Megillat Esther Scavenger Hunt שְׁאֵלוֹת הַשָּׁבוּעַ
Welcome to a special edition of Devash's Scavenger Hunt for Purim!
There are two questions for each chapter of the megillah, and the answers to the questions can be found in those chapters.
1. How many days did Ahashverosh’s parties last?
2. Why did Vashti refuse to come to Ahashverosh’s party?
3. Who was Mordekhai’s great grandfather?
4. When was Esther taken to King Ahashverosh?
5. What mouthful of words describes the governors of Ahashverosh’s provinces?
6. What did Ahashverosh give to Haman?
7. What did Esther hear from her servants that made her very upset?
8. How long did Esther ask Mordekhai and all of the Jews of Shushan to fast with her?
9. What did Esther ask Ahashverosh at the feast?
10. What did Zeresh and all of Haman’s loved ones tell him to do?
11. What event did Ahashverosh’s book of memories remind him of?
12. After Haman returned home from parading Mordekhai around town, what did Zeresh and Haman’s loved ones say to him?
13. There is an unusual, rare note in this chapter. On what word does it appear?
14. Who told Ahashverosh that Haman had a tree ready for hanging Mordekhai?
15. Which pasuk in this chapter do we read to the sad tune of Megillat Eikhah? (Hint: it contains a word—twice—that sounds a lot like the word “eikhah”!)
16. Where in this chapter does the same word appear three times in a row?
17. What words in the chapter explain that Haman’s decree was overturned and the opposite happened?
18. There is one pasuk in this chapter where four words are repeated twice, one after the other. Can you find it?
Scroll down to see the answers!
Answers:
- 187 days: 180 for the important people in the countries under his rule, and 7 days for the people of Shushan (1:4-5)
- The megillah doesn’t say why! (1:12)
- Kish (2:5)
- In the 10th month (Tevet) of the 7th year of Ahashverosh’s rule (they must have counted Nisan as the first month, so Tevet works out to be the 10th) (2:16)
- אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנֵי־הַמֶּלֶךְ (the king’s ahashdarpenim) (3:12)
- His signet ring (3:10)
- That Mordekhai was wearing sackcloth and ashes (4:1-4)
- 3 days (4:16)
- To come to another feast the following day, with Haman (5:8)
- Prepare a tree, 50 amot high, and tell Ahashverosh to hang Mordekhai on it (5:14)
- When Mordekhai saved his life when Bigtan and Teresh tried to kill him (6:1-2)
- That Haman will never be able to defeat Mordekhai (6:13)
- הָמָ֟ן (Haman), the note is called קַרְנֵי פָּרָה (karnei parah, cows’ horns) (7:9)
- Harvonah (7:9)
- Pasuk 6
- שֶׁבַע וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמֵאָה מְדִינָה מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה (127 provinces, every province and province) (8:9)
- וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא (v'nahafokh hu, it flipped) (9:1)
- דּוֹר וָדוֹר מִשְׁפָּחָה וּמִשְׁפָּחָה מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וְעִיר וָעִיר (generation to generation, family to family, state to state, city to city) (9:28)
- He is next in line to Ahashverosh (10:3)
- מָדַי וּפָרָס (Media and Persia) (10:2)
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