Zeresh "on one foot":
Zeresh is in the Biblical Book of Esther. She is Haman's wife. Some people hiss when her name is read during the Megillah reading on Purim. The name “Zeresh”comes from the Persian word “Zaris”, meaning “golden”.
Act 1
(9) That day [leaving Esther's first party] Haman went out happy and lighthearted. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the palace gate, and Mordecai did not rise or even stir on his account, Haman was filled with rage at him. (10) Nevertheless, Haman controlled himself and went home. He sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh, (11) and Haman told them about his great wealth and his many sons, and all about how the king had promoted him and advanced him above the officials and the king’s courtiers. (12) “What is more,” said Haman, “Queen Esther gave a feast, and besides the king she did not have anyone but me. And tomorrow too I am invited by her along with the king. (13) Yet all this means nothing to me every time I see that Jew Mordecai sitting in the palace gate.” (14) Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a stake be put up, fifty cubits high, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then you can go gaily with the king to the feast.” The proposal pleased Haman, and he had the stake put up.
Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Esther. It happens after Mordechai refuses to bow to Haman, Haman convinces the king to allow the Jews to be killed (even though his beef is only with Mordechai), and Queen Esther invites Haman and the king to a private dinner party.
Note that Zeresh isn't "in the room where it happened" (to quote "Hamilton"); as a woman who isn't the queen, all she can do is talk to her husband at home.
1. How else could Zeresh have responded to her husband's problems?
2. Nearly everybody tries to make good choices from their perspective. Assuming good intentions for Zeresh, what might she have been thinking to make such a suggestion?
3. Zeresh is married to the king's chief advisor. How might this have affected her daily life, both positively and negatively?
Act 2
Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Esther, a chapter later. It happens after the king can't sleep (perhaps due to building the gallows), his servant reads the part in the Royal Chronicles about how Mordechai saved the king's life, Haman comes to ask to kill Mordechai, the king asks Haman how somebody ought to be rewarded, and Haman answers assuming that it is him who is going to be honored.
1. How might Zeresh be feeling about her husband's possible ruin that she has just foreseen?
2. What can we guess about the marriage of Haman and Zeresh based on what we have seen in the text?
3. Given Zeresh's goal (get rid of Mordechai), do you think she gave bad advice? Do you think that she thought at some point that she gave bad advice?
Epilogue
(א) בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא נָתַ֞ן הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ֙ לְאֶסְתֵּ֣ר הַמַּלְכָּ֔ה אֶת־בֵּ֥ית הָמָ֖ן צֹרֵ֣ר (היהודיים) [הַיְּהוּדִ֑ים] וּמׇרְדֳּכַ֗י בָּ֚א לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥ידָה אֶסְתֵּ֖ר מַ֥ה הוּא־לָֽהּ׃ (ב) וַיָּ֨סַר הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־טַבַּעְתּ֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֶֽעֱבִיר֙ מֵֽהָמָ֔ן וַֽיִּתְּנָ֖הּ לְמׇרְדֳּכָ֑י וַתָּ֧שֶׂם אֶסְתֵּ֛ר אֶֽת־מׇרְדֳּכַ֖י עַל־בֵּ֥ית הָמָֽן׃ {ס}
(10) They impaled Haman on the stake which he had put up for Mordecai, and the king’s fury abated. (1) That very day King Ahasuerus gave the property of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Mordecai presented himself to the king, for Esther had revealed how he was related to her. (2) The king slipped off his ring, which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman’s property.
(7) They killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, (8) Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, (9) Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, (10) the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the foe of the Jews. But they did not lay hands on the spoil.
Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Esther, after the king and Haman come to Esther's second banquet, Esther reveals that Haman wants to kill her and her people, and Haman is hung on the gallows he intended for Mordechai.
1. How do you think Zeresh felt about Haman's house (where Zeresh lived) being given to Mordechai?
2. What do you think happened to Zeresh?
3. The text does not say that Zeresh was killed. What might it have been like for Zeresh to have her husband and her children killed while she stays alive?
With appreciation to Liz Levin, Dan Levinson, AllGodsWomen (a Christian website - read with a grain of salt), Rabbi Michal Lemberger,
Appendix A: A Purim Shpiel Song About Zeresh
By: Jonah Shifrin, Darren Anders, and Cantor Rachel Brook of Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago
Haman/Zeresh Song – Easy Street (Annie)
Haman:
I’m not sure how to make the people bow down to me, when they look through me, like I’m not here
Zeresh:
We need people that the kingdom doesn’t need here , so we can make them dissappear
Haman:
Tell me how to make the provocation go down?
