“After these matters, when the fury of king Aḥashverosh had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what was decreed against her” (Esther 2:1).“After [aḥar] these matters, when the fury of King Aḥashverosh had abated” – Rabbi Aivu said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra: Everywhere that aḥar is stated, it means just after; aḥarei – significantly after. The Rabbis in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra: Everywhere that aḥarei is stated, it means just after; aḥar – significantly after. “When [keshokh] the fury of King Aḥashverosh had abated,” beshokh is not written here, but rather keshokh,11The prepositional prefix ke- can mean “when” or “approximately” or “nearly.” The midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) is interpreting keshokh to mean that the king’s fury had nearly abated. abatement that is not abatement.“He remembered Vashti” – that decree that he had decreed for her to enter naked before him and she did not enter he became angry and killed her. Once he had killed her, he began regretting it. Why? Because she had behaved correctly.12As the verse says: “And what she had done.” “And what was decreed against her,” unjustly. Why did this befall her? Because she would not allow Aḥashverosh to grant permission to build the Temple, saying to him: You are seeking to build what my ancestors destroyed? “The king's lads, his attendants, said...” 13She was killed so Esther could replace her, and the Temple could be rebuilt. (Esther 2:2).