Post date: Feb 27, 2015 4:39:20 AM
It’s not final
Yikaseiv l’abdam
Let it be recorded that they be destroyed
(3:9)
Haman makes his presentation to Achashveirosh that the Jews deserve to be wiped out because they are different from everyone else and they don’t follow Achashveirosh’s laws. He then petitions the king to record a proclamation that they be destroyed.
The Midrash teaches us that at this time, the Malachim davened to Hashem on behalf of the Jews. Hashem’s response to them was that the fate of the Jews was not final as the decree in Heaven was sealed only with clay and not with blood. The Ari z”l explains that the source of this Midrash can be seen by analyzing this Pasuk closely. The word “l’abdam” (Lamed, Alef, Beis, Daled Mem) is literally understood to mean “to destroy them.” However, if you split the word in half it spells “Lo Badam” (not in blood), meaning that the decree wasn’t final yet. There was yet an opening for a dramatic change in the course of events.
[Zvi Fleisher @ shemayisrael.com]
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A meaningful cry
Vayizak za’akah gedolah u’marah
And he cried loudly and bitterly
(4:1)
The royal messengers disseminated Haman’s evil decree, and Mordechai cried out in response. Many years earlier, when Eisav found out that Yaakov got the Brachos instead of him, he let out a cry as well (Bereishis 27:34). The Midrash lists a few reasons why the cry of Mordechai countered and even surpassed the cry of Eisav.
(1) Mordechai let out a “Za’akah” (with a Zayin), which was a call to the Jews to band together as a group. Eisav’s cry was termed a “Tza’akah” (with a Tzadi), which is just a basic screaming.
(2) Mordechai’s crying was accompanied by additional actions. He also tore his clothes, donned sack cloth, and placed ashes on his head. There was no such action (or anything other than simmering rage) from Eisav.
(3) Mordechai’s crying was done in full public view (presumably because it was meant as a motivator to the masses to band together in to concentrate their efforts towards salvation). Eisav was alone with just his father when he cried out, and certainly didn’t look for assistance from Yitzchak to resolve his issue he had with Yaakov.
(4) Mordechai cried out because of the lives that were hanging in the balance. When the Pasuk tells us of Eisav’s crying, it includes the words “Ad me’od,” a phrase that comes to add emphasis to the extent of Eisav’s crying. But Chazal interpret the word “me’od” as being a reference to property (like we find by the words “u’vechol me’odecha” in the Shemah). Eisav’s crying was caused by his perceived physical losses, something that solidified his crying as being on a much lower level than the crying of Mordechai, which as we said was focused on the possible loss of life.
[Zvi Fleisher @ shemayisrael.com]