Post date: Mar 18, 2011 8:27:50 PM
וַתִּכְתֹּב אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה...אֵת אִגֶּרֶת הַפֻּרִים הַזֹּאת
Vakichtov Esther…es igeres hapurim hazos
(9:29)
The first letter ת (Tav) in the word “וַתִּכְתֹּב”(va’tichtov/and she wrote) is larger than the other letters.
This hints to us that just as the letter ת (Tav) is the last letter in the Aleph-Beis, likewise, the story of Purim is the last of the miracles that was written and included in תורה שבכתב (Torah shebichsav), the written Torah.
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וַיָּשֶׂם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹשׁ מַס עַל הָאָרֶץ וְאִיֵּי הַיָּם
Vayussem hamelech Achashveirosh mas al ha’aretz v’iyeh hayum
(10:1)
The literal translation of this pasuk is that Achashveirosh (re)established a tax on the mainland and the islands. Midrash tells us that of the 127 provinces that Achashveirosh controlled (1:1), 100 of them were on mainland, and 27 of them were islands. How do we see that from this Pasuk?
The Gematriah of the word “וְאִיֵּי” (v’iyeh, islands) is 27. If we understand this as a hint that Achashveirosh had 27 islands and we know that he had a total of 127 provinces, the remaining 100 must have been on mainland.
Not only that, but the Gematriah of the word “מַס” (mas) which is near the word “הָאָרֶץ” (ha’aretz) is 100. The proximity of those two words helps clarify that 100 of Achashveirosh’s provinces were on mainland.
The combination of these two Gematriahs clarifies the breakdown of mainland provinces and island provinces under the control of Achashveirosh.