Rashi on the Prophets and Writings

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus He was the king of Persia who reigned instead of Cyrus at the end of the seventy years of the Babylonian exile.
he was the Ahasuerus He was equally wicked from beginning to end.
who reigned He reigned on his own, and was not of royal seed.
from Hodu to Cush, etc. He reigned over one hundred twenty-seven provinces as he reigned from Hodu to Cush, which are situated alongside one another, and so [we explain] (I Kings 5:4): “For he had dominion over all [the inhabitants of] this side of the river, from Tiphsah even to Gaza,” meaning that he had dominion over all the inhabitants of this side of the river, just as he had dominion from Tiphsah to Gaza.

when King Ahasuerus sat, etc. when the kingdom was firmly established in his hand. Our Sages, however, explained it differently in Tractate Megillah (11b).

the nobles Heb. הַפַּרְתְּמִים, governors in Persian.

many days He made a banquet for them.

the garden a place where vegetables are sown.
orchard where trees are planted.

white, fine cotton, and blue He spread out various types of colored garments for them for spreads.
embroidered with cords of linen and purple embroidered with threads of linen and purple; he spread these out for them on rods of silver and on columns of marble.
couches of gold and silver he set [them] up to sit upon for the feast.
on a pavement of floors of green and white, etc. Our Sages identified them as kinds of precious stones, and according to the apparent meaning of the verse, these were their names.

And they gave them to drink in golden vessels Heb., like וּלְהַשְּׁקוֹת, and to give to drink.
and the vessels differed from one another Heb. שּׁוֹנִים, different from each other, and likewise, (below 3: 8) “and their laws differ (שּׁנוֹת),” and our Sages expounded what they expounded.
and royal wine was plentiful It was abundant; and our Sages said that he gave each one to drink wine that was older than he.

according to the law Because there are feasts in which they coerce those seated to drink [the contents] of a large vessel, and some can drink it only with difficulty, but here, no one coerced [anyone].
ordained Heb. יִסַד, an expression referring to a foundation (יְסוֹד) ; i.e., so he instituted and ordained.
upon every steward of his house upon all the stewards of the feast: the chief baker, the chief butcher, and the chief butler.
to do according to every man’s wish Heb. אִישּׁ וָאִישּׁ, lit. man and man, for each one his desire.

On the seventh day Our Rabbis said that it was the Sabbath.

But Queen Vashti refused Our Rabbis said (Meg. 12b): Because leprosy broke out on her, in order that she should refuse and be killed. Because she would force Jewish girls to undress, and work on the Sabbath, it was decreed that she should be stripped naked on the Sabbath.
became very wroth because she sent him shameful words.

for so was the king’s custom For it was the king’s custom in every judgment to present the matter before all who knew law and judgment.

And the nearest to him to present his words before them were the following: Carshena, Shethar, etc.

According to the law what [is there] to do This refers back to “And the king said to the wise men.”

has...done wrong Heb. עָוְתֳה, an expression of iniquity (עָוֹן).

For the word of the queen will spread to all the women that she disgraced the king—[this will cause] all the women to despise their husbands as well.

the princesses of Persia and Media, etc. will say this word to all the princes; this is an ellipsis.
and much contempt and wrath And in this matter, there is much contempt and wrath.

a royal edict a royal edict of revenge, i.e., that he commanded to execute her.
and let it be inscribed in the laws of Persia and Media in the books of the statutes and the customs of the kingdom.
and let it not be revoked this statute from among them; this should be a statute and a law for anyone who shows contempt for her husband.
that Vashti did not come and therefore, she was executed.

and speak according to the language of his nationality He can compel his wife to learn his language if her native tongue is different.