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The
Megilla for Pshat Lovers
The Megilla for Pshat Lovers
Six Straightforward Insights into the Megilla
(From Harav Chaim Aryeh Leib of Yedwabna's Shaar
Bat Rabim collection)
1. Esther's Family and Nation
2. Sending the Messages
3. The Fifty Cubit Gallows
4. You and Your Father's House
5. Slaves vs. Destruction
6. The Converts After the Purim
Miracle
Esther's Family and Nation
(Emunat Chakhamim 23)
Both before and after Esther was picked as queen,
she did not reveal her national or her family background.
However, there seems to be a discrepancy in the
Megilla on this point. Before going to the king,
"Esther did not tell of her nation, nor of her family
background (Esther 2:10)," placing nation before
family. After the marriage, we are told, "Esther
did not tell her family background, nor her nation
(Esther 2:20)," placing family before nation.
There is a simple reason for this distinction. When
Esther became one of the candidates, her main goal
was to avoid being picked by Achashveirosh as queen.
Therefore, she did not want Achashveirosh to find
out about her royal lineage to King Shaul, and definitely
did not mention her family background. She was also
worried that even if she mentioned her nation, they
would inquire into her ancestry. Here the Megilla
places nation before family - she did not reveal
her national identity in order to avoid revealing
her ancestry.
After Esther was crowned queen, she had a new worry.
Perhaps Achashveirosh would get angry (like he did
with Vashti), and kill her and her nation. She therefore
made sure never to mention her nation. She was worried
that even mentioning her family would reveal her
nation. Therefore here the Megilla places family
before nation.
Sending the Messages (Or
Chadash, Maharal)
When copies of Haman's message announcing the planned
annihilation of the Jews were sent out, the Megilla
(3:13) uses a passive word, "venishloach" - they
were sent out. Later on, however, when Mordechai
and Esther's messages announcing the legitimacy
of Jewish self-defense were sent out, the more standard
active word, "vayishlach" - he sent - is used (8:10).
Why?
When an outlandish message to destroy an entire
people was sent, the messengers were reluctant to
go. They had to be forced to take on such a strange
task. Since the messengers were forced, thus being
passive in the process, the passive voice is used.
But later, when the messengers announced the defense
of a nation from its' oppressors they went without
coercion. Here, the message was delivered willingly
and the standard form is used.
The Fifty Cubit Gallows (Imrei
Moshe, Ramak)
Why did Haman make a fifty cubit gallows?
On the one hand, he wanted everyone in Shushan to
see how even an important dignitary like Mordechai
was hung for not showing proper tribute. On the
other hand, the Yalkut tells us that Haman's family
assured him, "You will sit with the King at the
Feast of Esther, eating and drinking, while joyfully
watching your enemy hanging on the gallows." So
the gallows had to be placed low enough that Haman
could see it from inside the palace. The Gemara
in Eruvin (2b) says that the doorways of palaces
were made fifty cubits high. If the gallows were
any higher, Haman would not have seen them because
of the lintel. Fifty cubits was just right.
You and Your Father's House
(Alsheich)
Mordechai tells Esther (Esther 3:14) that if she
does not act to save the Jews, salvation will come
from some other source, and "You and your father's
house will be destroyed. Who knows if it was precisely
for this moment that you became queen?" Why Esther
should be destroyed for putting her personal concerns
above those of the Jewish people is understandable,
but why is her extended family responsible? Why
should they perish?
According to our tradition, Haman is called Agagi
because he is descended from King Agag, the Amalekite
king that King Shaul took captive instead of killing
in the war. The night Agag was in jail he conceived
a child through a maidservant. Haman was descended
from that union.
Esther, a direct descendant of King Shaul, was given
the opportunity to correct the family mistake. By
bringing about the downfall of Haman, Agag's descendant,
Esther would atone for the sin of King Shaul. If
not, the stain of the sin of King Shaul would still
rest on all of Shaul's descendants, and therefore
all would be punished.
Slaves vs. Destruction (Yalkut
Halevi)
Esther, when pleading for her people, says, "If
we were only to be sold as servants and maidservants
I would have kept quiet." This is difficult to understand.
Why would she have kept quiet? The enslavement of
the whole Jewish people is still quite tragic.
The Yalkut tells us that the decree of Haman came
about as a result of the sin of the sale of Yosef.
The Torah tells us that the brothers sat and ate
bread when Yosef was sold into slavery. This brought
about, generations later, a decree against the Jews
as Haman and Achashveirosh sat drinking. However,
such a sin would only merit, "midah keneged midah,"
(measure for measure), causing the Jewish enslavement,
not destruction.
Now we can understand Esther's statement; enslavement
could be rationalized, but a decree to destroy the
Jewish people would be too stringent. Therefore,
she needed to speak out to ensure an equal punishment.
The Converts After the Purim
Miracle (Emunat Chakhamim)
When the word of the Jews' defense spread throughout
the kingdom, the Megilla tells us (8:17) that many
non-Jews converted to Judaism. The present tense
verb, "mityahadim" - literally, were converting
- is used instead of the seemingly more appropriate
past tense "hithayadu" - converted. Why is this
so?
Perhaps the Megilla is hinting that their conversions
were insincere and therefore unacceptable. That
same verse gives the reason for their conversion,
"because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them."
Fear is not a legitimate motivation for conversion.
In fact, the Gemara tells us that a powerful and
successful Jewish kingdom, like in the days of David
and Shlomo, and what will be in Messianic times,
does not accept converts at all.
In the Purim miracle the Hand of G-d was hidden.
This is why the Name of G-d does not appear in the
Megilla. It appeared to the non-Jewish world that
the Jews had gained power through this-worldly forces.
Therefore, they reasoned, it was wise to be on the
Jews' good side. What better way than converting?
However, these converts, motivated by fear, would
not be accepted. Therefore the Megilla says that
they were converting, "mityahadim," but does not
say that they actually become converts - "hityahadu".
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