Soccer Dad

Blessed paranoia

Most people if asked to identify a character trait in one of the players in the Purim drama that drove the story would probably point to Haman's arrogance or pride. It was his pride that made him feel that nothing was worth it as long as Mordechai didn't bow down to him. And subsequently that's what caused him to overreach and seek revenge against all of the Jews. That brought him into conflict with the Queen that led to his ultimate undoing.
But in more recent years, I started focusing on another trait possessed by a different player that was the linchpin for the story. That is the paranoia of Achashveirosh.
The Midrash chides Achashveirosh for his inconsistency. First he kills his wife at the behest of his advisor; later he kills his advisor at the behest of his wife. But in both cases he was really consistent. First Haman and later Esther successfully appealed to the king's paranoia and it is what allowed the the Jews of Persian empire (if not the whole world!) to escape their fate.
I first started thinking about the king's paranoia when I started reflecting on the King's decree that no one may enter his inner chamber without being called. Any person attempting to do so was necessarily assumed to be an enemy and his life was forfeit; unless the king pardoned him. I thought that extraordinary. (I'll admit, my brother disagrees with me. He didn't think that such edicts were necessarily so unusual in that time. Kings had many enemies. But even if such a law were not remarkable it doesn't mean that Achashveirosh wasn't paranoid.)
Achashveirosh's ascension to the throne was a reason perhaps he was paranoid. He was a commoner who apparently took advantage of marrying the daughter of a slain regent to claim the throne. In essence his claim to legitimacy stemmed from his wife.
When Vashti refused his summons, the medrash tells us that she not only refused she insulted him and said that her royal father, Belshatzar, could drink more than a thousand men but when her husband, Achashveirosh, got drunk at first beer. This wasn't just an insult against her husband it was a reminder of his lowly origins.
Haman realized an opening. Rashi tells us that Haman was not necessarily one of the king's closest advisors, but after he told the king to kill Vashti, his status was elevated. Haman addressed the king's insecurity and went so far as to say that Vashti's rebellion would encourage all the women of the empire to challenge their husbands' authority. He told the king that it was necessary to put an end to such a possibility and kill Vashti. That would re-establish the king's authority.
Of course, after Achasveirosh killed Vashti, he had a new problem. His legitimacy stemmed from her status. Now he lacked a claim to the throne.
In order to find a new wife he ordered every eligible woman to come to the palace. The one he eventually chose, Esther, had an interesting quality.
The Gemora (Megila 13:A) comments on Esther 2:15, "...Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her" that Esther appeared to each person in the kingdom as if she was his/her nationality. In short everyone identified with her. This is what made her ideal in the eyes of Achashveirosh. He could no longer make a royal claim to the throne; but through marrying Esther he could make a popular claim. By not identifying her nationality Esther made this quality possible.
However in order to save the Jews Esther had to embark on a risky strategy. First she defied the king's decree and entered his inner sanctum without being summoned. When the king pardoned her (according the Midrash with Divine intervention) she then asked that the king and Haman would come to a party she was making. One of the reasons cited by the Talmud (Megialla 14:B) was to arouse suspicion in the eyes of Achashveirosh that maybe she and Haman were plotting; not a safe strategy when dealing with a paranoic, but necessary in order to cast suspicion on Haman.
After the first party Haman is quite self-satisfied but then he sees Mordechai who refuses to bow to him and immediately he is overtaken by anger. Egged on by his supporters, Haman sets out to build a gallows with the purpose of hanging Mordecha one he gets the sanction of the king.
But that night everything turns around. The king can't sleep. According to the Midrash Rabba the king dreamt that Haman was seeking to kill him. This is hidden Divine intervention to help Esther bring her plan to a successful conclusion.
An alternative mentioned in the Talmud, (Megilla 16:B) explicitly connects to the notion that Esther's invitation of Haman to the intimate party with the king made the king think, "What prompted Esther to invite Haman to the party ... maybe they are plotting to kill me. Is there someone who has done me a favor that I have not repaid that no one will come forward to tell me of plots against me." With that he called for the chronicles to be brought before him.
When the chronicles are read before Achashveirosh he realizes that Mordechai has saved his life and has not been repaid. He asks who is in the courtyard and Haman is there.
He asks his advisor to advise him; how best can he honor someone who had done him a favor. Think of this as a Rorschach test. The king not only is seeking advice but asking Haman how he views himself. Haman fails spectacularly.
Haman advises the king to dress the person in royal clothes and have him ride on the royal horse and have a footman calling out: This is what is done to the one whom the King wishes to honor.
Achashveirosh must be amazed at Hanan's audacity. This was the man he was dreaming was seeking to kill him. This was the man who was apparently a special confidant of the queen too; possibly involved in a conspiracy with the Esther. And here he was declaring his naked ambition to be king.
The king quickly tossed cold water on those ambitions and told Haman to give the complete treatment to Mordechai! And as an added kicker says: Don't leave out a single detail from all you have mentioned.
That night is the second party and the stage is set for Esther to consummate her plan. (Haman's downfall is presaged in a conversation he has with his supporters that day.)
At some point at the second party, Achashveirosh asks Esther again: What may I do for you? And Esther tells the king that Haman wishes to kill her and her people. The king is furious and what happens?
1) Haman falls ( or is pushed - Megilla 16:B) onto Esther's bed further inflaming the king's suspicion. ("Are you to conquer the queen with me in the house?")
2) Charvona - possibly a conspirator of Haman's who now wishes to be in the king's good graces (Megillah 16:B) - helpfully points out that Haman has built a gallows to hang the man, Mordechai, who had saved the king's life.
Achashveirosh didn't need to hear anymore and ordered Haman hanged.
So Achashveirosh did kill his queen at the behest of his friend and later his friend at the behest of his queen. But in both cases the action was taken in response to a fear for the loss of his position and possibly his life. Vashti was killed and Esther was elevated to a position where she could help because Haman exploited the king's fears. Esther even more masterfully and at great risk to herself manipulated those fears again to defeat Haman. In both cases it was the king's blessed paranoia through which salvation was brought to the Jews.