Post date: Feb 28, 2012 4:27:26 AM
המן בן המדתא האגגי
Haman ben Hamdasa ha’agagi
(3:1)
The Gemara (Chulin 139b) asks, “Where is Haman alluded to in the Torah?”
In true Jewish fashion, the Rosh Yosef questions the Gemara’s question asking “Why does the Gemara assume that there MUST be an allusion to Haman in the Torah?!” He then proceeds to answer his own question quoting the Gemara (Sanhedrin 63a) that teaches us that it’s forbidden to mention the name of Avodah Zarah. (Not that mentioning the name of non-Jewish deities is forbidden—rather, that the deities of the few religions that fall into the category of real Avodah Zarah are forbidden to mention by name. –Ed.) In reading through the Megilah, one can see that Haman essentially made himself into a god. That being the case, how is it that we refer to him by name?
The Gemara answers that if a false god’s name can be found in the Torah, then we are allowed to mention it. Knowing that it is common practice for Jews to say Haman’s name, the Gemara presented its original query asking where his name is found in the Torah.
[Zvi Fleisher @ shemayisrael.com]
The Rokeiach points out that the Gematriah of “Haman ben Hamdasa ha’agagi” equals that of “Tzoreir kol hayehudim.”
[Zvi Fleisher @ shemayisrael.com]