Gut Chodesh,
Tonight is Rosh Chodesh Adar II. We’re finally here! It took us nearly 13 months from last Purim, but the season of happiness and joy is upon us! For most of us, the snow is melting, the weather is improving, and the darker days of winter are getting closer to being behind us. I hope everyone is doing well.
This season marks a dozen years of Purim Vorts! I hope that I can help everyone’s efforts at Marbim b’simcha (increasing our joy) as we usher in Adar II and get closer to the holiday of our physical salvation. Let’s go through the Megillah together and look for the indications that Hashem was watching over us, making sure the right pieces were in place to ensure a safe delivery from Haman’s machinations. Let’s go!
Posted 3/3/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] Seemingly two different reigns
“Vayehi bimei Achashveirosh hu Achashveirosh”
And it came to pass in the days of Achashveirosh, he was Achashveirosh
(1:1)
Why does the Megillah repeat Achashveirosh’s name?
According to Esther Rabbah, the repetition of his name hints to us that the Jews had two very different experiences while living under the rule of Achashveirosh. Early in the narrative, we’re told that there was sorrow and distress. The pasuk (4:3) tells us “Eivel gadol laYehudim,” that there was great mourning among the Jews.
But late in the Megillah we see that the Jews were enjoying a very different experience. The pasuk (8:17) tells us “Simcha v’sason laYehudim mishteh v’yom tov,” that the Jews had gladness and joy, a feast and a holiday.
So the repetition indicates that living until the rule of Achashveirosh was to live in a situation of changing conditions.
[Megillas Esther: The Answer Is…, p. 16]
Posted 3/3/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] Thanks, Captain Obvious
“Umalchusa yitein hamelech lir’u’sa hatovah mimena”
And let the king confer her royal estate upon another who is better than she
(1:19)
As a result of Vashti refusing to appear before Achashveirosh when summoned, Haman suggested that in order to quell any other wives from refusing proper honor owed their husbands, Achashveirosh must banish Vashti from her position, never to be seen again. Seemingly not having said enough (ever, in his mind), he continues by advising that Vashti’s newly vacated position of Queen should be filled by someone else. Even the most simple-minded person knows that to have a proper kingdom, a king must have a queen. So it’s pretty obvious that Vashti would need to be replaced with someone else. Did Haman really think he needed to make the suggestion? What else was behind that statement?
Esther Rabbah offers that by making this statement, the loop that had been started many years earlier was now closing. When Shaul (Esther’s ancestor) lost his kingship, he was told by Shmuel the Navi that “Hashem has torn the kingship from upon you and has given it to a companion of yours who is better than you” (Shmuel I 15:28). And with a similar expression, the kingship was returned to the same family as our pasuk states, “and let the king confer her royal estate upon another who is better than she.”
The Alshich has a much simpler explanation to this superfluous statement. In fact, Haman had an eligible daughter whom he was going to try to arrange to take the newly vacated position of Vashti. He couldn’t help himself but mention the next step in his plan to get her into the palace.
The Maharal suggests an answer that’s even more self-serving than the previous answer. Haman was concerned that Achashveirosh might grow lonely without a wife. This might lead him to become angry with the person who had suggested that Vashti be deposed. Not wanting to fall out of favor with the king, Haman suggested, rather swiftly, that a replacement queen be identified. And not just any person--but someone who is even better than Vashti so that Achashveirosh would not regret having gotten rid of her.
In a very different vein, the Melo Haomer posits that Haman was emphasizing that the new queen should learn from the mistakes of her predecessor, and be “Hatovah mimenah”(who is better than she). The new queen should be one who learns lessons of proper behavior based on Vashti and her downfall.
[Megillas Esther: The Answer Is…, p. 42]
Posted 3/5/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] More than just bellhops
“Na’arei HaMelech”
The King’s attendants
(2:2)
After Achashveirosh sobered up, he realized that he had gotten rid of Vashti and he felt terrible about it. In response to this, the attendants (or ministers) suggested that he have a pageant for a new queen of the empire—the pageant which would result in bringing Esther into the palace.
Esther Rabba tells us that each time it says “the king Achashveirosh,” the Megillah is clearly referring to Achashveirosh. However, when the Megillah omits his name and simply says, “the king,” this is, in fact, a reference to Hashem.
