According to the sage Samuel the Scroll of Esther is not part of the Holy Writ. The scholars asked: Does not the sage Samuel say in a different place that the Scroll of Esther was said in the Holy Spirit? Answer: Though the Scroll of Esther was said in the Holy Spirit and is read on Purim, it is not included in the Holy Writ. It is recited orally but is not written down as part of the Holy Writ. The scholars then asked: According to the early sages the Scroll of Esther is part of the Holy Writ. Answer: The sage Samuel’s opinion is as that of the early sage Rabbi Joshua, who did not consider the Scroll of Esther to be included in the Holy Writ.
According to the sage Simon son of Menasiya the book of Ecclesiastes is not part of the Holy Writ for it is naught but the words of King Solomon’s human wisdom. According to other sages, Ecclesiastes is part of the Holy Writ, and words which have been written, like Ecclesiastes, were spoken in the Holy Spirit and not from human wisdom. Proof of the matter is that Solomon made many proverbs which were not written down, showing that those which were written down were spoken in the Holy Spirit, while those not written down were human wisdom alone. How did they know that Solomon made many proverbs which were not written down? It is written ” Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled… He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five” (I Kings 10-12).. This shows that many proverbs were not written down. If you argue that Solomon made many proverbs and decided to write down some of his private wisdom and not the rest, that Ecclesiastes is part of his human wisdom which he decided to write down, that is inconceivable: King Solomon himself, in the book of Proverbs [according to Chazal King Solomon wrote the whole of Proverbs, even the chapter which begins “The words of Agur…”] wrote that one should not commit words of human wisdom to writing, only things Divinely inspired. “Every word of G-d is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words ” (Proverbs 30:5-6).
The early sages added and brought support from the Scriptures for the idea that the Scroll of Esther was written in the Holy Spirit and is not human wisdom. Rabbi Eliezer said that we learn this from the verse “Now Haman thought in his heart” (Esther 6:6). How would the author of the scroll know what Haman thought in his heart? You must suppose that the Holy Spirit revealed the secrets of Haman’s heart. According to Rabbi Akiva we learn it from the verse “And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her” (Esther 2:15).
How did the author of the scroll know that everyone who saw Esther was favorably impressed? You must say that it was the Holy Spirit which knew this. According to the sage Rabbi Meir we learn it from the verse ” So the matter [that Bigthan and Teresh sought to kill King Ahasuerus] became known to Mordecai” (Esther 2:22). How did it become known to Mordecai? You must say that the Holy Spirit revealed it to Mordecai. The sage Rabbi Yossi son of Dormaskis brought proof that the Scrollof Esther was written in the Holy Spirit from the verses “Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword… but they did not lay a hand on the plunder” (Esther 9:5-10). How did the author of the scroll know that none of the Jews anywhere laid a hand on the plunder? You must say that the Holy Spirit knew it. One of the scholars, Samuel, said that he had a better and stronger proof than that of the early sages: the verse “The Jews established and imposed it upon themselves” (Esther 9:27) meaning that the Heavens (the Holy Spirit) established what the Jews on earth imposed. One of the scholars, Rava, said that the proofs of the early sages are not solid and all were subject to refutation aside from the proof of the sage Samuel. What is the refutation for each proof? The refutation of Rabbi Eliezer — the author of the scroll may have known what Haman was thinking using human deduction, for there was no man more important to the king than Haman.
The refutation of Rabbi Akiva — since a miracle occurred for Esther and she appeared to each person to whom she was presented as being from their own nation, it is natural that she would gain their favor; there is no need for the Holy Spirit to reveal that. The refutation of Rabbi Meir — Bigthan and Teresh spoke in the language of the Tarsi, in which Mordecai was fluent; he heard what they said and did not need the Holy Spirit to know they wished to kill King Ahasuerus. The refutation of Rabbi Yossi son of Dormaskis — there were messengers in every place and they sent word that the Jews did not lay a hand to the plunder. Each proof that Esther was said in the Holy Spirit can be refuted aside from the proof of the sage Samuel. The scholar Ravina said that all the proofs of the early sages can be refuted aside from Samuel’s, and this called to mind a popular saying: one sharp pepper is better than baskets full of gourds. The sage Rav Nachman also brought a proof that Esther was written in the Holy Spirit, from the verse “These days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews” (Esther 9:28. How did the author of the scroll know what would happen in the future? You must say that it was written in the Holy Spirit. The scholar Rav Nachman son of Isaac brought his own proof from the verse “The memory of them shall not perish among their descendants” (Esther 9:28). How did the author of the scroll know that the memory of Purim will not be forgotten by later generations of Jews? You must say that the Holy Spirit knew this.
(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Megillah 7a)