Post date: Mar 10, 2011 4:32:34 AM
לְהִקָּהֵל וְלַעֲמֹד עַל נַפְשָׁם לְהַשְׁמִיד וְלַהֲרֹג וּלְאַבֵּד
אֶת כָּל חֵיל עַם וּמְדִינָה הַצָּרִים אֹתָם
L’heekuhei v’la’amot al nafsham l’hashmid v’laharog u’l’abeid
es kol cheil om u’mideenuh hatzureem osum
(8:11)
Mordechai and Esther were greatly relieved that Achashveirosh allowed them to send letters telling the Jews that they could protect themselves from their attackers. But even in this courtesy we can see the anti-Semitic tendency of Achashveirosh. Unlike the decree sent out by Haman commanding everyone to actively seek out every Jew and so that all could be killed, the Jews were merely granted permission to defend themselves against those that attacked them. They were not authorized to seek out those who were part of the bigger problem—the Amalek nation.
Achashveirosh’s consent to this new letter was not done with his full heart—it was done begrudgingly. He would have been perfectly happy—even ecstatic—if Haman’s evil decree had unfolded as originally planned. But being pressed by Esther and Mordechai, he forced himself to make this concession.
(Rav Galico and the Alshich)
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הָרָצִים רֹכְבֵי הָרֶכֶשׁ הָאֲחַשְׁתְּרָנִים
יָצְאוּ מְבֹהָלִים וּדְחוּפִים בִּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ
Hurutzeem rochvei hurechesh hu’achashtiruneem
yutz’oo m’vohuleem u’d’chufeem b’d’var hamelech
(8:14)
We have a principle that there are “שיבעים פנים לתורה” (shiv’im panim l’Torah), that there are numerous (70) ways to explain Torah. And seemingly contradictory explanations from different people don’t always have to be synthesized, as long as each person’s understandings stay consistent within his own position. That being the case, we will follow the mantra of “וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא” (venahafoch hu/and it was turned over [flipped around], 9:1) and analyze both sections pertaining to the royal messengers—found in Perek 3, as well as our current passage in Perek 8.
When the messengers were sent on their original mission, they had a very difficult time accepting that they were going to be used to disseminate letters outlining the extermination of an entire nation. The thought weighed heavily on their shoulders, and their decision to proceed on their mission was made for them. In describing their leaving, the Pasuk employs the passive form “וְנִשְׁלוֹחַ” (vanishlo’ach/they were sent out). They didn’t leave on their own accord or on their own terms. (When the king tells you to deliver a letter, is there really any response other than “Of course!” and to hurriedly complete the task?)
Then later in the Megilah, these same messengers are called upon again to deliver another letter to the empire. But this time, the message is one of salvation, protection and self-defense. They couldn’t contain themselves as they considered the opportunity to undo the horrible wrong that they had participated in. With that, they left immediately, not needing any further prompting. Hence the active form employed by the Pasuk in the phrase “וַיִּשְׁלַח” (vayishlach/and he sent, 8:10).
(Or Chadash/Maharal @ darchenoam.org)
Of course, that’s not the only interpretation of these events. And the following opinion is quit different.
When the messengers took Haman’s letters for distribution earlier in the Megilah, the Pasuk describes their flight as “יָצְאוּ דְחוּפִים” (Yutz’oo dechufim, 3:15), that they left in a hurried manner. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and just like their evil king and his most wicked advisor, the messengers were also anti-Semites to their very core. (Fruit pun unintended.) They were more than happy to be the vehicles of distribution for the letters instructing the masses to wipe out the Jews. So they hurried to fulfill their mission.
However, at this point, they were given letters of a very different nature. Within these letters were allowances for the Jews to protect themselves from their attackers. To deliver such letters was against their very fiber and they didn’t want to carry out the royal command to do so. They were also quite confused as to the change in policy coming from the king, and because of this, they had to be pushed out the door. Their anti-Semitic minds couldn’t fathom what could have caused Achashveirosh to change course from the original decree. Therefore, as they set out to deliver these new letters, they left “מְבֹהָלִים וּדְחוּפִים,” (m’vohuleem u’d’chufeem) bewildered and rushed.
(Zvi Akiva Fleisher)
To truly fulfill the Mitzvos of Purim, we must make ourselves as if we were back in Shushan at the time of the Purim Miracle.
The Pasuk tells us “לְקַיֵּם אֶת יְמֵי הַפֻּרִים הָאֵלֶּה בִּזְמַנֵּיהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר קִיַּם עֲלֵיהֶם,” (Likayeim es yimei haPurim Hu’eileh bizmaneihem ka’asher kiyom aleihem, 9:31) that we must establish the days of Purim in our times just as it played out for them. In order to fulfill the “יָצְאוּ מְבֹהָלִים” (yutz’oo m’vohuleem) of our Pasuk, we must (safely) partake of all that the Purim Seudah has to offer. Through the proper fulfillment of the mission of מייסוּבּ (bisumei) as the day of Purim leaves us, we will reach a real understanding of the bewildered state of mind of the messengers as they left on their mission.