In our pasuk, who were these “na’arei hamelech?” There were not simply the king’s attendants, or even the king’s ministers. They were none other than Hashem’s ministering angels, and they were working on the steps necessary to put Esther into the right place where she could have the opportunity to save the Jews.
[Megillas Esther: The Answer Is…, p. 49]
Posted 3/6/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] Similar approach, different outcomes
“V’yafkeid hamelech pikidim”
And let the king appoint agents
(2:3)
Once Achashveirosh sobered up and realized that he was now without a queen, his youths advised him to arrange for a pageant to replace Vashti. They specified that the king should appoint agents to gather the maidens to be brought to Shushan. The phrase used by the Megillah to narrate this (“V’yafkeid hamelech pikidim”) is very similar to the phrase used by the Torah in Bereishis (41:34) when describing how Yosef detailed to Paroh (“V’yafkeid pikidim”) that agents should be appointed to oversee the gathering of food in the years of plenty to save it in preparation of the years of famine.
The Baal Haturim contrasts these two events by pointing out that despite Achashveirosh and Yosef both setting up a system of agents in charge of gathering, their end results were quite different. Yosef’s actions were done with the intention of protecting the people from the impending famine. He made tough decisions with everyone’s best intention in mind, and he ended up amassing tremendous amounts of wealth. Achashveirosh’s actions, on the other hand, were entirely based on selfish motivations. His decision to appoint agents to collect all eligible maidens, even against their will, was to the detriment of many people, and he ended up in a much worse financial situation as described near the end of the Megillah when it mentions that he levied a new tax on his people (10:1).
[Zvi Fleisher @ ShemaYisrael.com]
Posted 3/7/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] Nope, not gonna happen
“U’Mordechai yo yichra v’lo yishtachaveh”
And Mordechai would not bow down nor prostrate himself
(3:2)
When Haman passed Mordechai in the street, not only would Mordechai not bow down to Haman, but Mordechai would even make a point of straightening himself up to demonstrate his resistance. Why was Mordechai so confident in his absolute defiance of Haman?
Mordechai was from the tribe of Binyomin, the only one of Yaakov’s sons to have been born in Eretz Yisroel. The Yalkut Shimoni explains that that quality gave Shevet Binyomin the merit to have the Shechinah (Divine Presence) rest among them. This is mentioned in the last parsha of the Torah (Devarim 33:12) when the pasuk says, “L’Vinyamin amar yedid Hashem yishkon lavetach alav chofeif alav kol hayom u’vein kiseifav shachein,” (of Binyamin he [Moshe] said, “May Hashem’s beloved dwell securely by Him, He hovers over him all day, and between his shoulders He rests”). This is also why the Beis HaMikdash was built within the land of Binyamin. Since Mordechai was from Binyamin and the Shechinah rests among Binyamin, Mordechai was not worried for his own safety when refusing to bow before Haman.
[Inside Purim, p. 107]
Posted 3/8/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] In your honor
“Yeshno am echad…vedaseihem shonos mikol am v’es dasei hamelech einam osim”
There is a certain people...and their laws differ from [those of] every people, and they do not keep the king’s laws”
(3:8)
To convince Achashveirosh to allow him to annihilate the Jews, all Haman should have had to do was tell him that the Jews don’t follow his laws. What was gained by mentioning that the Jews had their own laws that were different than those of everyone else?
Reb Meir Shapiro of Lublin offers a humorous perspective on a conversation that could have taken place. Haman told Achashveirosh that the Jews had been in existence for many years, “vedaseihem shonos” and their different laws and related holidays are “mikol am” commemorate their victories over various nations which oppressed them and were later defeated.
Haman told Achashveirosh that the Jews were enslaved by Paroh in Egypt for many years. When the Jews finally defeated Paroh and were redeemed, they instituted the holiday of Pesach. Haman continued, saying “ve’es dasei hamelech einam osim” that right now they have no law or holiday related to (you) the king. But that could change quickly if they succeed in overthrowing your control over them. So you need to allow me to wipe them out before they have the chance to do something that would result in their establishing a holiday commemorating their victory over you!
[Vedibarta Bam, p. 219]
Posted 3/9/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] The big three
“V’tzumu alai v’al tochlu v’al tishtu shiloshes yamim”
And fast for me and don’t eat and don’t drink for three days
(4:16)
Esther had a calculated reason for wanting the Jews to fast for specifically three days before she would approach Achashveirosh. The Manos HaLevi explains that she was concerned that she may not have the necessary merit to succeed in her mission because of her perceived violation of the three cardinal sins for which one must give up his life instead of violating them. What made her feel vulnerable?