Zeresh:
How about the Jews?
Haman:
We’ll tell the town -
Both:
That they’re evil and they’re all out there to get us
Shushan will let us,
Usurp the crown!!
Both:
Easy Street, Easy Street, We’ll chase the Jews away!
Z: (Yeah, yeah yeah)
H: We’ll all meet, on Easy Street We’ll soon have our day!
Z: Easy Street, Easy Street, We’re gonna make you king! (Yeah, yeah yeah)
H: Move our feet – to - Easy Street –
Both: They’ll all feel… our…. Sting!!!
Appendix B: Jewish Women's Archive about Zeresh
In Brief
Zeresh was the wife of Haman, portrayed by the midrash as even more wicked than her husband. Of all of Haman's advisors, she was his best counsel. In one midrashic account, she was the one to advise Haman to kill the Jews as punishment for Mordecai’s refusal to bow to him. Because he heeded her advice, he himself was hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. The Rabbis prescribe that on Purim everyone must say: “Cursed be Haman, cursed be his sons, cursed be Zeresh his wife,” thereby fulfilling Prov. 10:7: “But the name of the wicked rots” (Esth. Rabbah 10:9).
More Wicked than Haman
The midrash portrays Zeresh as being even more wicked than her husband Haman (Midrash le-Esther, Ozar ha-Midrashim[ed. Eisenstein], p. 51). Wise women are celebrated in Proverbs (14:1): “The wisest of women builds her house,” while the end of this verse says of the wicked Zeresh: “but folly tears it down with its own hand” (Midrash Proverbs 14:1).
The Book of Esther relates that Haman, incensed after he saw that Mordecai did not prostrate himself before him, returned home to consult with his friends and his wife Zeresh. The midrash elaborates that Haman’s friends were his wife’s lovers and that Haman also had mistresses, for all idolaters are licentious (Midrash Panim Aherim [ed. Buber], version B, chapter 5).
In another midrashic account, Haman had 365 advisors, like the days of the year, but none could give him advice as good as that of his wife Zeresh. She told him: “If this man of whom you speak is of Jewish stock, you will not overcome him, but you must act wisely against him. If you were to drop him into a fiery furnace, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were already dropped down there and they were saved. If you were to throw him into a lions’ den, Daniel was already thrown into a lions’ den and he emerged unscathed. If you were to put him in prison, Joseph was already incarcerated there and he left it. If you were to send him to the wilderness, Israel already were in the wilderness, they were fruitful and multiplied, they withstood all the tests, and they were saved. If you were to blind him, Samson killed many Philistines when he was blind. But hang him on the gallows, for we have not found a single one of the Jews who was saved from hanging.” Immediately (Esth. 5:14) “the proposal pleased Haman, and he had the gallows put up” (Esth. Rabbah 9:2; Midrash Abba Gurion [ed. Buber], chapter 5).
Haman’s Death from Heeding Zeresh’s Advice
The Rabbis apply to Haman, who heeded his wife’s counsel, the verse (Prov. 10:1): “a dull son is his mother’s sorrow.” Because he heeded her advice, he himself was hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. The Rabbis ask why Haman was not successful in using his riches to save himself from the scaffold. They reply that the case of Haman teaches us that all of a wicked man’s riches will be of no avail when his downfall is at hand (Midrash Proverbs 10:1).
Haman’s downfall began when Ahasuerus ordered him to parade Mordecai on horseback through the streets of the city. According to the midrash, when Haman did so, their route led through a lane that went past Haman’s house. Haman’s daughter looked down from the roof and thought that the rider on horseback was her father and that Mordecai was leading him. She took a full chamber pot and emptied it on his head. Haman looked up; his daughter saw that this was her father, and in her great amazement and distress she fell from the roof to her death. Therefore it is said (Esth. 6:12): “Haman hurried home, his head covered in mourning”—he was “in mourning” over his daughter’s death and “his head was covered” with filth (BT Megillah16a). This midrashic account accentuates Haman’s great shame in the eyes of his household and those of the entire kingdom. The daughter’s act symbolized what would befall her father. Haman sought to maltreat Mordecai, but in the end he harmed himself. The daughter’s fall from the roof was therefore a portent of her father’s imminent ruin.
