Rashi on the Prophets and Writings

and those that conduct the king’s affairs those who were appointed to conduct the king’s affairs.

The ten sons of Haman I saw in Seder Olam (ch. 29): These are the ten who wrote a [false] accusation against Judea and Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Ezra (4:6): “And in the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the dwellers of Judea and Jerusalem.” Now what was the accusation? To stop those who ascended from the exile during the days of Cyrus, who had commenced to build the Temple, and the Cutheans slandered them and stopped them, and when Cyrus died, and Ahasuerus reigned, and Haman was promoted, he feared that those in Jerusalem would engage in the construction, and they sent in the name of Ahasuerus to the princes of the other side of the river to stop them.
but on the spoil they did not lay their hands so that the king should not cast an envious eye on their money.

and let them hang Haman’s ten sons on the gallows those who were slain.

and a decree was given a statute was decreed.

the...villagers who do not dwell in walled cities, [celebrate] on the fourteenth, and those who dwell in walled cities [celebrate] on the fifteenth, like Shushan, and [these cities] must be surrounded [by walls] since the days of Joshua the son of Nun. So did our Sages expound and learn.
and...sending Heb. וּמִשְּׁלֹחַ. This is a noun, like מִשְּׁמָר, watch, מִשְּׁמָע hearing. Therefore, the “shin” is vowelized soft (without a “dagesh”).

And Mordecai inscribed this scroll, as it is. [i.e., in its present state.]

For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite devised to terrify them and destroy them.

And when she came [when] Esther [came] to the king to beseech him.
he commanded through letters The king stated orally and commanded to write letters that his evil device return upon his own head.

therefore, because of all the words of this letter these days were established, and therefore it was written for future generations to know.
and what they saw those who did these deeds, that they did them.
and what happened to them What did Ahasuerus see that he used the sacred vessels, and what happened to them? That Satan came and danced among them and slew Vashti. And what did Haman see that he became envious of Mordecai, and what happened to him? They hanged him and his sons. And what did Mordecai see that he did not kneel or prostrate himself, and what did Esther see that she invited Haman?

who join them proselytes who were destined to convert.
according to their script that the Scroll [of Esther] should be written in the Ashuri script.

remembered with the reading of the Scroll [of Esther].
and celebrated feasting and rejoicing and a festive day, to give portions [of food to friends] and gifts [to the poor].
every family gather together and feast and drink together, and so they took upon themselves that the Purim days would not be revoked.
shall not cease Heb. לֹא יָסוּף. This is the Aramaic translation of יִתֹּם, will end, for the Targum of (Deut. 2:14) “עַד תֹּם” is עַד דְסַף, until it finished, and it is impossible to say that it is derived from the same root as (Gen. 19:15): “lest you perish (תִּסָפֶה),” or from the same root as (I Sam. 27:1): “Now I shall perish (אֶסָפֶה) one day,” for if that were so, Scripture should have written: לֹא יִסָפֶה מִזַרְעָם.

all [acts of] power the power of the miracle of Ahasuerus, of Alaman, of Mordecai, and of Esther.
the second In the second year they again sent letters that they should celebrate Purim.

Now Esther’s order confirmed, etc. Esther requested of the sages of the generation to commemorate her and to write this book with the rest of the Holy Writings, and that is the meaning of “and it was inscribed in the book.”