Gilui arayos (immorality) – Until this point, each time that Esther had been with Achashveirosh intimately had been against her will, so she had never been guilty of immorality. However, now she was preparing to approach him on her own volition. This would mean that the result would, in fact, be willful and, therefore, would be her responsibility.
Shefichus damim (murder) – Hasach had been shuttling messages between Esther and Mordechai (just a few pesukim earlier) because Esther had charged him to do so. (At one point the narrative stops mentioning that Hasach relayed the message, and it’s understood that Haman noticed his activity and had him killed.) Esther felt the responsibility of Hasach’s demise because he died while performing the task she sent him to do.
Avodah zarah (idolatry) – Esther planned to invite Haman along with Achashveirosh to the party in her quarters. She knew that Haman was deeply entrenched in idolatry (either serving idols, or presenting himself to others as a deity). Simply sharing a meal with a full fledged idol worshipper entails an ever-so-small measure of idol worship. With the risk she was about to take, even this small consideration made her uneasy.
So, in an effort to counteract these three quasi sins, she instructed Mordechai to have the Jews fast for three days hoping to achieve a satisfactory level of atonement.
[Inside Purim, p. 126]
The Rokeach says simply that Esther wanted to counteract Haman’s three-pronged plan of “L’hashmi laharog ul’abeid” (to destroy, to kill, and to wipe out) the Jews. Therefore Esther required a three day fast from the Jews before she could feel confident in her merit to approach Achashveirosh uninvited.
[Inside Purim, p. 127]
Posted 3/10/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] The root of Amalek’s hatred
“Zachor eis asher asah lecha Amalek”
Remember what Amalek did to you
(Devarim 25:17)
The Shabbos before Purim we read parshas Zachor because we have a mesorah (tradition) that Haman was a descendant of Amalek. There is a peculiar word found within this section. Our pasuk (quoted above) uses the singular form of the word “you” instead of the plural form. Amalek attacked all of Klal Yisrael indiscriminately. Their goal was to kill every one of us. That being the case, the plural form of the word “you” would seem to be more appropriate.
Rav Boruch Weinberg explains that Chazal call attention to two reasons that the nations of the world have animosity toward us. The first reason, brought by the Sifrei, goes back to when Eisav felt that Yaakov had stolen the rights of the first born from him. This feeling engendered such hatred that we’re taught that “it is a law that Eisav hates Yaakov.” From that day on, it was an indisputable rule regarding Eisav and his descendants that they would always have a personal hatred of us.
The second reason is discussed in the gemara (Shabbos 89) where the name of the mountain, Har Sinai, on which the Torah was given to Klal Yisrael is mentioned. The name Sinai comes from the word “sinah” which means hatred. The nations of the world are jealous of us, to a certain extent, because Hashem gifted the Torah to us and not them. This jealousy lead to actual hatred toward us on a national level.
Amalek, descendants of Eisav, attacked us immediately upon our departure from Egypt. Based on that timing, they could not have hated us for the second reason because we had not been given the Torah yet. So their hatred of us must have been because of the law mentioned earlier that Eisav (always) hates Yaakov. This hatred, as we discussed, was a personal hatred. It was based on who we were and not what we had. This is why our pasuk uses the word “lecha” you, in the singular form.
[Birkas Mo’adecha: A Yom Tov Digest, p. 291]
Posted 3/12/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] Shabbos and Yontif demand proper attire
“Vatilbash Esther malchus vata’amode”
And Esther donned royalty and she stood
(5:1)
The word “vatilbash” (and she donned) is an allusion to the gemara in Shabbos (113a) which teaches us that a person should dress himself in clean, respectable clothing in honor of Shabbos. The Rokeach tells us that the letters of “vatilbash” (Vav Taf Lamed Beis Shin) can be rearranged to spell the word “u’l’Shabbos” (and for Shabbos), meaning that for Shabbos a person should wear nice clothing.
Yontif is identical to Shabbos in most respects, and our mode of dress on Yontif is one such example as we’re taught by the gemara Yerushalmi (Kiddushin 1:4). We can see an allusion to this in our pasuk also. The letters of the word “vata’amode” (Vav Taf Ayin Mem Daled) can be rearranged to spell “Mo’ados” (holidays). Esther stood in her royal attire, prepared to present herself to the king. We too must stand in appropriate clothing ready to present ourselves before Hashem at the onset of Yontif.
