Haman The Jew - Purim 5772

The Chasam Soifer in Toras Moshe at the end of Parshas Tetzaveh writes about a different character in the Megillah potentially being a Jew. On the day that Haman died Achashveiroish gave Esther Haman’s house as it says in 8:1 א  בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, נָתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ לְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה, אֶת-בֵּית הָמָן, צֹרֵר היהודיים (הַיְּהוּדִים); וּמָרְדֳּכַי, בָּא לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ--כִּי-הִגִּידָה אֶסְתֵּר, מַה הוּא-לָהּ ב  וַיָּסַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת-טַבַּעְתּוֹ, אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱבִיר מֵהָמָן, וַיִּתְּנָהּ, לְמָרְדֳּכָי; וַתָּשֶׂם אֶסְתֵּר אֶת-מָרְדֳּכַי, עַל-בֵּית הָמָן Esther then gives over Haman’s house to Mordechai. In the first Perek of Maseches Kiddushin it says that there are laws of inheritance by non Jews. The estate of Haman should have fallen to his descendents. The Gemara learns Yerushah from Eisav because Eisav Yarshuned Har Sai’ir. So where does it come that Esther gives the whole Bais Haman to Mordechai?

The Chasam Soifer gives a very simple Teretz. Mordechai came to Haman with a Shtar and said, once upon a time you didn’t have enough food, and you came to me for food, and I told you that I will not give you food unless you sell yourself to me as an Eved. So the Gemara relates that Haman sold himself to Mordechai as an Eved. So now when Mordechai showed Haman the Shtar, Haman was enraged. We know that an Eved K’nani that belongs to a Jew is a Jew and is Chayuv in Mitzvois K’nashim.

So the Chasam Soifer says, not only was Haman a Yid but he was also the Eved K’nani of Mordechai. So everything that Haman owned belonged to Mordechai. Of course Haman was powerful and didn’t behave like an Eved to Mordechai. However, Al Pi Din, Haman was a Yid and belonged to Mordechai.

The Chasam Soifer says this is B’feirush in the Megillah. In 3:1 – 3:4 it says א  אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, גִּדַּל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ אֶת-הָמָן בֶּן-הַמְּדָתָא הָאֲגָגִי--וַיְנַשְּׂאֵהוּ; וַיָּשֶׂם, אֶת-כִּסְאוֹ, מֵעַל, כָּל-הַשָּׂרִים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ ב  וְכָל-עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר-בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, כֹּרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לְהָמָן--כִּי-כֵן, צִוָּה-לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ; וּמָרְדֳּכַי--לֹא יִכְרַע, וְלֹא יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה ג  וַיֹּאמְרוּ עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, אֲשֶׁר-בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ--לְמָרְדֳּכָי:  מַדּוּעַ אַתָּה עוֹבֵר, אֵת מִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ ד  וַיְהִי, באמרם (כְּאָמְרָם) אֵלָיו יוֹם וָיוֹם, וְלֹא שָׁמַע, אֲלֵיהֶם; וַיַּגִּידוּ לְהָמָן, לִרְאוֹת הֲיַעַמְדוּ דִּבְרֵי מָרְדֳּכַי--כִּי-הִגִּיד לָהֶם, אֲשֶׁר-הוּא יְהוּדִי Mordechai would not bow down to Haman. So the Avdei Hamelech asked Mordechai why don’t you listen to what the King requested. The Posuk doesn’t seem to answer this, however, Mordechai told them I should bow to Haman? He is my Eved and not only that, but he is a Yid. As it says כִּי-הִגִּיד לָהֶם, אֲשֶׁר-הוּא יְהוּדִי This is how the Chasam Soifer explains the Sin’a between Haman and Mordechai.

We all know that Haman and his 10 children hung on the same gallows. The Gemara actually says this and we sing it in the Maoz Tzur. Haman was hung in Choidesh Nissan either on the 16th or 17th day. That was the time of the Mishteh of Esther with Haman and Achashveiroish. Haman’s children were killed first on the 14th of Adar. So it comes out that there were 11 months between the hanging of Haman and the hanging of his children. So how is it that we all have pictures of Haman and his children on the same tree? Unless we say that Haman hung up there for 11 months.

If you hold that Haman was a Yid then there is a Lav of Loi Salin that you have to bury someone immediately. So this Kasha remains.

