Hidden Midrashim About Haman: Talmudic Insights Into His Rise, Wealth, and Downfall

Following are several teachings brought in the Talmud and Midrash regarding Haman, his rise to power, and the deeper spiritual lessons surrounding the story of Purim.

How Many Sons Did Haman Have?

The Talmud presents several opinions regarding the number of Haman’s sons. In Tractate Megillah it states: “How many were the majority of his sons? Rav said thirty: ten were killed, ten were hanged, and ten went begging from door to door.”

Another opinion says that seventy wandered begging.
Rami bar Abba taught that they were two hundred and eight in total, based on the numerical value of the phrase “and the majority of his sons.”

In Midrash Shocher Tov it is taught that Haman had one hundred sons: ten were killed, ten were hanged, and the rest wandered for twelve months before ultimately perishing.

The Source of Haman’s Great Wealth

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer teaches that Haman and Korach were among the wealthiest people in the world. According to the Midrash, Haman’s wealth came from taking the treasuries of the kings of Yehuda and even treasures from the Holy Temple.

Haman’s Offer to Achashverosh

The Midrash continues that when King Achashverosh saw Haman’s immense wealth and his ten sons, he elevated him above the other ministers. When Haman sought permission to destroy the Jewish people, he offered the king half of his fortune. Midrash Rabbah states: “That wicked man brought out all his silver and gold and gave it to Achashverosh.”

Idolatry Woven Into His Garment

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer relates that the king commanded everyone to bow to Haman. Haman embroidered an idolatrous image onto his clothing so that anyone who bowed to him would, in effect, be bowing to an abomination.

The Tree on Which Haman Was Hanged

One Midrash teaches that the fifty-cubit gallows on which Haman was hanged was fashioned from wood taken from the Temple structure, alluding to the verse describing a hall of pillars measuring fifty cubits in length.

Yalkut Shimoni brings a different tradition: the beam used for the gallows was one of the boards from Noah’s Ark, preserved by God as an eternal reminder of the Flood. Haman searched for a beam fifty cubits long and eventually found one connected to his household, said to have come from the Ark itself.

Why Was Haman Elevated?

The Megillah says, “After these events, King Achashverosh promoted Haman.” The Midrash Rabbah explains that God allows the wicked to rise not for their benefit but for their downfall. Had Haman been destroyed earlier, no one would have known his story. Instead, he was elevated so that his eventual fall would be public and complete, as the verse says, “He raises nations only to destroy them.”

Why Did Haman Advise the King to Execute Vashti?

Several Midrashic explanations are given. One says that Vashti humiliated Achashverosh publicly. Another suggests she failed to invite Haman’s wife to the women’s feast. A third opinion holds that Haman had a daughter and sought to advance her position toward royalty.

“Their God Is Sleeping”

The Midrash Rabbah recounts that Haman told Achashverosh that the God of Israel was “asleep.” God responded in anger: “I neither slumber nor sleep,” as it says, “Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.” Because of Haman’s claim, God declared that He would awaken and bring about Haman’s destruction.

Haman’s Strategy Against the Jewish People

Esther Rabbah records that Haman advised the king that the Jewish people’s God hates immorality. He suggested setting up a feast filled with temptation and impropriety, hoping they would sin and thus give grounds for accusation against them in Heaven. Mordechai warned the Jews not to attend the king’s feast, explaining that it was intended to create spiritual accusations against them. Sadly, many did not heed his warning.

These teachings reveal deeper layers behind the Purim story: the rise of evil, the dangers of moral compromise, and the hidden divine orchestration that ultimately turns downfall into redemption.