[Zvi Fleisher @ ShemaYisrael.com]
Posted 3/13/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] Noach’s redemption
“Ya’asu eitz gavo’ah chamishim amah”
Let a gallows be made 50 amos tall
(5:14)
Haman wanted a gallows that was very tall so that while he was at the party with Esther and Achashveirosh, he could enjoy the sight of Mordechai hanging. In order to obtain a beam tall enough to achieve this, Chazal tell us that Haman actually took a beam out of Noach’s ark. The ark that Noach built was 50 amos wide, and the gallows that Haman built was 50 amos tall.
Rabbi Mordechai Ginsparg explains that we must seek to understand all of the details within the Megillah, because everything contained in the Megillah is significant. After the flood, Noach planted a vineyard before planting anything else. Chazal are critical of this decision because wine can be the cause of problems. We even see this result with Noach himself who became intoxicated from the very vineyard he planted, and the result was very humiliating. But wine is not always the cause of problems.
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (142:6) explains why we have a mitzvah of drinking specifically wine at our Purim seudah. There were events in the Megillah that specifically involved the drinking of wine that led to the miracle of our salvation. Esther was able to fill the role of queen vacated by Vashti when she was deposed for her behavior at Achashveirosh’s party--this, of course, being a party where much wine was consumed. Later in the Megillah, Achashveirosh condemns Haman to death at Esther’s second party where, again, the wine was flowing.
The fact that a beam from Noach’s ark was pulled into the story of Purim demonstrates a measure of vindication for Noach despite the outcome of the vineyard that he planted so soon after the flood.
[Birkas Mo’adecha: A Yom Tov Digest, p. 301]
In retrospect, perhaps Haman’s usage of a beam infused with such historical kedusah allowed him to hang around as long as he did. And that in turn illustrates that perhaps all of the emotion that Noach experienced in the ark really didn’t flood his better judgement.
Posted 3/14/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] Act fast
The power of Ta’anis Esther
Tighten your gartel! Before you know it, we’ll be delving ever so slightly into a bissel of chassidus!
The Mishnah Berurah (686:2) teaches us that Klal Yisrael fasts before going to war, as Moshe did before fighting with Amalek. Based on this, we’re certain that Klal Yisrael fasted and davened to Hashem to save them from Haman’s decree as they prepared to fight. In our time, we fast to remember that Hashem sees and hears our sorrow when we fast and do Teshuvah with all our heart.
We encounter tests throughout our life—at all times. Even happy days, such as Purim, include tests. We should, therefore, daven on Ta’anis Esther that we should fully realize the awesome power that the day of Purim has, and that we shouldn’t get too caught up in the excitement and end up sinning. The Mesilas Yesharim (Ch. 1) similarly says that everything in the world, the good and the bad, are all tests for mankind.
The Ya’aros Devash says something similar regarding he beracha of Shema Koleinu in the Amidah. He says that a person should daven for success regarding the events of that day in that beracha. (Consult your LOR for guidance as the acceptability and method of doing so isn’t clear cut.) And it doesn’t matter whether he will be dealing with something difficult that day or he’ll be involved in a simcha. He should daven that everything should be for the best so that the events of the day (either situation) result in a positive outcome.
Despite the general festive mood of the day of Purim, the many unique mitzvos that we’re involved in, and the holiness of the day, the yetzer hara looks for opportunities to pick, poke, and prod us with tests. (I think anyone who has tried to deliver way too many shalach manos in an under-budgeted amount of time through a neighborhood with many others also attempting valiantly to do so, can picture the yetzer hara licking his chops at the plethora of opportunities to trip people up by making them lose sight of what’s really important in the grand scheme of things. That was a long sentence. But when you’re feeling the pressure of the day, the mind sometimes also works in long, run-on sentences.) So the Kav Hayashar explains that one of the goals of Ta’anis Esther is that we should daven to merit to experience Purim as Hashem intends. He continues saying that because of its auspicious time for davening, those from smaller villages should go into the cities to daven on Ta’anis Esther in order to avail themselves of the opportunity to daven in a shul. (I think all the more so this would apply to us who live within a very short drive to a shul.) The Kav Hayashar implores those in need of salvation to take the time to daven and say Tehillim on Ta’anis Esther in the hope of being answered in the merits of Mordechai and Esther.
