone came to buy this flour,
but I said to them:
Do not purchase this flour,
as it is the product of miracles.
The angels who appeared to Abraham incarnated as Arabs (Kiddushin 32b)
R’ Yehoshua argues that even the most esteemed figures should serve others, citing Abraham's hospitality (Genesis 18:8):
Abraham was the greatest of his generation (גדול הדור) yet personally attended to his guests.
To preempt an objection that Abraham only honored his guests because they appeared (נדמו) as angels (מלאכי השרת),21 R’ Yehoshua clarifies that they actually looked like (ordinary) Arabs.
אמר ליה:
מצינו גדול ממנו ששמש,
אברהם גדול ממנו – ושמש.
אברהם גדול הדור היה,
וכתוב בו: ״והוא עמד עליהם״.
ושמא תאמרו: כמלאכי השרת נדמו לו –
לא נדמו לו אלא לערביים.
R’ Yehoshua said to him [=to R’ Eliezer]:
We found one greater than him [=greater than Rabban Gamliel] who served his guests,
as our forefather Abraham was greater than him and he served his guests.
Abraham was the greatest man of his generation
and it is written about him: “And he stood over them under the tree, and they ate” (Genesis 18:8).
And lest you say: His guests appeared to him as ministering angels, and that is why he honored them,
in fact they appeared to him only as Arabs.
On the story previous to this one, about Haman serving Mordecai, and Haman’s daughter taking her own life, see my previous series: “The Humiliation of Haman: The Dramatic Talmudic Elaboration of the Biblical Verse of Haman Carrying out King Ahasuerus's Orders to Honor Mordecai (Esther 6:11-12; Megillah 16a)“, final part here.
חכם.
See my Appendix 1 (““Non-Jewish Scholarship” in the Talmud”) where I discuss other talmudic instances of scholarship explicitly labeled as “non-Jewish” (referred to as scholarship of “the nations of the world” - umot ha-Olam - אומות העולם).
The rest of the tribes were not relevant, as they had essentially vanished from history; they are famously known as the "Ten Lost Tribes".
The metaphor of the Jewish people being compared to both dust and stars is rooted in biblical imagery in the Book of Genesis:
Genesis 13:16 – "I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth…"
Genesis 15:5 – "Look toward the heavens and count the stars […] So shall your offspring be."
Genesis 22:17 – "I will multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore…"
בהלה - without time to do any kind of preparation (such as bathing).
איקני – An alternative translation is "became angry at." See my note in a previous piece (here, on section “Being Pursued by a Snake“) on this Aramaic verb in the context of a snake "becoming angry at" a man, and subsequently targeting him:
האי מאן דמיקני ביה חיויא,
One at whom a snake is angry and is being pursued by a snake
The verb איקני (or איקני ב-) conveys a sense of directed attention, targeting, or marking something—generally in the context of attack or pursuit.
Identifying Memucan, who advised against her, as Haman, as the Talmud stated in its interpretation of that verse, see here, section “Memucan as Haman (Esther 1:16)“:
ממוכן זה המן
Memucan is Haman
Based on the fact that she was Mordecai's niece, and Mordecai is described in the Bible as being a member of the tribe of Benjamin (as discussed earlier in the sugya, see here, section “Mordecai’s Dual Tribal Identity: Five Perspectives on “Yehudi” and Benjaminite Lineage“), and King Saul was also a member of that tribe.
סטר - literally: “slapped”.
"Outside”, meaning the the people uprooting his trees, as stated in the previous section.
חרבונה - one of the king’s eunuchs, mentioned also earlier in Esther.1.10-11:
ביום השביעי
כטוב לב־המלך ביין
אמר ל
מהומן
בזתא
חרבונא
בגתא
ואבגתא
זתר
וכרכס
שבעת הסריסים המשרתים את־פני המלך אחשורוש
להביא את־ושתי המלכה לפני המלך בכתר מלכות
להראות העמים והשרים את־יפיה
כי־טובת מראה היא
On the seventh day,
when the king was merry with wine,
he ordered
Mehuman,
Bizzetha,
Harbona,
Bigtha,
Abagtha,
Zethar,
and Carcas,
the seven eunuchs (סריסים) in attendance on King Ahasuerus,
to bring Queen Vashti before the king wearing a royal crown (כתר),
to display her beauty to the peoples and the officials (שרים);
for she is beautiful (טובת מראה)
On the beginning of this verse (“On the seventh day, when the king was merry with wine“), see earlier in the sugya, section “The Seventh Day and the Contrast Between Jews and Non-Jews (Esther 1:10): The Different Focus of Shabbat Meals“.
Some of the names of the seven advisors listed seem to be variants of the seven listed a few verses later; that list (unlike this one) is cited by the Talmud, see ibid., section “The Names of the King's Seven Advisors as Allusions to Sacrificial Service (Esther 1:14): The Verse and the Ministering Angels’ Argument (Exodus 28:20)“.
I quote this Talmudic statement in my piece “Pt2 From Babylon’s Ruins to Jewish Multitudes: Talmudic Blessings for Idolatry, Crowds, and Leadership (Berakhot 57b-58a)“, section “Blessings Upon Seeing Scholars and Kings, Jewish and Non-Jewish“:
עגלה - “calf”. For another Talmudic mention of Ursa Major (as well as the next one mentioned, Scorpio, and other constellations), see my piece “Pt2 Celestial Phenomena: Comets and Constellations in the Talmud (Mishnah Berakhot 9:2; Berakhot 58b-59a)“.
עקרב - “scorpion”.
Implying that the sun's heat reaches them as it travels beneath the earth.
