Megilas Esther commentary based on the Malbim’s explanation.
פרק ט, כא-כח
(כא)לְקַיֵּם֮ עֲלֵיהֶם֒ לִֽהְי֣וֹת עֹשִׂ֗ים אֵ֠ת י֣וֹם אַרְבָּעָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ לְחֹ֣דֶשׁ אֲדָ֔ר וְאֵ֛ת יוֹם־חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר בּ֑וֹ בְּכָל־שָׁנָ֖ה וְשָׁנָֽה׃
(כב)כַּיָּמִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־נָ֨חוּ בָהֶ֤ם הַיְּהוּדִים֙ מֵאֹ֣יְבֵיהֶ֔ם וְהַחֹ֗דֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר֩ נֶהְפַּ֨ךְ לָהֶ֤ם מִיָּגוֹן֙ לְשִׂמְחָ֔ה וּמֵאֵ֖בֶל לְי֣וֹם ט֑וֹב לַֽעֲשׂ֣וֹת אוֹתָ֗ם יְמֵי֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה וְשִׂמְחָ֔ה וּמִשְׁלֹ֤חַ מָנוֹת֙ אִ֣ישׁ לְרֵעֵ֔הוּ וּמַתָּנ֖וֹת לָֽאֶבְיֹנִֽים׃
(כג)וְקִבֵּל֙ הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־הֵחֵ֖לּוּ לַֽעֲשׂ֑וֹת וְאֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־כָּתַ֥ב מָרְדֳּכַ֖י אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
(כד)כִּי֩ הָמָ֨ן בֶּֽן־הַמְּדָ֜תָא הָֽאֲגָגִ֗י צֹרֵר֙ כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים חָשַׁ֥ב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים לְאַבְּדָ֑ם וְהִפִּ֥ל פּוּר֙ ה֣וּא הַגּוֹרָ֔ל לְהֻמָּ֖ם וּֽלְאַבְּדָֽם׃
(כה)וּבְבֹאָהּ֮ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּלֶךְ֒ אָמַ֣ר עִם־הַסֵּ֔פֶר יָשׁ֞וּב מַֽחֲשַׁבְתּ֧וֹ הָֽרָעָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׁ֥ב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וְתָל֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖יו עַל־הָעֵֽץ׃
(כו)עַל־כֵּ֡ן קָֽרְאוּ֩ לַיָּמִ֨ים הָאֵ֤לֶּה פוּרִים֙ עַל־שֵׁ֣ם הַפּ֔וּר עַל־כֵּ֕ן עַל־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הָֽאִגֶּ֣רֶת הַזֹּ֑את וּמָֽה־רָא֣וּ עַל־כָּ֔כָה וּמָ֥ה הִגִּ֖יעַ אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
(כז)קִיְּמ֣וּ וְקִבְּל֣וּ הַיְּהוּדִים֩ ׀ עֲלֵיהֶ֨ם ׀ וְעַל־זַרְעָ֜ם וְעַ֨ל כָּל־הַנִּלְוִ֤ים עֲלֵיהֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א יַֽעֲב֔וֹר לִֽהְי֣וֹת עֹשִׂ֗ים אֵ֣ת שְׁנֵ֤י הַיָּמִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה כִּכְתָבָ֖ם וְכִזְמַנָּ֑ם בְּכָל־שָׁנָ֖ה וְשָׁנָֽה׃
(כח)וְהַיָּמִ֣ים הָ֠אֵלֶּה נִזְכָּרִ֨ים וְנַֽעֲשִׂ֜ים בְּכָל־דּ֣וֹר וָד֗וֹר מִשְׁפָּחָה֙ וּמִשְׁפָּחָ֔ה מְדִינָ֥ה וּמְדִינָ֖ה וְעִ֣יר וָעִ֑יר וִימֵ֞י הַפּוּרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה לֹ֤א יַֽעַבְרוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְזִכְרָ֖ם לֹֽא־יָס֥וּף מִזַּרְעָֽם׃
Esther – Chapter 9, 21-28
(כא)לְקַיֵּם֮ עֲלֵיהֶם֒ לִֽהְי֣וֹת עֹשִׂ֗ים אֵ֠ת י֣וֹם אַרְבָּעָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ לְחֹ֣דֶשׁ אֲדָ֔ר וְאֵ֛ת יוֹם־חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר בּ֑וֹ בְּכָל־שָׁנָ֖ה וְשָׁנָֽה׃
(21) to commit themselves to celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar every year,
(21) to commit themselves to celebrate these days, the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar every year, the residents of un-walled cities should celebrate the fourteenth of Adar, and the residents of the walled cities should celebrate the fifteenth, so that they wouldn’t be creating a new holiday not proscribed in the Torah. And he chose these days because they were