Afterwards, Haman returned home to once again take counsel with Zeresh and his confidants. According to the midrash, they told him: If Mordecai is from one of the tribes of Israel, you will prevail over him, but if he is from the tribe of Judah, or of Benjamin, Ephraim or Manasseh, you will not overcome him. For it is written of Judah (Gen. 49:8): “Your hand shall be on the nape of your foes”; and it is said of Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh (Ps. 80:3): “at the head of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh! Rouse Your might and come to our help!” These tribes received a special blessing that they would triumph over their enemies; Mordecai is a Benjaminite, and therefore you cannot harm him. They also told him: The people of Israel are compared to the dust and the stars. When they descend, they descend to the dust; and when they rise, they rise to the stars. So now that Mordecai is in the ascent, you will no longer be able to harm him (BT Megillah 16a).
The Rabbis prescribe that on Purim everyone must say: “Cursed be Haman, cursed be his sons, cursed be Zeresh his wife,” thereby fulfilling Prov. 10:7: “But the name of the wicked rots” (Esth. Rabbah 10:9).
https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/zeresh-midrash-and-aggadah
Appendix C: Other Rabbinic Texts About Zeresh
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ מַה לָּךְ אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וּמַה בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ וגו' וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר אִם עַל הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב יָבוֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן הַיּוֹם אֶל הַמִּשְׁתֶּה וגו' וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ מַהֲרוּ אֶת הָמָן וגו' וַיָּבֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן אֶל הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר עָשְׂתָה אֶסְתֵּר וגו' וַיֵּצֵא הָמָן בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא שָׂמֵחַ וְטוֹב לֵב וְכִרְאוֹת הָמָן אֶת מָרְדֳּכַי בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא קָם וְלֹא זָע מִמֶּנּוּ וַיִּמָּלֵא הָמָן חֵמָה, וַיִּתְאַפַּק הָמָן וגו' וַיָּבֵא אֶת אֹהֲבָיו וְאֶת זֶרֶשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ וגו' (אסתר ה, ג י), וּבְכֻלָּם לֹא הָיוּ יוֹדְעִים לָתֵת עֵצָה כְּזֶרֶשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ, שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה בַּעֲלֵי עֵצָה, כְּמִנְיַן יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה, אָמְרָה לוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ אָדָם זֶה שֶׁאַתָּה שׁוֹאֵל עָלָיו אִם מִזֶּרַע הַיְּהוּדִים הוּא, לֹא תוּכַל לוֹ, אִם לֹא תָבוֹא עָלָיו בְּחָכְמָה בַּמֶּה שֶׁלֹא נִסָּה אֶחָד מִבְּנֵי אֻמָּתוֹ, שֶׁאִם תַּפִּילוֹ לְכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ, כְּבָר הֻצְּלוּ חֲנַנְיָה וַחֲבֵרָיו. וְאִם לְגֹב אֲרָיוֹת, כְּבָר עָלָה דָּנִיֵּאל מִתּוֹכוֹ. וְאִם תַּאַסְרֵהוּ בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים, כְּבָר יָצָא יוֹסֵף מִתּוֹכוֹ. וְאִם בְּמוּלֵי תַּסִיק תַּחְתָּיו, כְּבָר הִתְחַנֵּן מְנַשֶּׁה וְנֶעְתַּר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְנָפַק מִינֵּיהּ. וְאִם בְּמַדְבְּרָא תַּגְלוּנֵיהּ, כְּבָר פָּרוּ וְרָבוּ אֲבוֹתָיו בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְכַמָּה נִסְיוֹנוֹת נִתְנַסּוּ וּבְכֻלָּן עָמְדוּ וְנִצְּלוּ. וְאִם עֵינָיו תְּעַוֵּר הֲרֵי שִׁמְשׁוֹן דִּקְטַל כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה נַפְשָׁתָא מִפְּלִשְׁתָּאֵי כַּד עֲוֵיר. אֶלָּא צְלוֹב יָתֵיהּ עַל צְלִיבָא, דְּלָא אַשְׁכְּחִינַן חַד מִן עַמּוֹי דְּאִשְׁתְּזֵיב מִנֵּיהּ, מִיָּד וַיִּיטַב הַדָּבָר לִפְנֵי הָמָן וַיַּעַשׂ הָעֵץ.
