אסתר, פרק ו׳, פסוק ב׳

In the dead of night, a restless king seeks to calm his mind. Troubled by the thought that he might have failed to reward someone who previously did him a favor, he orders the royal records to be read. This reading brings a dramatic, meticulously documented event from the past back to the surface: an assassination attempt by his own close guards, which was thwarted entirely due to Mordecai's warning. Even the act of reading recent history to the king is highly unusual, as such records are typically avoided to prevent royal arrogance, clearly signaling God's direct involvement in the unfolding events.

The discovery of this record is not a simple administrative review, but rather the finding of something that was intentionally lost. The primary approach among commentators is that a hidden miracle took place within the royal archives. The nature of the account implies that the entry was not a pre-existing official document, but something newly recorded. According to tradition, the royal scribe, who harbored deep hatred for the Jewish people, had deliberately erased Mordecai's good deed from the book of records to hide his merit. However, a divine messenger miraculously rewrote the account, allowing the entry to be found completely intact.

Furthermore, the king's scribes had originally attempted to obscure the details of the report. They wrote it in a vague manner, making it unclear which of the two guards had actually planned the rebellion, thereby minimizing the importance of Mordecai's intervention. Yet, Divine providence intervened once again, correcting the text so that it clearly identified both guards, proving beyond a doubt that they had both actively plotted against the king. [אור חדש] adds a subtle detail regarding the names: one guard's name appears here in its complete, official form. Earlier, his name was shortened to reflect the sheer foolishness of the guards, who carelessly discussed their treasonous plot in a place where they could easily be overheard. This precise recording further highlights God's exacting providence.

The record also makes it clear that while Esther was the one who originally informed the king of the plot, she carefully ensured that the life-saving warning was officially credited to Mordecai. Hearing this account finally opens the king's eyes. Until that very moment, he had operated under the mistaken belief that Haman was the one responsible for saving his life in the past, a misunderstanding that had led directly to Haman's sudden promotion and power. Now, the king realizes that he actually owes his life to Mordecai. The irony and Divine orchestration reach their absolute peak at this exact moment. Just as Haman arrives early and waits in the courtyard to ask for Mordecai's execution, the king discovers his immense debt to Mordecai, setting the stage for a total reversal of their fates.