Post date: Mar 04, 2011 6:57:6 PM
וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים כִּכַּר כֶּסֶף אֶשְׁקוֹל
Va’aseres allufim kikar kesef eshkol
(3:9)
This Shabbos we read about the Mitzvah of מחצית השקל, a required donation of half a Shekel to the Mishkan/Beis Hamikdash. Every Adar, כלל ישראל, no matter how rich or how poor, made this half Shekel donation.
Haman tried to bribe Achashveirosh with 10,000 Shekalim so that he could annihilate the Jews. Haman’s payment was made whole heartedly, with such emotion.
However, the donations of the half Shekel by כלל ישראל had a special power. Although they were mandated to give the half Shekel, they did so with such love and willingness. This required donation “overpowered” Haman’s attempted bribe of Achashveirosh.
This became apparent to Haman when he experienced moment of absolute clarity—a moment that, no doubt, included premonitions of his impending doom. Haman arrived at Mordechai’s Beis Medrash to parade him through the streets of Shushan in recognition of his having saved the king’s life. At that point, he acknowledged to Mordechai that the power of the Jews little half Shekel donation had nullified the power of his own 10,000 Shekalim.
(Sefas Emes)