Learning From Charvona to Always “Speak Beneficially About the King”
א ביום השביעי כטוב לב המלך ביין אמר למהומן בזתא חרבונ
“On the seventh day, when the King’s heart was happy with wine, he said to Mehumon, Bizsoh and Charvona...” (Esther 1:10)
אחד מן הסריסים לפני המלך גם הנה העץ אשר עשה המן למרדכי אשר דיבר טוב ה ויאמר חרבונ על המלך עמד בבית המן גבה חמשים אמה ויאמר המלך תלהו עליו
“Then Charvona, one of chamberlains in attendance before the king, said ‘Furthermore, the gallows which Haman made for Mordechai – who spoke beneficially about the king – is standing in Haman’s house; it is fifty cubits high.’ And the king said, ‘Hang him on it.’” (Esther 7:9)
זכור לטוב הוגם חרבונ
”And also Charvona, let him be remembered for good.” (Piyut Shoshanas Yaakov)
Charvona is mentioned twice in the Megillah. The first time he is mentioned is at the beginning of the first Perek. He is listed as one of the seven advisors of Achashveirosh listed in the pasuk (Esther 1:10). The second time Charvona is mentioned is when Haman finally met his downfall: ויאמר חרבונה אחד מן הסריסים לפני המלך גם הנה העץ אשר עשה המן למרדכי אשר דיבר טוב על המלך עמד בבית המן גבה חמשים אמה ויאמר המלך תלהו עליו - “Then Charvona, one of the chamberlains in attendance before the king, said ‘Furthermore, the gallows which Haman made for Mordechai – who spoke beneficially about the king – is standing in Haman’s house; it is fifty cubits high.’ And the king said, ‘Hang him on it.’” (Esther 7:9)
Charvona is mentioned a third time in the piyut of Shoshanas Yaakov that we recite after the conclusion of the Megillah reading. We say there: וגם חרבונה זכור לטוב - “And also Charvona, let him be remembered for good.”
The Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer notes that the first time he appears in the Megillah, Charvona’s name is spelled with an aleph at the end and the second time he appears his name is spelled with a hay at the end. Therefore, the Pirkei D’Rabi Eliezer claims they are not the same person! The real Charvona is the one mentioned in the first Perek. The “second Charvona” was really Eliyohu HaNovi impersonating Charvona! Interestingly, the name Charvona in the Shoshanas Yaakov piyut is immediately
