He sought to bring one of his servants or friends to do the job. But Mordechai said he wouldn’t agree to be groomed except by Haman, since he was skilled in this craft, and perhaps another might harm him out of hatred and claim it was a mistake. But from Haman, he had no fear, since Haman now feared the king. Haman found no other solution, went to his house, brought scissors, and gave him a haircut. Afterwards, he dressed him in the royal garments and placed the crown on his head. He then said to Mordechai, "Mount this great horse." Mordechai said, "I have no strength, for I’m old and weary from fasting." Haman said to Mordechai, "Stand up and mount the horse, and I will kneel before you, and you will step on my back and from there onto the horse." And so, he did. Mordechai stepped on Haman and mounted the horse, fulfilling the Pasuk
וְאַתָּה עַל בָּמוֹתֵימוֹ תִדְ רוֹך – And you shall tread upon their high places.
Which Pasuk did Mordechai and the other parties all recite while he was riding the horse? Chazal say (Yalkut Shimoni, Esther 1058), as soon as he mounted the horse, they each expressed praise – aside from Haman – from Tehillim (30):
אֲ רו ֹמִ מְ ך' כִּי דִ לִּיתָנִי וְלֹא־שִׂ מַּ חְ תָּ אֹיְבַי לִי׃ ה' אֱ - לֹהָי שׁ ִ וַּעְתִּ י אֵלֶיך וַ תִּ רְ פּ ָ אֵ נִ י׃
I will exalt You, Hashem, for You have lifted me up and not let my enemies rejoice over me; Hashem my G-d, I cried out to You, and You healed me.
And what did Mordechai’s students say? They continued:
זַמְּ רוּ לַה' ִים בִּרְצוֹנוֹ בָּעֶרֶב חֲסִידָיו וְהוֹדוּ לְזֵכֶר קׇדְ שׁ וֹ׃ כִּי רֶגַע בְּאַפּוֹ חַי יָלִין בֶּכִי וְלַבּ ֹקֶר רִ נָּה׃
Sing to Hashem, His pious ones, and give thanks to His holy memory; for a moment in His anger, life in His favor; weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Next, what did Haman say? He, too, continued the chapter:
וַאֲנִי אָמַרְ תִּי בְשׁ ַלְוִי בַּל־אֶמּוֹט לְעוֹלָם׃
And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
And Esther? She recited:
ה' אֶ קְ רָ א וְאֶ ל אֲ אֵ לֶיך-ד ֹנָי אֶ תְ חַ נָּן: מַ ה־בֶּצַע בְּדָ מִ י בְּ רִ דְ תִּ י א ֶ ל ־ שׁ ָ ח ַ ת הֲיוֹדְ ך עָפָר הֲיַגִּיד אֲמִ תֶּך
To You, Hashem, I will call, and to my Lord I will plead; what profit is there in my blood if I go down to the pit? Will dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?
And finally, the Jews wrapped it all up with:
שׁ ְ מ ַ ע ־ ה' וְחׇ נֵּנִי ה' הֱיֵה־עֹזֵר לִי׃ הָפַכְתָּ מִסְפְּדִי לְמָחוֹל לִי פִּתַּחְתָּ שַׂקִּי וַתְּ אַ זְּ רֵ נִ י שִׂ מְ חָ ה׃
Hear, Hashem, and be gracious to me; Hashem, be my helper; You turned my mourning into dancing for me, opened my sackcloth, and girded me with joy.
The question arises – who said the final Pasuk of this chapter in Tehillim? It seems fitting that Mordechai should have finished the psalm since he began it! But, the Midrash continues and says, Mordechai was occupied with reciting Shema and didn’t manage to say it, and it was Ruach HaKodesh that said:
אֱלֹהַי לְעוֹלָם אוֹדֶ ךּ ' כָבוֹד וְלֹא יִדֹּם ה לְמַעַן יְזַמֶּרְ ך
– So that glory may sing Your praise and not be silent; Hashem my G-d, I will thank You forever.
The next question is, why did Mordechai recite this chapter of Tehillim on the horse? What does it have to do with the story? The Alsheich HaKadosh writes: Mordechai and Esther are connected to מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר חֲנֻכַּת הַבַּיִת לְדָוִד because Mordechai was אִ י שׁ י ְ ה ו ּ דִ י – from the tribe of Yehuda, and a descendant of Shimi ben Geira. David HaMelech had spared Shimi’s life upon seeing that a descendant of his would redeem Yisrael – i.e. Mordechai. This merit may have also allowed him to establish the house Shlomo built. This chapter relates to this redemption, and by reciting it, Mordechai expressed gratitude to David along with reciting Shema on the horse.
