Rav Chaim Kanievsky - Achashveirosh, An Anti-Semite To The End
"Vayehi BimeiAchashveirosh Hu Achashveirosh". The Gemara in Megila (11a) tells usthat the pasuk repeats Hu Achashveirosh to teach us that Achashveiroshwas a Rasha from beginning to the end. Why does the megila need toteach us this right in the beginning?
Rav Chaim Kanievsky answers that we all know that Achashveirosh was a rasha and hated the Jews. However if we look a the end of themegila we see that after Esther revealed her nationality, the wickedHaman was killed, Achashveirosh and Esther remained happily married,and her uncle Mordechai, who was the leader of the Yehudim, rose togreat prominence and power within the King's court. We might be underthe impression that Achashveirosh finally came around to appreciate, orto at least stop hating Am Yisroel. The pasuk tells us that thecircumstances may have changed but the anti-semite in him never did, even to his dying day.
AL, Jerusalem, 2009-02-26 03:35:51 Minor correction: Mordechai and Esther were cousins, not Uncle and neice. see perek 2 pasuk 7 and 12 refer to Esther as the daughter of Mordechai's uncle (Avichayil). thanks
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