(כב)כַּיָּמִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־נָ֨חוּ בָהֶ֤ם הַיְּהוּדִים֙ מֵאֹ֣יְבֵיהֶ֔ם וְהַחֹ֗דֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר֩ נֶהְפַּ֨ךְ לָהֶ֤ם מִיָּגוֹן֙ לְשִׂמְחָ֔ה וּמֵאֵ֖בֶל לְי֣וֹם ט֑וֹב לַֽעֲשׂ֣וֹת אוֹתָ֗ם יְמֵי֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה וְשִׂמְחָ֔ה וּמִשְׁלֹ֤חַ מָנוֹת֙ אִ֣ישׁ לְרֵעֵ֔הוּ וּמַתָּנ֖וֹת לָֽאֶבְיֹנִֽים׃
(22) the same days the Jews were relieved of their enemies. And the month which had been transformed for them from one of sorrow to joy, from mourning to festivity—to make them days of feasting, rejoicing, sending food portions one to another and giving gifts to the poor.
(22) the same days the Jews were relieved of their enemies. Although Haman’s edict was scheduled for the thirteenth of Adar, the edict was to annihilate the whole nation so it was clearly not limited to that day specifically. However, the second edict which was to kill their enemies on a specific day was clearly a time related event, and when Esther wanted to continue even one more day she had to ask permission. Thus, if the enemies had chosen to retaliate on the fourteenth of Adar the Jews would have been helpless to prevent them, since their second edict was time limited to the thirteenth and the first edict was unlimited. The Jews in un-walled cities were attacked and their revenge was therefore not limited by time, but the Jews in walled cities were saved by the ministers who did not publicize the first edict on the fourteenth, so their salvation became clear only when that day ended. Mordechai publicized this by having them celebrate on the next day, the fifteenth of Adar.
And the month which had been transformed for them from one of sorrow to joy, from mourning to festivity—to make them days of feasting, rejoicing, sending food portions one to another and since he could not create a new holiday, he established a different was of celebrating by giving gifts to the poor.
(כג)וְקִבֵּל֙ הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־הֵחֵ֖לּוּ לַֽעֲשׂ֑וֹת וְאֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־כָּתַ֥ב מָרְדֳּכַ֖י אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
(23) And the Jews accepted that which some of them had begun to observe, and that which Mordechai had written to them.
(23) And all the Jews, even the ones in the large cities who did not decree a regular holiday originally, accepted the obligation to celebrate it on the fourteenth and fifteenth similar to that which some of them like the small cities had begun to observe on the fourteenth, and that which Mordechai had written to them.
(כד)כִּי֩ הָמָ֨ן בֶּֽן־הַמְּדָ֜תָא הָֽאֲגָגִ֗י צֹרֵר֙ כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים חָשַׁ֥ב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים לְאַבְּדָ֑ם וְהִפִּ֥ל פּוּר֙ ה֣וּא הַגּוֹרָ֔ל לְהֻמָּ֖ם וּֽלְאַבְּדָֽם׃
(24) For Haman, son of Hamdata, the Agagite, persecutor of all the Jews, plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and he cast a pur, which is a lot, to shatter them and destroy them.