“The king said to her: What troubles you, Queen Esther, and what is your request… Esther said: If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet… The king said: Hasten Haman…The king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared…Haman emerged on that day joyful and glad of heart, but upon Haman’s seeing Mordekhai at the king’s gate, and he did not stand, and he did not move on his account, Haman became filled with fury…Haman restrained himself…and brought his supporters and Zeresh his wife, etc.” (Esther 5:3–5; 8–10).
Among all of them, there was no one capable of giving counsel like Zeresh his wife. He [Haman] had three hundred and sixty-five advisers, corresponding to the days of the solar year. His wife said to him: The person [Mordekhai] about whom you are asking, “If he is of the progeny of the Jews…you will not prevail against him” (Esther 6:13) – unless you approach him with cleverness, with [a strategy] that has never been attempted against members of his nation. If you drop him into a fiery furnace, Ḥananya and his cohorts have already been rescued [from it]; if [you place him in] the lions’ den, Daniel already emerged from it. If you incarcerate him in prison, Joseph already emerged from it. If you ignite a fire in a vat beneath him, Menashe [king of Judah] already pleaded, and the Holy One blessed be He acceded to his plea and he emerged from it. If you exile him to the wilderness, his ancestors already procreated in the wilderness, and they were confronted with numerous ordeals and passed them all and were rescued. If you blind his eyes, Samson took numerous Philistine lives when he was blind. Rather, hang him on a gibbet, as no member of his people has survived it.
Immediately, “the matter was pleasing to Haman and he prepared the gibbet” (Esther 5:14).
וְהַמֶּלֶךְ קָם בַּחֲמָתוֹ מִמִּשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן אֶל גִּנַּת הַבִּיתָן (אסתר ז, ז), מֶה עָשָׂה מִיכָאֵל הַמַּלְאָךְ הִתְחִיל מְקַצֵּץ אֶת הַנְּטִיעוֹת לְפָנָיו, וְהוֹסִיף חֵמָה עַל חֲמָתוֹ, וְשָׁב אֶל מִשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן, וְהָמָן עָמַד לְבַקֵּשׁ עַל נַפְשׁוֹ, מֶה עָשָׂה מִיכָאֵל דְּחָפוֹ עַל אֶסְתֵּר, וְהָיְתָה מְצַעֶקֶת אֲדוֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ הֲרֵי הוּא כֹּבְשֵׁנִי לְפָנֶיךָ, וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ הֲגַם לִכְבּוֹשׁ אֶת הַמַּלְכָּה עִמִּי בַּבָּיִת. וְשָׁמַע הָמָן הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְנָפְלוּ פָנָיו. מֶה עָשָׂה אֵלִיָּהוּ זָכוּר לַטּוֹב, נִדְמָה לְחַרְבוֹנָה וְאָמַר לוֹ אֲדוֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ גַּם הִנֵּה הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הָמָן לְמָרְדֳּכַי וגו'. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר חַרְבוֹנָה זָכוּר לַטּוֹב. וְאָמַר רַב צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר אָרוּר הָמָן, אֲרוּרִים בָּנָיו, אֲרוּרָה זֶרֶשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ, כְּדִכְתִיב (משלי י, ז): וְשֵׁם רְשָׁעִים יִרְקָב.
“The king rose in his fury from the wine banquet to the palace garden and Haman stood to plead for his life from Esther the queen, for he saw that the king has resolved to do him harm” (Esther 7:7).
“The king rose in his fury from the wine banquet to the palace garden.” What did the angel Michael do? He began cutting the saplings before him, adding fury to his fury; he returned to the wine banquet and Haman stood up to plead for his life. What did Michael do? He pushed him [Haman] onto Esther, and she was crying ‘My lord, the king, here he is overpowering me before you!’ The king said: “Will he also overpower the queen with me in the house?” (Esther 7:8). Haman heard this statement and his face fell. What did Eliyahu, of blessed memory, do? He appeared as Ḥarvona and said to him [to the king]: ‘My lord the king, “indeed, here is the gibbet that Haman had made for Mordekhai…”’ (Esther 7:9). As Rabbi Pinḥas said: One must say ‘Ḥarvona, of blessed memory.’ And Rav said: One must say ‘cursed is Haman, cursed are his sons, cursed is Zeresh his wife, as it is written: “The name of the wicked will rot”’ (Proverbs 10:7).
