On the night King Ahasuerus could not sleep, something far stranger was happening in heaven. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle preserved by Moses Gaster in 1899, God turned to the patriarchs and told them Israel had been condemned to destruction. Their sin? During the time of Nebuchadnezzar, they had failed to sanctify God's name, making it seem as though God lacked the power to save them.
The patriarchs accepted the judgment. But the moment God saw them bow to justice, He rose from His throne of justice and sat upon the throne of mercy. The heavenly host intervened too, reminding God that the entire world was created for the sake of the Torah given to Israel. "If You destroy this nation, what becomes of us?" they asked. God relented.
Then came one of the most unusual scenes in all of Jewish legend. God called out to the trees of creation and asked which among them would serve as a gallows for the wicked Haman. The fig tree volunteered first, claiming Israel had been compared to it in Scripture. The vine stepped forward, then the pomegranate, walnut, citron, willow, olive, apple, and cedar—each citing a biblical verse linking it to Israel. Finally the thorn spoke up: "I will serve, for the wicked were compared to me." God silenced every other tree. The thorn was chosen.
Meanwhile, the angel Michael visited Ahasuerus in the night and knocked him off his bed 366 times. Unable to sleep, the king ordered the royal chronicles brought before him. Gabriel then appeared in a dream disguised as Haman, sword drawn to kill. When Haman arrived at court the next morning, the king—already terrified—asked him how to honor a loyal man. Haman, assuming the king meant him, described a lavish parade. The king's reply stunned him: "Go and do this for Mordecai the Jew." The gallows Haman had built from his own house would soon be used—on himself.
LXXXIII. (1) It is written. On that same night the sleep
of the king was disturbed. God at that time said to the
patriarchs, ' They have been condemned to destruction;'
they replied, ' 0 Lord of the universe, for what reason ?'
' Because in the time of Nebuchadnezzar they did not
sanctify My name, and made Me to be one who hath no
power to deliver.' Whereupon they replied, ' Now, 0
Lord, do unto them what seems good to Thee.' But as
soon as God saw that they bowed to justice. He arose from
His throne of justice, and sat upon the throne of mercy.
Then did the heavenly host address God, saying, ' Didst
Thou not create the whole world for the sake of the Torah,
which Thou gavest to Israel? do not all things exist for
their sake ? as it is said, " If not for My covenant I would
not have created day and night." Therefore, if Thou
destroyest this nation, what shall become of us ?' But
God replied, ' My children have not done well.' ' 0 Lord
of the w^orld,' added they, ' it is revealed and known to Thee
that they did this from fear.'
(2) The Lord was then filled with mercy for Israel, and,
calling to the trees of the creation, He said, ' Who of you
will be willing to serve as gallows for the wicked ?' And
the fig-tree replied, ' I am ready to be the gallows to hang
that wicked man; for from me the Israelites brought the
Lxxxiii. 5] 249
first ripe fruits into the temple, and not only this, but
they were compared to me,' as it is said, ' I saw your
fathers as the first ripe fruit on the fig-tree in its bud.'
The vine also said, ' I will offer myself, for from me they
obtained the drink-offering for the temple; and, moreover,
to me they were compared,' as it is said, ' Israel is a
budding vine.'
(3) Then said the pomegranate, ' I will offer myself,
for the Israelites were compared to me,' as it is said, ' Like
the heart of a pomegranate is thy temple.' And the
walnut said, 'I will offer myself, for the Israelites were
compared to me,' as it is said, ' I descended to the garden
of nuts.' The citron also exclaimed, ' I will offer myself,
for the Israelites praised God through me,' as it is said,
'And ye shall take you the fruit of goodly trees.' The
willows of the brook said, ' They were compared to me,' as
it is said, ' And they shall spring up among the grass, as
willows by the water-courses.' The olive said, ' I will offer
myself, for from me they kindled the lights in the temple,'
as it is said, ' And they shall take unto me pure olive-oil ';
* they were, moreover, compared to me,' as it is said, ' His
majesty is like the olive, and, further, the green olive whose
fruit is beautiful to look at.'
(4) The apple also said, ' I will offer myself, for the
Israelites were compared to me,' as it is said, ' And the
sweet smell of thy breath is like apples.' The cedar said,
' I will offer myself, for from me the holy temple was built,
besides which the Israelites were compared to me,' as it is
said, 'He shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon.' The
thorn next said, 'I will serve as gallows, for the wicked
were compared to me,' as it is said, ' But the ungodly shall
he all as thorns to be thrust away.'
(5) As soon as the thorn had offered itself, the Lord
silenced all the trees of the creation, saying, ' Since thou
•offerest thyself, this wicked man, who desires to destroy
My children, shall be hanged upon thee.' And at that
moment that wicked man, summoning his wise men, said
unto them, ' I will erect a tree, to hang Mordecai thereon.
250 [LXXXIII. 6
50 cubits high, that all the surrounding countries may see
him hanging.' ' But there is no tree as high as that,
except in thine own house.' This wicked man then
destroyed the hall of his own house in order to obtain the
materials required for the gallows, and taking the beam of
thorn from his house, he fixed it; but it fell upon him, and
thereby took his measurement. Then exclaimed Gabriel,
' This tree has been prepared for thee from the creation.'
(6) The sages say that Michael came to the bedside of
Ahasuerus in the night, and disturbed his sleep, for he
knocked him on the ground 366 times. When he arose, in
great anger, he saw three companies before him, one of
butchers, one of bakers, and the third of butlers, and said
to them, ' Ye have given me poison, and you seek to kill me
and to blot me out from the world.' But they answered,
' The same bread that Queen Esther and Haman ate thou
atest, and the wine they drank thou also drankest. Let us
see Esther and Haman, and if they are as thou art, then
thou doest rightly; but if not, then why should we be
killed ?'
(7) When they found that Esther and Haman had suffered
no harm, the king ordered the Book of Chronicles to be
brought before him. On that same night Gabriel appeared
in his dream before Ahasuerus, in the likeness of Haman,
with a drawn sword in his hand, seeking to kill him. Rising
confusedly from his sleep he exclaimed, ' Who is in the
court ?' And the young chamberlains of the king replied,
' Haman is in the court.' Then he thought, and said,
' The dream I have dreamt is true, and he has come here
for no other reason than to slay me.' Then, commanding
Haman to come into his presence, he said, ' I know that
thou art a man of thought, and whoever follows thy counsel
never fails. What shall be done to the man whom the
king delights to honour ?' Pievolving this in his mind,
Haman thought, ' Whom can the king desire to honour
more than me ?'
(8) He therefore said to the king: ' Let the man whom
the king desires to honour be clothed in the royal garments,.
and let one of the greatest men of the kmgdom walk m
front of him and proclaim aloud these words, "Whoever
will not bend himself or bow down before him shall be
slain," and in addition, let the king's daughter be given
him.' Then said the king to Haman, ' Go and do likewise
to Mordecai the Jew who sits in the gate of the king.' ' But
there are many Mordecais who sit in the king's gate, and
is not a small province sufficient for him ?' asked Haman.
The king said, ' Let no word fail from all that thou hast
said.'
[End of the letter of Haman. This is a Midrash, and is
not to be found in the Book of Josippon.]
The Throne of Solomon, King of Israel.