(24) Now the megila goes back to tell us what the epistles Haman wrote to the Jews said and why he sent them: For Haman, son of Hamdata, who carried the tradition of revenge of his forefather the Agagite king who was killed by King Shaul, and was a persecutor of all the Jews, not just Mordechai, plotted against the Jews to destroy them, not just to discourage them from practicing their religion, and he cast a pur, which is a lot, to shatter them and destroy them.
(כה)וּבְבֹאָהּ֮ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּלֶךְ֒ אָמַ֣ר עִם־הַסֵּ֔פֶר יָשׁ֞וּב מַֽחֲשַׁבְתּ֧וֹ הָֽרָעָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׁ֥ב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וְתָל֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖יו עַל־הָעֵֽץ׃
(25) But when this came before the king, he said that with the edict, Haman’s] evil plot against the Jews be returned upon his own head, and Haman] and his sons be hanged upon the gallows.
(25) But when this true intent of Haman came before the king, he said that even with the first edict that he didn’t annul, Haman’s] evil plot against the Jews will be returned upon his own head with the second edict, and by showing his true will by having Haman] and his sons hanged upon the gallows. Mordechai sent this epistle to all the Jews so they would appreciate that even after Haman was killed they were still in terrible danger that Achashverosh’s plan would not work and the nations would publicize only the first edict out of their hatred of the Jews.
(כו)עַל־כֵּ֡ן קָֽרְאוּ֩ לַיָּמִ֨ים הָאֵ֤לֶּה פוּרִים֙ עַל־שֵׁ֣ם הַפּ֔וּר עַל־כֵּ֕ן עַל־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הָֽאִגֶּ֣רֶת הַזֹּ֑את וּמָֽה־רָא֣וּ עַל־כָּ֔כָה וּמָ֥ה הִגִּ֖יעַ אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
(26) For this did they call these days “Purim,” after the pur, because of all of the events of this epistle, why they saw fit, and what happened to them.
(26) For this did they call these days “Purim”, after the pur that changed from calamity to celebration, and because of all of the events of this epistle, which explained why they saw fit to establish the holiday, and what happened to them and what could have happened.
(כז)קִיְּמ֣וּ וְקִבְּל֣וּ הַיְּהוּדִים֩ ׀ עֲלֵיהֶ֨ם ׀ וְעַל־זַרְעָ֜ם וְעַ֨ל כָּל־הַנִּלְוִ֤ים עֲלֵיהֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א יַֽעֲב֔וֹר לִֽהְי֣וֹת עֹשִׂ֗ים אֵ֣ת שְׁנֵ֤י הַיָּמִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה כִּכְתָבָ֖ם וְכִזְמַנָּ֑ם בְּכָל־שָׁנָ֖ה וְשָׁנָֽה׃
(27) The Jews established and accepted upon themselves and upon their descendants, and upon all who might convert to their faith, never to be annulled to annually celebrate these two days from writing, on their proper dates.
(27) The Jews established and accepted upon themselves and upon their descendants, and upon all who might convert to their faith, never to be annulled by any subsequent leadership, to annually celebrate these two days, the thirteenth and the fourteenth of Adar, by reading the story from writing – a megila, on their proper dates.
(כח)וְהַיָּמִ֣ים הָ֠אֵלֶּה נִזְכָּרִ֨ים וְנַֽעֲשִׂ֜ים בְּכָל־דּ֣וֹר וָד֗וֹר מִשְׁפָּחָה֙ וּמִשְׁפָּחָ֔ה מְדִינָ֥ה וּמְדִינָ֖ה וְעִ֣יר וָעִ֑יר וִימֵ֞י הַפּוּרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה לֹ֤א יַֽעַבְרוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְזִכְרָ֖ם לֹֽא־יָס֥וּף מִזַּרְעָֽם׃
(28) And these days are remembered and observed in every generation, by every family, in every province and every city. And these days of Purim will never pass from among the Jews, nor shall their memory depart from their descendants.
(28) And these days are remembered by reading the megila, and observed through feasting and happiness in every generation, by every family, in every province and every city. And these days of Purim will never pass from among the Jews, nor shall their memory depart from their descendants.