[Torah Wellsprings – Purim 2022, p.9]
Yehi ratzon that our fasting and davening should be meaningful, and that we should be successful in our avodah of the mitzvahs of Purim and simchas Purim!
Posted 3/15/22
FIVE VORTS FOR PURIM!!!
[Purim Vorts 2022] Two leinings, two experiences
The Gemara (Megillah 4a) records in the name of Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi that we must read the Megillah on the night of Purim and then read it again the next day. Seeing as how the Mitzvah of reading the Megillah is in order to publicize the miracle, once we have read the Megillah once, why would we be required to repeat the reading the next day? We’ve already publicized the miracle with the first reading?
A friend of mine, Reb Avi Kolko, just published a Sefer called “Bircas Avi,” where he shares a beautiful thought that he heard regarding the reason for reading the Megillah twice. The salvation of Purim was sourced in a hidden miracle. Many years passed from the time Esther was taken to the palace to participate in the pageant until the time that it became understood and accepted that the events leading up to the salvation were actually for the good of the Jews. Based on that, one could say that when we read the Megillah the first time, it’s like we are reliving the events of that time as they were taking place. As such, we are unable to see the bigger picture as we go through the narrative of the Megillah at night. But when we repeat the reading of the Megillah the next morning, we have the benefit of being able to see each part of the story within the context of the larger picture, and we’re able to recognize and appreciate Hashem’s hashgacha (watching) over us every step of the way.
This idea is similar to an interpretation of a pasuk in Tehillim (92:3). At night when we read the Megillah in the above described manner, it is akin to “ve’emunassicha ba’leilos,”which Rashi explains to mean that while we are in the darkness of exile, we proclaim our belief in His faithfulness. We believe that all that Hashem does is for the good even when it is too dark for us to recognize that fact. The next morning, we read the Megillah again, this time in a manner similar to the other phrase in that same pasuk from Tehillim, “l’haggid baboker chasdecha,” which Rashi explains to mean that we will proclaim Hashem’s kindness in the morning of redemption. Now, with the benefit of clear vision, we are able to recognize all of the details of the chessed bestowed upon us by Hashem as He watched over us at every point along the way of taking care of us.
[Bircas Avi, p. 140]
Posted 3/16/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] Haman this and Haman that
Haman’s name comes up in the Megillah quite a few times. That’s fairly ironic seeing as how we have a mitzvah to wipe out Amalek. Yet hearing his name is the highlight for many a child (and child at heart) during the reading of the Megillah!
Well, to dispel any notions that Haman is anything but rotten to the core, the Rokeach directs us to examine the gematriah (numerical value) of some of the titles used to describe him in the Megillah. (I’m going to be transliterating, so it might be hard for you to double check my math. Rest assured, I’ve got a sheet of paper with lots of letters and numbers scribbled all over the place. The calculations appear to check out.)
“Haman ben hamdasa” equals “Ha’agagi tzoreir haYehudim” (598)
“Haman ben hamdasa ha’agagi” equals “Tzoreir kol haYehudim” (620)
“Tzoreir haYehudim” equals “Rasha” (570)
“Haman harasha” equals “L’hashmid la’harog ul’abeid” (670)
[Inside Purim, p.262]
Just for good measure, in case you were thinking that Haman might have been unusually bad, let’s take one quick look at his sons. His sons were actually no better than Haman. In fact, there’s a hint in the Megillah that shows us how bad they were. How bad, you ask? Well, thanks for asking. Haman’s sons were so bad that it was decreed that, besides being killed, they should each be cursed. (Perhaps that continues to their progeny. I’m not certain.) Where do we see that they were each cursed? If you look at the terminology used when they are hanged, each one of them is mentioned right after the word “V’es” (noosely, I mean loosely translated as “and”), which has the gematriah of 407 (6+1+400). The megillah could have succinctly, and more efficiently, just rattled off all of their names in succession prefacing each of their names with no more than a simple Vav. Instead the megillah added an entire word before each name. From this we learn that each of Haman’s sons was cursed up to and including at the time of his hanging.
