אסתר, פרק ב׳, פסוק כ״א

The Persian royal court was a constant center of political intrigue, conspiracies, and assassination attempts [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Yet, behind the scenes of this governmental turbulence, God's providence was actively at work, carefully preparing the cure and the seeds of salvation long before any crisis would strike the Israelites [מלבי״ם, אלשיך]. Mordecai's presence at the royal gate was not a casual or random occurrence; he had been appointed to an official position as a judge or senior official within the inner court [אבן עזרא, יוסף אבן יחיא, מנות הלוי]. Deliberately, he chose to remain in this role rather than ask Esther for a promotion to a higher office, ensuring he would not arouse suspicion or accidentally reveal their familial connection [ישע אלהים].

During this time, two guards of the threshold grew fiercely angry. The primary approach among commentators is that their sudden rage stemmed from direct jealousy of Mordecai. Esther had persuaded the king to position a righteous man at the gate, which led to the guards being dismissed from their posts and replaced by Mordecai. They felt deep frustration, having worked tirelessly day and night, only to watch a Jewish man receive honor at their expense [תורה תמימה, יוסף אבן יחיא, מנות הלוי]. Other perspectives link their anger to the recent royal transition. These guards were relatives of the deposed Queen Vashti, and with Esther's coronation, they lost all hope of restoring their family to a position of power [יוסף אבן יחיא, ישע אלהים, מנות הלוי]. The change in leadership also burdened them with a heavy workload and a severe lack of sleep [ישע אלהים, מנות הלוי]. A unique view suggests a broader political motive, proposing that they sought to assassinate the king to win the favor of the rising Macedonian Empire [עמנואל הרומי]. Although two guards were involved, Bigthan was the primary instigator and architect of the plot, ultimately drawing Teresh into the conspiracy [אלשיך, יוסף אבן יחיא, ישע אלהים, מנות הלוי]. While both served as guards of the threshold, they each held distinct security responsibilities [אלשיך].

Their objective was to assassinate the king. Because their positions granted them intimate access, they planned to slip deadly poison or even a venomous snake into the king's drinking cup [רש״י, רלב״ג, יוסף אבן יחיא, אור חדש, מנות הלוי]. A more complex theory suggests they orchestrated a double murder: they intended to kill the king with a sword and poison Esther, framing the scene to look as though the queen had murdered her husband and then taken her own life, thereby preventing any investigation that might expose them [מנות הלוי]. The guards conversed openly about their scheme in their native foreign tongue, assuming no one in the royal court could understand them. However, as one of the sages of the Sanhedrin, Mordecai was fluent in seventy languages and understood their words perfectly [רלב״ג, אור חדש, מנות הלוי]. Alternative views propose that he uncovered the plot by astutely reading their body language, through clever deduction, or even through divine inspiration [רלב״ג, אבן עזרא].

One might wonder why Mordecai would intervene to save a wicked ruler. Commentators explain that a functioning government is essential to maintain social order and prevent widespread chaos. Furthermore, this specific king had previously authorized the construction of the Temple. Mordecai also feared that if the king were assassinated immediately after marrying a Jewish woman, the blame would inevitably fall upon the Jewish people [אור חדש]. Ultimately, God transformed the guards' destructive anger into an instrument of deliverance, using it to protect the righteous and pave the way for the eventual salvation of the entire nation [אור חדש].