וְהִנֵּה שָׁמַעְתִּי בְּשֵׁם הַגָּאוֹן מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב רַבִּי הֶעשִׁיל, זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁהָיָה נוֹהֵג כְּשֶׁהָיָה רוֹצֶה לְנַסּוֹת אֶת הַקּוּלְמוֹס, הָיָה כּוֹתֵב שֵׁם עֲמָלֵק אוֹ שֵׁם הָמָן וְזֶרֶשׁ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הָיָה מוֹחֵק אֶת שְׁמָם כְּדֵי לְקַיֵּם אֶת הַמִּצְוַת עֲשֵׂה: מָחֹה תִּמְחֶה אֶת זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק.
I have heard it said regarding our illustrious teacher Rabbi Heshel, z”l, that whenever he wished to test his quill he would write the name of Amaleik or of Haman and Zeresh and then erase them. This was in order to fulfill the positive injunction, “You shall surely wipe out the memory of Amaleik” (Shemos 17:14; Devarim 25:19).
והנה המן הרשע היה מכשף גדול, ואשתו זרש מכשפה גדולה, וי' בניו י' ספירות דקליפות,
So behold, the evil Haman was a great sorcerer, his wife Zeresh was a great sorceress and his ten sons were the ten sefirot of the husk.
On reaching his home he was disappointed not to find his wife Zeresh, the daughter of the Persian satrap Tattenai. As always when Haman was at court, she had gone to her paramours. He sent for her and his three hundred and sixty-five advisers, and with them he took counsel as to what was to be done to Mordecai. Pointing to a representation of his treasure chamber, which he wore on his bosom, he said: "And all this is worthless in my sight when I look upon Mordecai, the Jew. What I eat and drink loses its savor, if I but think of him."
(י) וְאִזְדְרִיז הָמָן וְעַל לְבֵיתֵיהּ וּשְׁדַר וּקְרָא יַת רְחִימוֹי וְיַת זֶרֶשׁ רַשִׁיעֲתָא אִנְתְּתֵיהּ בְּרַת תַּתְּנַי פַּחַת עֵבֶר נַהֲרָא:
(10) Nevertheless, Haman controlled himself and went home. He sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh, daughter of Tattenai, governor of the province of Beyond the River
שני עשירים גדולים היו בעולם אחד בישראל ואחד באומות, קרח בישראל המן באומות, שניהם שמעו לנשותיהם ונפלו, המן שמע לעצת אשתו ונפל שנאמר (אסתר ה׳:י״ד) ותאמר לו זרש אשתו וכל אוהביו יעשו עץ גבוה חמשים אמה וגו', ועשה כן ונתהפכה מחשבתו עליו, קרח שמע לעצת אשתו ונפל...
There were two outstandingly wealthy men in the world, one A Jew the other a Gentile. They were Korach and Haman respectively. Both listened to their wives and as a result they came to an evil end. Haman had listened to his wife’s advice to build a gallows and ask the King’s permission to hang Mordechai from it (Esther 5,14). As a result of accepting his wife’s advice he himself was hung on that gallows. Korach had also listened to the advice of his wife and as a result lost his life and all his wealth...
(מא) אָרוּר הָמָן אֲשֶׁר בִּקֵשׁ לְאַבְּ֒דִי.
(מב) בָּרוּךְ מָרְדְּ֒כַי הַיְּ֒הוּדִי.
(מג) אֲרוּרָה זֶרֶשׁ
(מד) אֵשֶׁת מַפְחִידִי.
(מה) בְּרוּכָה אֶסְתֵּר
(מו) בַּעֲדִי.
(מז) אֲרוּרִים כָּל הָרְ֒שָׁעִים.
(מח) בְּרוּכִים כָּל הַצַּדִּיקִים.
(מט) וְגַם חַרְבוֹנָה
(נ) זָכוּר לַטּוֹב:
(41) Cursed be Haman who sought to destroy me,
(42) blessed be Mordechai the Yehudi [the Jew].
(43) Cursed be Zeresh,
(44) wife of he [Haman] who terrified me;
(45) blessed be Esther
(46) [who interceded] on my behalf.
(47) Cursed be all the wicked,
(48) blessed be all the righteous;
(49) and also, may Charvona
(50) be remembered favorably.