What Was Achashverosh Thinking? - Purim 5772

The Megillah ends on what we consider a happy note רֹב בָּנָיו וְקִנְיָנָיו עַל הָעֵץ תָּלִיתָ Haman and most of his children are killed, Mordechai gets Haman’s home, and the Yidden are saved. However, there are 2 villians in the story of the Megillah, Haman and Achashveiroish. The Gemara in Maseches Megillah 14a says, משל דאחשורוש והמן למה הדבר דומה לשני בני אדם לאחד היה לו תל בתוך שדהו ולאחד היה לו חריץ בתוך שדהו בעל חריץ אמר מי יתן לי תל זה בדמים בעל התל אמר מי יתן לי חריץ זה בדמים לימים נזדווגו זה אצל זה אמר לו בעל חריץ לבעל התל מכור לי תילך אמר לו טול אותה בחנם Meaning, this is a parable to 2 people who have a field, one with a high mound of sand and can’t plow and one has a hole in the middle of his field  and can’t plow. They come together and one gives his sand in order for the other one to fill his hole and they are both happy. So too Haman and Achashveiroish rejoiced over the fact that they were going to destroy the Yidden. The question is why is only Haman seem to be the one that is punished by being hung on the gallows, but Achashveiroish is still king and Mordechai is his prime minister, however, nothing happens to him?

(This is from earlier sources Haman already hated the Yidden out of the Sin’a of Amaleik, while Achashveiroish had Kin’a and Taiv’a that this stemmed from.) 

R' Yonason Eibishitz says that Achashveiroish had Chartumim who said that they see that the next king of Persia would be a Jew. Achashveiroish understood this to mean that the Yidden would rebel, take over the country, depose him as king, and take over the kingdom. Therefore, he had a Sin’a to the Yidden, however, it wasn’t a Sin’a like Amaleik that was a purposeless Sin’a. It was a protection for himself because he thought they would rebel.

Then one day at the Mishtei Hayayin, Esther reveals that she is a Yid. So Achashveiroish said to Esther, can I ask you a Shaila. Little Daryaveish (Darius), is he Jewish? Esther answered him that according to Jewish Law he is Jewish. Suddenly a light bulb goes off in Achashveiroish’s mind, oh that was what the Chartumim were seeing. The next king is going to be a Jew. Gevaldig! Suddenly in that one instant the whole world turned upside down, now Achashveiroish doesn’t hate the Jews anymore. Now Achashveiroish is willing to do anything Esther wants.

The Me’am Lo’ez adds to this by saying, there was another event that was uncharacteristic of a Soin’ei Yisrael by 6:1 א  בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא, נָדְדָה שְׁנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ when Achashveiroish says, י  וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהָמָן, מַהֵר קַח אֶת-הַלְּבוּשׁ וְאֶת-הַסּוּס כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ, וַעֲשֵׂה-כֵן לְמָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי, הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ:  אַל-תַּפֵּל דָּבָר, מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ At this point  when Haman is told to take a Jew dressed like the king through the streets the Edict to kill all the Jews is still in effect and Achashveiroish still hates the Jews. He even refers to Mordechai as a Jew. This should be uncharacteristic of Achashveiroish?

Based on this R' Yonason Eibishitz, he says, Achashveiroish thought that his Chartumim had a clouded vision when they saw a Jewish king after Achashveiroish. Maybe they saw that Mordechai would put on the king’s clothing and he will be riding the king’s horse. That is the vision of the Jew that they are seeing in their visions. So Achashveiroish says Al Tapeil Davar Mikoil Asher Dibarta meaning, don’t deviate at all from how we should honor him. With the hope that this would satisfy the visions of the Chartumim, these Chartumim.

Mordechai Knew The Script - Purim 5772

Haman decreed the destruction of the Jewish people on only one day saying, if the Yidden will make a Yom Tov out of this if it turns around, then why should they get a long holiday, let it be for only one day. Of course, we have taken Nekama, because Yeshiva boys celebrate Purim for at least a month.