Broader analysis of the passages:
From a history of science perspective, the debates in Pesachim 94b reveal multiple layers of intellectual interaction between Jewish and non-Jewish astronomical thought, demonstrating both the integration and resistance to contemporary Hellenistic and Babylonian astronomical models.
These disputes provide insights into Jewish engagement with scientific ideas, the development of geocentric cosmologies, and the methodologies of Talmudic reasoning in evaluating empirical claims. Several key themes emerge from this passage:
Competing Models of Celestial Motion
The debate over whether the celestial sphere rotates while the constellations remain fixed, or vice versa, reflects two competing geocentric models found in Greco-Roman and earlier Babylonian astronomy.
The Jewish sages' model (fixed celestial sphere, moving constellations) resembles aspects of Aristotelian cosmology, where nested spheres exist in a structured, layered cosmos. Aristotle postulated that celestial bodies are embedded in crystalline spheres that move in orderly motions, though his system assumed that the outermost sphere (carrying the stars) moves.
The non-Jewish sages' model (rotating celestial sphere, fixed constellations) aligns more closely with Ptolemaic astronomy, which had by the time of the Talmud (c. 3rd-5th century CE) already become the dominant astronomical paradigm in the Greco-Roman world. The Ptolemaic system (building on Hipparchus and earlier Greek astronomy) treated the celestial sphere as rotating around the Earth, while the stars remained fixed in place relative to it.
That R’ Yehuda HaNasi responds to this debate with an empirical observation about constellations (Ursa Major and Scorpio) suggests that Jewish sages engaged with astronomical theories critically, using observable phenomena rather than purely theoretical speculation.
The Debate over the Sun’s Path
The second dispute, concerning whether the sun travels above the firmament at night (Jewish sages) or beneath the earth (non-Jewish sages), demonstrates another critical clash between ancient cosmological models.
The Jewish sages' position, that the sun moves above the firmament at night, may reflect older Babylonian cosmology and biblical cosmology, where the heavens were conceived as a solid dome (רקיע) separating the celestial waters from the Earth. This idea corresponds to Genesis 1:6-8, where the firmament is created to divide the waters above and below.
The non-Jewish sages' model aligns more with Hellenistic and Greco-Roman geocentric astronomy, in which the sun moves under the Earth at night, consistent with the Ptolemaic system.
The Role of Empirical Evidence
What is particularly notable is Rabbi R’ HaNasi’s acceptance of the non-Jewish sages’ explanation regarding the sun’s path, based on the observation that underground springs are cooler by day and warmer at night. This reflects an openness to empirical correction of traditional cosmological models. The reasoning here follows an early form of what we might call scientific falsification—the ability to modify a claim in response to observed phenomena.
This moment is significant because it demonstrates that:
The Talmudic tradition was not inherently opposed to external scientific knowledge.
The Jewish sages engaged with empirical evidence, much like natural philosophers of the ancient world.
Despite religious or cultural boundaries, Jewish scholars were aware of, and engaged in, the scientific discourse of their time.
Influence of Babylonian and Greek Astronomy
Jewish astronomical knowledge was likely influenced by:
Babylonian astronomy, which included precise star charts, eclipse predictions, and models for planetary motion.
Greek astronomical models, particularly from figures like Hipparchus (2nd century BCE) and Ptolemy (2nd century CE), whose geocentric model dominated medieval thought.
Jewish Astronomy and Later Developments
The influence of Ptolemaic astronomy continued into medieval Jewish thought, especially in the works of Maimonides (12th century CE), who fully integrated the Aristotelian-Ptolemaic model into his philosophical and scientific writings. (Compare my series “The Celestial Spheres According to Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah (Laws of Foundations of the Torah 3:1-9)“, final part here.
By contrast, some later kabbalistic traditions maintained more ancient, mystical cosmologies, sometimes rejecting rationalist astronomy in favor of biblical or midrashic descriptions.
Presumably the non-Jewish sages referred to here are Babylonian astronomers, who followed the same calendar system as that of the Jews, with the same month names.
Notably, the name of the month of Tishrei literally means “beginning". See Wikipedia, "Tishrei”:
Tishrei […] from Akkadian tašrītu "beginning", from šurrû "to begin") is the first month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year (which starts on 1 Nisan) in the Hebrew calendar.
The name of the month is Babylonian.
It is a month of 30 days.
Tishrei usually occurs in September–October on the Gregorian calendar.
מעשה נסים - i.e. it originates from a miracle and should not be used.
This whole passage is quoted in my piece “Pt2 From Desperation to Downpour: Talmudic Stories of Rainmaking (Taanit 24a-b)“, section “Rav Yehuda's Anger, the Famine, and Elijah's Intervention“.
See Wikipedia, “Vayeira“, section “In classical rabbinic interpretation“ > “Genesis chapter 18“ (after footnote 121):
The Talmud identified the "three men" in Genesis 18:2 as the angels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
The source is this passage in Bava_Metzia.86b.20, where the Talmud explains that Michael came to announce to Sarah that she would give birth to a son, Raphael came to heal Abraham after his circumcision, and Gabriel went to destroy (למהפכיה) Sodom:
מאן נינהו שלשה אנשים?
מיכאל וגבריאל ורפאל.
מיכאל — שבא לבשר את שרה,
רפאל — שבא לרפא את אברהם,
גבריאל — אזל למהפכיה לסדום.
The Gemara continues: Who are these three men?
They are the angels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael:
Michael, who came to announce to Sarah that she was to give birth to a son;
Raphael, who came to heal Abraham after his circumcision;
and Gabriel, who went to overturn Sodom.