תהלים, פרק מ״ד, פסוק י״ג

Enduring a long and painful exile creates a profound sense of total abandonment, as if the Israelites have been cast aside and handed over to strangers for nothing. This deep despair is captured through the humiliating imagery of a commercial sale. The concept of selling highlights the endless nature of the exile. Unlike someone who pawns an object with the clear intention of redeeming it later, a person who sells an item does not expect it to ever return [רד״ק, מאירי]. In this transaction, the nation is neglected, given away as cheap slaves and captives [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Historically, this devastating reality is linked to Haman's decree, where the Jewish people were effectively sold for absolute destruction [אלשיך].

This sale is carried out without any significant wealth changing hands [מצודת ציון]. The people are handed over for free, or traded away for trivial things [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מאירי]. The reason for this is that God has no need for material profit, as all the silver and gold in the world already belong to Him [רד״ק]. In the context of Haman's decree, this absence of divine profit is evident, as the silver offered in exchange for the destruction of the Jews was ultimately left in Haman's hands and never actually taken [אלשיך].

The primary approach among commentators is that the imagery continues as a poetic parallel, stressing that God gained no great fortune, interest, or increase from giving them up [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The transaction reflects a mere exchange of value without any financial growth or added interest [מצודת ציון, תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם]. Typically, a seller asks for a high price at first, only lowering it gradually if the goods do not sell. However, the humiliation of the Israelites in exile was so widely known that they were offered at the lowest value right from the start, without any attempt to demand a high initial price [מאירי]. In contrast to the idea of a random, worthless transaction, another perspective suggests the exact price was highly specific. The amount proposed for their destruction precisely mirrored the half-shekel contributions the Israelites gave upon leaving Egypt, matching the exact weight of silver offered by Haman [אלשיך].