daf bit: Megillah 16

[cellio]

(In honor of Purim, which starts tonight, a side trip to a different tractate.)

Megillat Ester describes how Ahashaverus came to honor Mordechai: he summoned Haman, his advisor, and asked how he should honor someone he favored, and Haman, thinking the king referred to him, described an elaborate public ritual, only to have the king say "go do that for Mordechai". The midrash fills in the ensuing conversation:

"Who is Mordechai?"
"The Jew."
"There are many Jews named Mordechai."
"The one who sits at the gate."
"For him the tribute of one village is sufficient!"
"Yeah, go do that too." (16a)

Some days it pays not to argue. :-)