Commentary for Megillah 23:20

It is also taught like this: [It, being] that a year was absorbed in the years of Nebuchadnezzar and Evil-merodach.

There was still another year left for Babylonia: Thus is it found in Seder Olam: "In that night Belshazzar, the king [...], was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom" (Daniel 5:30 - 6:1). Behold that is seventy years from the day that Nebuchadnezzar reigned; sixty-nine from the day that he conquered Yehoyakim; and still one more year 'for Babylonia,' for the completion of the seventy years from when he ruled over Israel - and Darius rose and completed it. And after him, in the next year, Cyrus reigned in Babylonia and they were partially remembered. As he said, "Anyone of you of all His people—may his God be with him, and let him go up, etc." (Ezra 1:2). We learned from this baraita that when Belshazzar died, there were only sixty-nine years from the conquest of Yehoyakim. But above we counted seventy years: Forty-five of Nebuchadnezzar, twenty-three of Evil-merodach and three of Belshazzar. Hence [some of them] were partial years.

I meditated in the books: This is an expression of counting and calculating.

It is written, "after the completion for Babylonia of seventy years, I will remember you." This is a verse in the book of Jeremiah (29:10).

And it is written in the book of Daniel (9:2), "seventy years for the destruction of Jerusalem" - the same number of years which was the word of God to the prophet Jeremiah.

Only for being remembered: And he said, "after the completion for Babylonia will I remember you." And so it was. For they were remembered in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, which was the seventy-first year from the conquering of Yehoyakim, when Babylonia had invaded Israel.

Messiach: The anointed one, as in anointing (hamischah) oil.

I am complaining to you: And this is what it means: This is what the Lord said to his anointed one, "[I said] to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, etc. [that] he would build my Temple." They are two sentences that are adjacent to each other. And the cantillation marks of this verse prove this homily. For there is no zarka in Scripture that is not followed by a segol. But here we vocalize, "to his anointed one," with a zarka; yet we vocalize, "to Cyrus," with a maarich - to separate it and remove it from, "to his anointed one."

Anyone of you of all His people, etc.: But he himself did not make efforts for this thing.

It is written, "Persia and Media, the nobles": It placed, "the nobles," adjacent to Media. But it is written, "of the kings of Media and Persia" - it placed, "the kings," adjacent to Media.

The priestly vestments: Since he had in his hand there, the vestments of the high priest that they brought from Jerusalem.

He was clever: As he had the feast for those who were distant precede the feast for the people of his city.

They prostrated before the idol in the days of Nebuchadnezzar.

Is there favoritism in this thing: How did they merit a miracle?

They did [it] for appearance: From fear.

Many holes: Needlework. The craft of [making] bed sheets was done with many holes.

White wool: Chur is an expression of chiver (white in Aramaic).

One who was fit for silver: It expounded, "the couches were of gold and of silver" - a minister that was fit for gold [got] gold, and an inferior one [got] silver.

You cast jealousy: But perhaps you will say, "According to the one that said earlier, 'One who was fit for the garden to the garden, one who was fit for the courtyard to the courtyard' - you [also] cast jealousy into the banquet." But it can be said (answered) that since they did not see each other, there was no jealousy.

That ingratiate themselves with their owners: He made a floor for them with searched stones, meaning that they only come to a person with effort, such that their owners search and seek for them, until they find them for a precious [amount] of money.

And similarly, it states that Scripture praises precious stones and states that they come from many trials, "as the stones of a crown, glittering over His land." And the verse is speaking about Israel, in the future to come - that they will be important and precious among the nations like the glittering stones of a crown.

Many rows: Many rows surrounding [it]; and socheret is an expression [similar to], sechor sechor (round and round).

Like midday: So this, socheret, is an expression of sahara (light).

He proclaimed a remission for all the merchants: He gave relief to the people of his kingdom by removing the tax of merchants.

The early ones: Meaning, Belshazzar and his group.

Just as the law of the Torah: The food of the altar is greater than the drink - a bull and three isaron of fine flour for food; but the libation is [only] half a hin.

Just as the law of the Torah, the food is greater than the drink: And [regarding] that which we say in Niddah 24b, "The bones of anyone who eats more than he drinks are black" - that is when he eats more than enough.

From wine of his country: Wine that he is used to, such that he will not get drunk [and he will not drink it] except according to his will.

According to the wish of Mordekhai and Haman: They were the chief cupbearers at the party.

He with pumpkins: Large squash.