[M. Meyers heard from B. Cohen]
Posted 3/16/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] Haman, Director of Recognition
“Vayomer hamelech mi bechatzeir”
And the king said who is in the court
(6:4)
On the night that Achashveirosh cannot sleep, his attendants are reading to him from the book of Chronicles when, suddenly, Achashveirosh interjects to ask who is standing out in the court. But the Alshich explains that his question is, in fact, part of the conversation that they are in the middle of having. (The Alshich’s understanding of the word “chatzeir” is akin to our usage of the word “office,” such that sometimes it refers to a space from a spatial perspective, and sometimes it refers to a position of authority.)
As the king of a vast empire, Achashveirosh can’t be expected to know all of the operational detail of his government. He is focused on the bigger picture, and he delegates much of the minutiae to his staff. When Achashveirosh heard that Mordechai had not been rewarded for his role in saving his life, he was shocked that such an important event had gone unrewarded. So he immediately demanded “mi bechatzeir,” meaning, who is in that realm, or who is tasked with overseeing that such events do not go unrecognized? To which the attendants responded, “hineh Haman,” Haman is the chief of staff within that court—Haman has that responsibility. And not only that, but “omeid bechatzeir,” he’s standing in the court right now.
[Vedibarta Bam, p. 139]
No one wants to be the bearer of bad news, especially when the recipient is the king, and doubly-especially when it pertains to him personally. The attendants were likely shocked at the perfect timing at which Haman arrived on scene just as Achashveirosh was becoming aware of the ball being dropped. Of course, the orchestrations taking place were all the doings of Hashem as he continued to move everyone into the right places for the miracle to take place just as He had planned from the beginning.
Posted 3/16/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] Repaying debt
“Vayomer hamelech l’Haman maher”
The king said to Haman hurry
(6:10)
We know that according to some opinions, Achashveirosh was on par with Haman regarding his hatred for the Jews—perhaps a little more or a little less than Haman. Perhaps he was indifferent about the Jews, as some opinions hold. But there are no opinions that Achashveirosh actually liked the Jews. That being the case, why did Achashveirosh feel the need for Haman to hurry to reward Mordechai with the royal parade for having saved his life? Time had already passed from the event until this point. What was the rush to recognize Mordechai right this very minute?
The Iyun Yaakov says that Achashveirosh felt indebted to Mordechai, and was concerned that Mordechai might actually try to exploit the king’s feelings of good will towards him. He feared that Mordechai might request something that he wasn’t prepared to grant, like an annulment of Haman’s decree. He, therefore, ordered Haman to reward Mordechai without further delay.
The Yosef Lekach explains Achashveirosh’s urgency in a similar manner. He explains that before he went to Esther’s banquet, he wanted to make sure he was debt free. He assumed that she would be asking for something. Now, it wouldn’t make sense that she would be asking for something for herself because she was the queen. What could she possibly be lacking. So her breach in royal protocol must have been for something very important for someone else. He considered the possibility that Esther was going to ask him to repay the Jew who had saved the life of her husband. Perhaps Esther still had this event on her mind and she wanted to make sure that the person who saved her hubby got his rightful reward. He therefore instructed Haman to repay Mordechai so as to come to the banquet debt free.
In a very different vein, the Melo Ha’omer seems to say that Achashveirosh’s motivation to reward Mordechai without delay was based in his modus operandi of not procrastinating. The fact that Mordechai had not been rewarded was new information to him, and he believed in taking care of things like this immediately. A delay in doing so might mean arriving late to Esther’s banquet, and that wasn’t something he wanted to do. So he ordered Haman to take care of this task hurriedly so that they could get to more exciting things!
[Megillas Esther: The Answer Is…, p. 182]
Posted 3/16/22
[Purim Vorts 2022] Taken for a ride
“Vayarkiveihu”
And he led him on a ride
(6:11)
The generally accepted understanding of this pasuk is that Haman led Mordechai through the streets of Shushan riding the king’s horse. The gemara (Megillah 16a) mentions that Haman bowed down to enable Mordechai to ride. The basic understanding is that Haman bent over to act as a step stool so that Mordechai could mount the horse.
However, the Rokeach has a different spelling of the word “Vayarkiveihu.” His spelling of the word is without the letter Yud in the middle (between the Kaf and the Veis), rendering the word “Vayarkivhu,” and he rode him. Our pasuk now takes on a very different meaning, and the gemara we referenced is, likewise, saying something very different. When Haman bent down, it wasn’t to act as a step stool. Haman was, in fact, bending down so that Mordechai could get on top of him. Haman then proceeded to walk the streets of Shushan with Mordechai on his back.
