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Why couldn't Achashverosh sleep 'that night' in Megillah 6? The shiur develops Chazal's reading that divine providence was actively reversing Haman's decree - 'the sleep of the King of the Universe was disturbed.' When the chronicles miraculously 'read themselves' to reveal Mordechai's unrewarded service, Hashem (ה׳) was orchestrating salvation through natural-seeming events.
This shiur provides an in-depth analysis of Chapter 6 of Megillat Esther, focusing on the crucial turning point when divine providence begins to reverse Haman's evil decree. The discussion begins with examining why Haman chose hanging as the method of execution for Mordechai, connecting it to the fate of Bigtan and Teresh who were also hanged, suggesting this was the standard punishment for officials who betrayed the king. A central theme explored is the significance of 'that night' (בלילה ההוא) when King Achashverosh couldn't sleep. The Chazal interpretation is presented that this represents not just the king's insomnia, but divine intervention - 'the sleep of the King of the Universe was disturbed' - as Hashem (ה׳) began orchestrating events to save the Jewish people. The king's subconscious disturbance stemmed from suspecting a romantic connection between Esther and Haman, which motivated him to review the royal chronicles.
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Megillat Esther 6:1-14
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