Post date: Mar 11, 2020 3:15:24 AM
[Shushan Purim Vorts] Haman’s black book
“Bayom ha’hu nasan Hamelech Achashverosh l’Esther Hamalka es beis Haman”
On that day King Achashveirosh gave to Queen Esther the estate of Haman
(8:1)
After Haman was hanged, Achashverosh gave Haman’s estate to Esther. The Avnei Shoham tells us that this was more than just protocol or the right thing to do. This was Min Hashamayim (Divinely ordained) as part of the larger picture that Hashem was orchestrating behind the scenes. Haman’s estate wasn’t just his home; it included his political headquarters. From that location, he devised his evil plan to wipe out the Jews. As such, within his estate were notes from meetings, as well as lists--lists of anti-Semites and similarly evil people who could be relied on to help ratchet up the drama and incite people to act on their ill feelings towards the Jews. He needed people that could help him in his goal of wiping out the Jewish people, and he maintained such lists in his estate. Well, as you can imagine, such lists in the hands of Esther and Mordechai would prove to be quite useful when the 13th of Adar rolled around when the Jews were authorized to protect themselves both reactively as well as pre-emptively.
[Glimpses of Light, p. 321]
[Shushan Purim Vorts] About face!
“V’nahafoch hu”
And it was turned about
(9:1)
Aside from the literal translation of the above words, what else can we see from these words?
The Rokeach tells us that if you split the word Nahafoch into Nun (with a Gematria of 50) and Hafoch, it could be understood as “fifty was turned about.” Haman intended to hang Mordechai on a gallows that was 50 Amos tall, but instead it was Haman who was hanged on that exact 50 Amos tall gallows.
Additionally, the Rokeach points out that the Gematria of the word Hu (Heh - Vav - Alef) is 12, allowing us to explain the phrase of “V’nahafoch hu” as “and the 12 were turned about.” This is a reference to the way things ended up playing out. The 12th month (Adar) had appeared to be one that was going to include much Jewish bloodshed, but things were turned around and instead it’s a month in which the Jews defeated their enemies and we, therefore, now rejoice in that month.
[Inside Purim, p. 286]
Thank you, again, for allowing me to share some words of Torah with you over the last couple of weeks. It truly enhanced my Purim, and hopefully it added something to yours.
I wish each of you a Freilechen Shushan Purim, and with Pesach just four weeks away, a Chag Kasher v’Samei’ach!
Josh