[Zvi Fleisher @ ShemaYisrael.com]
Posted 3/16/22
Two Shushan Purim Vorts to close things out
Happy Shushan Purim,
I hope you were able to enjoy the Purim Vorts. Thank you for allowing me to share them with you. It’s incredible that there is always more to learn from the miracle of Purim. And as we go from one yontif season to another, hopefully we can take the strength gained from Purim and use it as we work towards Pesach. Let’s use it to carry us through the cleaning, the Seder preparation, and, of course, the Sedarim. Mitzvah goreres mitzvah!
A freilechen Shushan Purim to all!
Josh
Posted 3/17/22
[Shushan Purim Vorts 2022] Accusations and then recoil
“Ish tzar v’oyeiv Haman hara ha’zeh v’Haman niv’at milifnei hamelech v’hamalkah”
An adversary and an enemy, this evil Haman, and Haman was bewildered before the king and queen
(7:6)
Why did Esther say that Haman was both an adversary as well as an enemy (notwithstanding the fact that she was about to also say that he was evil)? And once Haman was named at the royal pain that he was, why was he bewildered? Was he shocked that someone actually articulated the details of the plan in front of Achashveirosh?
The Malbim explains that these terms are not entirely the same. He says that an enemy is one who seeks to harm but has not yet done so. Whereas an adversary is beyond the planning stages—he has actively harmed. Typically someone will cease to be an enemy once he has progressed to the level of adversary. However, Haman’s level of hatred towards the Jews was so high, that despite being at the level of adversary, he was still an enemy as he continued to plan additional ways to demean, hurt, and wipe out the Jews. He had already caused them to stop the rebuilding of the beis hamikdash, and he had already established the demeaning edict that the Jews were to bow to him. But he had continued with his plan to wipe out the Jews at an upcoming date, and, no doubt, was still personally overseeing any and all of the coordination needed to ensure a successful execution (!) to this plan.
Esther’s answer to Achashveirosh’s question of “Who dares do such a thing,” was that it was “this evil Haman.” With the three of them in the room together, Haman was in quite an uncomfortable position because he was without much wiggle room. If Esther had not been present, he could have reiterated his original position and reassured Achashveirosh that it was true that he planned to kill the Jews—the group who acted differently than everyone else in the kingdom, and who followed different laws. Had Achashveirosh not been present, Haman could have attempted to placate her by explaining that he would have never taken such action had he known that she was part of the Jewish nation, and would recall the letters that he had sent throughout the empire. But at this moment, with both the king and queen present, he was flummoxed, overwhelmed, and bewildered, without a plausible excuse to save himself. It was curtains for him and he knew it.
[The Malbim Esther, p. 139]
Posted 3/17/22
[Shushan Purim Vorts 2022] We can finally breathe a sigh of relief
“V’noach b’arba’ah asar bo v’asa oso yom mishte v’simcha”
And they gained relief on the fourteenth day making it a day of feasting and gladness
(9:17)
The Jews all fought for their lives on the 13th of Adar and (except for those in Shushan) appeared to get things under control before the day concluded. (Those in Shushan fought an additional day, on the 14th of Adar.) That being the case, why is Purim celebrated on the 14th/15th of Adar—the days AFTER their miraculous victories—instead of the 13th/14th of Adar, the days on which they were ACTUALLY victorious? (For the sake of avoiding awkward sentence structure, I’ll focus on just those outside of Shushan with the knowledge that the same explanation should be applied to those in Shushan.)
If we look closely at the wording of the Megillah, we can see the beginnings of the answer. The pesukim tell us that they fought on the 13th and gained relief on the 14th. But if they won the battles on the 13th, why did the relief not commence until the next day?
Despite winning their battles, the Jews were not certain that the war was won. In their minds they entertained the possibility that angry, revenge hungry relatives or allies might suddenly appear. However, at the onset of the 14th of Adar, it became apparent that there would be no follow-up attack, and the Jews were finally able to gain relief in the knowledge that they had weathered the storm and had come out on top. That being the case, we celebrate Purim on the 14th because that is when relief from the danger finally set in. As a nation, we took a collective sigh of relief. (We don’t see anything in the Megillah about messengers being sent from the Jews of Shushan to their out-of-town brethren, so it’s reasonable to assume that they had no idea that those in Shushan were still waging war for another day.)
[Birkas Mo’adecha: A Yom Tov Digest, p. 291]
Posted 3/17/22