Post date: Feb 25, 2013 3:11:24 AM
The holiday is coming to a close. But it's still Purim somewhere, so let's celebrate Shushan Purim with a few more words of Torah. Hopefully this will help carry us to Pesach, the remaining Yomim Tovim of the year, the start of next year, and then to the following Purim.
I hope these vorts helped you make the most of your Purim. I know they helped push me to get going with my Purim preparation and I enjoyed sending them to you.
Have a Freilechen Shushan Purim!
Josh
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[Shushan Purim Vort] Sentenced
Ki chalsah eilav hara’ah mei’es hamelech
For he saw that the king’s evil determination against him was final
(7:7)
Haman begged Esther for his life because he realized “that the king’s evil determination against him was final.” The Rokeach and Yalkut Me’am Loez tell us that Hashem’s name is found in the Sofei teivos of the words ‘Ki chalsah eilav hara’ah’ (yud, heh, vav, heh) indicating that it was Hashem Who had sealed Haman’s fate. Additionally, we can see that Haman finally recognized that it was “the King’s evil determination,” that it was Hashem who was against him. Hashem had planned Haman’s downfall, and the final punishment for Haman was about to come to fruition.
[Inside Purim]
[Shushan Purim Vorts] Save us
L’ha’avir es ra’as Haman Ha’agagi
To avert the evil intention of Haman the Agagi
(8:3)
Ester is begging Achashveirosh to save her and the rest of her nation. How do we see that Esther hinted at all of Haman’s decree by uttering just a singular word?
The Rokeach tells us to look at the word ‘Ra’as’ which has the same Gematriah as the word “L’hashmid laharog ul’abeid.” By using this particular word, Esther was able to inform Achashveirosh of the extent to which Haman was planning his assault on the Jews.
[Inside Purim]
[Shushan Purim Vort] Popular approval
V’ha’ir Shushan tzahalah v’sameicha
And the city of Shushan was cheerful and glad
(8:15)
Clearly the Jews were happy with Mordechai’s success. We see that in the next pasuk when it says “Layehudim hayisa orah v’simcha v’sasson vicar” (8:16). The Kedushas HaLevi tells us that since that pasuk is telling us specifically about the Jews, we can understand that our pasuk is referring to the entire population of Shushan, even the non-Jews.
[Inside Purim]