The Satmar Rebbe writes in the Divrei Yoel in the name of his Grandfather, that we know all of Tanach was given to Moshe Rabbeinu at Har Sinai. That being the case, it would include all 24 books of Tanach that were given at Har Sinai. Naturally, Moshe couldn’t publicize what was written in those books as it had not taken place yet. When we find in the Posuk ( וַיֹּאמֶר יְרוָר אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר, וְשִׂים, בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ:  כִּי-מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק, מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם) Sim B’oznai Yehoshua, meaning put in Yehoshua’s ears, the Satmar Rebbe Teitches this to mean that in every generation the Gadol Hador knew the story that was unfolding. He had already read the book of Nach and knew what was going to happen and nevertheless kept it a secret that was passed from one Gadol Hador to the next.

He writes that Mordechai knew the story of Purim as it unfolded, and says it is a B’feirush in a Posuk. It says in the Megillah 4:1א  וּמָרְדֳּכַי, יָדַע אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה, וַיִּקְרַע מָרְדֳּכַי אֶת-בְּגָדָיו, וַיִּלְבַּשׁ שַׂק וָאֵפֶר; וַיֵּצֵא בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר, וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדוֹלָה וּמָרָה So it says that Mordechai knew everything that was taking place. However, it used what was taking place between Haman and Achashveiroish to effect a Teshuva movement by Klal Yisrael.

The Vort itself is a big Chiddush for an Acharoin to say, however, the Mussar from it is extraordinary. Imagine that you are an actor in a play, and you have the script so you know everything that is going to happen. Part of the play is that someone dies and they cry over his death and someone has difficulties like poverty or illness. As all good plays you know that it has a happy ending. When you are acting out the part of sadness, you are not upset or depressed. You are only worried about performing your part properly.

So what the Satmar Rebbe is basically saying is, the mask of Oilam Hazeh is such that our challenge is just to perform our parts properly, however, the sadness that comes with difficulties is somewhat mitigated if one looks at themselves with וּמָרְדֳּכַי, יָדַע אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה, and the person knows what should take place.

In The Doorway - Tzav 5771

8:3 (וְאֵת כָּל-הָעֵדָה, הַקְהֵל, אֶל-פֶּתַח, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד) We have at the end of the Parsha the story of the Yimei Hamiluim, of the Kohanim being installed during the seven days of Miluim. We have Kohanim in the Mishkan. There at the beginning of that Parsha the Ribbono Shel Olam tells Moshe gather all the people to the entranceway of the Ohel Moed. Rashi says (הקהל אל פתח אהל מועד: זה אחד מן המקומות שהחזיק מועט את המרובה) that this is miraculous that the opening of the Ohel Moed could hold all of the people. This is an incredible miracle.

The question though is why was it important that the people be gathered at the entranceway to the Ohel Moed. That is something that certainly needs explanation. I would like to take a Vort elsewhere and connect it here. Before I explain this I want to mention that we find this in a number of places in the Torah an idea of people gathering or people standing Dafka at Pesach Ohel Moed.

We find in Parshas Vayeira 18:1 (וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח-הָאֹהֶל) that Avrohom Avinu is sitting Pesach Oholo when Hakadosh Baruch Hu comes to visit him. The Poshut Pshat is that he was sitting there at the door looking for wayfarers that were walking by. It is still interesting that when the Ribbono Shel Olam came to visit him that he would be sitting at the entranceway of his home.

The place however where the strangest expression is found numerous times is in Megillas Esther. We find in the Megillah many times that Mordechai Yosheiv Bish’ar Hamelech. We find it in places that have nothing to do with the story. We find for example when Mordechai overhears Bigsan and Seresh. Mordechai is standing by the Shar of the King and Bigsan and Seresh get angry. This is found in 2:21 (בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם, וּמָרְדֳּכַי יוֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר-הַמֶּלֶךְ; קָצַף בִּגְתָן וָתֶרֶשׁ שְׁנֵי-סָרִיסֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, מִשֹּׁמְרֵי הַסַּף, וַיְבַקְשׁוּ לִשְׁלֹחַ יָד, בַּמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹשׁ).

