והמלך והמן ישבו לשתות והעיר שושן נבוכה
“The King and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.” (Esther 3:15)
What was the cause of their perplexity?
R’ Yonosan Eibshitz (Yaares Devash, Vol. 1. Derush 8) explains: According to the famous historian Josephus, in the days of the Greeks and Romans a decree issued in proximity to a drinking party was considered valid only if issued beforehand. However, if it was issued after a drinking party, it was invalid since it possibly reflected the influence of alcohol. The people of Shushan were not sure if the decree could be ignored because Achashveirosh and Haman sat down to drink before the decree was issued, or perhaps it was issued earlier and therefore valid. Hence, the city of Shushan, which was close to the capital was bewildered.
When Esther succeeded in pleading the case of the Jewish people to Achashveirosh, the King told her that “you may write concerning the Jews as it may be good in your eyes, in the King’s name, and seal it with the King’s signet-ring; for an edict which was written in the King’s name ... cannot be revoked” (8:8). This statement is contradictory. If the previous letters could not be revoked, how could they write concerning the Jews whatever they desired?
Achashveirosh meant that the first edict could not be revoked; however, they could write about the Jews: “as it may be good in your eyes” i.e. letting everyone know that this edict was issued after the drinking party took place, and therefore it was null and void.
* * *
Alternatively, the Yalkut Shimoni (1056) explains: It was not just the Jews who were perplexed, but: והעיר שושן- “the [entire] city of Shushan.” When the decree was issued, strange things began occurring to the residents of the city. Women, while laying out their produce on the rooftops to dry, suddenly fell off the roofs and died; men going to draw water from the wells fell in and drowned. They were puzzled and could not figure out why suddenly they were experiencing these many misfortunes.
