Why does it say "va'Yhi Omen"?
Malbim: Everyone knew that he raised her. (This increased the danger of not bringing her to the appointees).
Why does it say "he raised Hadasah"? Elsewhere she is called Esther!
Torah Temimah citing Megilah 13a: Her name is Esther. Tzadikim are called Hadasah - "and he stands among the Hadasim" (Zecharyah 1:8). Malbim - because she was known for her good Midos.
Torah Temimah citing Megilah 13a #2: Her name is Hadasah. She is called Esther because she was Masteres (hid) her words - "Esther does not tell which is her nation."
Torah Temimah citing Megilah 13a #3: She was not tall or short; she was average, like a Hadasah (myrtle).
Torah Temimah citing Megilah 13a #4: She was green (like myrtle); Hashem strung Chesed over her 1 .
Megilah 13a #5: The nations called her Esther because she was beautiful like Istahar (the moon). Vilna Gaon - the Gemara asked why it calls her Hadasah. In the entire Megilah she is called Esther! It answers that her name was Esther due to her virtue. Once she was born, they recognized that she will be a Tzadekes.
Kol Eliyahu, Divrei Eliyahu: Therefore, Achashverosh considered her beautiful. What forced R. Yehoshua ben Korchah to expound so? He holds (Bava Basra 15b) that Iyov lived in the days of Achashverosh. Iyov's daughters were the most beautiful in the land (Iyov 42:15). We must say that Hashem put Chesed over her, so Achashverosh preferred her over Bnos Iyov. (I understand the proof that Hashem put Chesed over her. What is the source that she was green? She was "Yefas To'ar v'Tovas Mar'eh"! The Vilna Gaon explains that she turned green due to pain. Refer to 2:15:3:2. - PF)
What is the significance that she was "Bas Dodo"?
Vilna Gaon: This brought him to raise her. (a) She was Bas Dodo. (b) She has no father or mother. (c) She was beautiful (refer to 2:7:5:1).
Malbim: She was under his jurisdiction (so he was liable for hiding her).
What do we learn from "Ki Ein Lah Av va'Em"?
Vilna Gaon: She never had parents. She was orphaned at birth.
Malbim: Therefore, they will hold him accountable for not bringing her to the appointees. Further, she was "Yefas To'ar"!
The king's youths asked only for "Tovos Mar'eh" (2). Why does it say that Esther was also "Yefas To'ar"?
Vilna Gaon: This is like (Shemos Rabah 23:10) "Shechorah Ani v'Navah" (Shir ha'Shirim 1:5) - I am black in my deeds, and beautiful in my fathers' deeds. It seems that there are two kinds of Na'eh. (a) Nice appearance. (b) Black appearance, but the limbs are the right size - not long and not short, e.g. the nose and other limbs. Even though I am black without good deeds, the delineation of my limbs is nice. I.e. I do the Mitzvos like the Tzadikim, even though I do not know their secrets and intents. Yefas To'ar refers to the delineation of limbs, i.e. the Mitzvos. Yefas Mar'eh is good Midos and intent in the heart. Esther, a Yehudis, had both of these. The Nochrim have only good Midos, so they said only Tovos Mar'eh. Mordechai saw both of these in Esther; he knew that she will be a Tzadekes in doing Mitzvos and also in Midos. Therefore, he took her for a Bas.
It already said that she has no parents. Why does it say "uv'Mos Aviha v'Imah"?
Vilna Gaon: This is when Mordechai took her 1 .
What do we learn from "Lo l'Vas"?
Rashi: We read this like l'Bayis - for a wife.
Malbim: He cannot say that she is mature, and can go by herself - he adopted her. She may not go out without his permission!
