Haman Chooses Tree For The Gallows
Haman selected a thorn-tree in the king's garden, and, singing and rejoicing, set it up before his door, and said to himself, "To-morrow, in the morning, at the time of the reading of the Shema, I shall hang Mordecai." Then he measured the tree by comparing it with his own person to see whether it was suited to the purpose. Just then a bat kol ("heavenly voice") came from heaven saying, "The tree is suited to thee; it is prepared for thee since the day of creation." He then went to the bet ha-midrash, where he found Mordecai surrounded by his pupils to the number of 22,000, all with dust on their heads and clad in sack-cloth. Haman placed chains upon their necks and feet, and set guards over them, saying to himself, "I will first massacre these, and then I will hang Mordecai." It was the cry of these pupils ascending to heaven that brought about the sudden change in Haman's fate (Esther Rabba ix.; Midr. Abba Gorion v.).
Read more about this topic: Haman In Rabbinic Literature
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