Post date: Mar 05, 2012 4:33:46 AM
הכסף נתון לך
Hakesef nasun lach
(3:11)
Achashveirosh granted Haman’s request to annihilate the Jews, but turned down Haman’s offer of 10,000 talents of silver telling him “Hakesef nasun lach,” which is generally translated as “Keep the silver.” This phrase could also be translated as “the silver shall be given to you.” But the Yalkut Mei’am Lo’eiz and Midrash Esther have something a little more interesting in store for us!
The gematria of the word “hakesef” (the silver) is 165, which is the same gematria as the word “ha’eitz” (the tree/gallow). Taking these gematria into account, we could now say that Achashveirosh was really telling Haman “(Instead of the Jews) the gallows will be given to you!”
Additionally, the gematria for the word “lach” (to you) is fifty which one could say is a reference to the fifty cubit high gallows that Haman had built for Mordechai, but on which he would himself be hanged. Based on all of this, we can now fully understand Achashveirosh’s comment to Haman as “You will be given gallows fifty cubits tall!”
[Inside Purim]