Can you feel the tension?
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer elaborates on this already dramatic moment. Haman approaches Mordecai with the royal garments. “Arise,” he says, dripping with false respect, “and put on the purple of the king.” But Mordecai isn't easily swayed. He rebukes Haman, reminding him that for three days, he has been in sackcloth and ashes, mourning Haman's evil decree.
"Villain! Dost thou not know that for three days I have put on sack-cloth with ashes... because of that which thou hast done to me?"
Mordecai insists on cleansing himself before donning the royal robes. He demands that Haman take him to the bathhouse, and only then will he consider wearing the king's purple. What a power move! Haman, humiliated, complies.
But the indignity doesn't end there. When it's time to mount the horse, Mordecai claims he's too weak from fasting. What does Haman do? He is forced to lower himself, becoming a human stepping stool for Mordecai. Imagine the scene! Mordecai places his foot on Haman's neck, and then, finally, he mounts the horse.
In that moment, Mordecai proclaims, "Blessed be the Omnipresent, who hath not let aught of His words fall to the earth." He quotes Deuteronomy 33:29, "But thou shalt tread upon their high places," seeing this moment as a fulfillment of prophecy. The humiliation is complete.
After the parade, Mordecai returns to his place of honor at the king's gate, while Haman, utterly defeated, "hastened to his house, mourning and with his head covered" (Esther 6:12). The tables have turned in a major way!
This passage from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer amplifies the drama and irony of the original story. It highlights the complete reversal of fortune for Haman and Mordecai. It's a powerful reminder that even in the darkest of times, hope and redemption are possible, and that ultimately, justice will prevail.