Or we have after Mordechai is led through the city on the King’s horse in 6:12 (וַיָּשָׁב מָרְדֳּכַי, אֶל-שַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ; וְהָמָן נִדְחַף אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ, אָבֵל וַחֲפוּי רֹאשׁ). Or the expression of the King that he said to Haman in 6:10 (וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהָמָן, מַהֵר קַח אֶת-הַלְּבוּשׁ וְאֶת-הַסּוּס כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ, וַעֲשֵׂה-כֵן לְמָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי, הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ:אַל-תַּפֵּל דָּבָר, מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ). Or even Haman says this in 5:13 (וְכָל-זֶה, אֵינֶנּוּ שֹׁוֶה לִי:בְּכָל-עֵת, אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי רֹאֶה אֶת-מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי--יוֹשֵׁב, בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ). Why is the fact that (מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי--יוֹשֵׁב, בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ) mentioned so many times in the Megillah?

I would like to take a different Miforaish and attach it to these places and explain the significance. There is a Vort I have seen Bish’eim the Kedushas Levi in the Likutim in the back on Tehillim.  We say in Hallel a Posuk of course from Tehillim 118:19 – 20 ( פִּתְחוּ-לִי שַׁעֲרֵי-צֶדֶק;אָבֹא-בָם, אוֹדֶה קָהּ). We talk about Hakadosh Baruch Hu opening for us the (שַׁעֲרֵי-צֶדֶק) and we will enter there and praise G-d. (זֶה-הַשַּׁעַר לַירוָר;צַדִּיקִים, יָבֹאוּ בוֹ). We talk about a Shar to Hashem, again about an entranceway. He explains that an entranceway symbolizes a place where a person is not worthy and can’t enter, like for example a Shar to Tzadikim or a place where a King is. You have a person who feels unworthy of entering and nevertheless has a Teshuka (a desire) so he would stand at the entranceway at the gate.

A good Mashul to this would be in Hilchos Mezuzah. We know that a room that is 49 square feet (Daled Al Daled Amos) is Patur from Mezuzah. Yet if you have a vestibule that is entering into your home, if that vestibule is small it should be Patur from a Mezuzah. However, because it is an entranceway to significant rooms, to the house, that room is Chayuv in Mezuzah. So to speak, a Shar could be small but because it is Meshameish (services) that which is beyond it, it takes on significance, a great significance. 

The idea of sitting (בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ) is always a reference to the Ribbono Shel Olam. The idea of always being a person who is (יוֹשֵׁב, בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ) or (שַׁעֲרֵי-צֶדֶק) is an idea that a person who feels unworthy of being by the King, unworthy of being counted among the Tzaddikim, nevertheless strives to sit by the gateway to the Tzaddikim. In the entranceway to the room where the King is. In that way, in humility a person can have a connection with the Ribbono Shel Olam. That is what we find here with Mordechai constantly (יוֹשֵׁב, בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ). Even though that generation was not worthy, Mordechai sat (בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ) so that he should have a connection to the Borei Olam. Of course he represented Klal Yisrael that Klal Yisrael should have that sort of a connection.    

That is very much the story of the Megillah. A day in which it is not a Yom Tov. We don’t treat it fully as a Yom Tov. Purim is a day in which we are (בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ). We are sort of outside the Yom Tov. It is not a day of holiness similar to the Sholosh Regalim. It is a day that we stand right before the King. We celebrate K’ilu it is a Yom Tov from a slight distance even though we feel unworthy.

It Fits - Tzav 5771

6:3 (וְלָבַשׁ הַכֹּהֵן מִדּוֹ בַד, וּמִכְנְסֵי-בַד יִלְבַּשׁ עַל-בְּשָׂרוֹ, וְהֵרִים אֶת-הַדֶּשֶׁן אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכַל הָאֵשׁ אֶת-הָעֹלָה, עַל-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ; וְשָׂמוֹ, אֵצֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ)
At the beginning of the Parsha we have the Mitzvah of Terumas Hedeshen the removal of the ashes from the Mizbaiach.

The Kohen puts on certain Bigdei Kehuna and Rashi explains (מדו בד: היא הכתונת. ומה תלמוד לומר מדו, שתהא כמדתו).The clothing which the Kohen wears in the Bais Hamikdash have to fit him well. The question is, if there is such a requirement that the Begodim that the Kohen wears in the Bais Hamikdash has to fit him well why is it that here in Parshas Tzav which is the story of the Terumas Hadeshen do we find this, shouldn’t it be in Parshas Tetzaveh when Klal Yisrael is commanded to make the Bigdei Kehunah? Isn’t that where it belongs?

There is a beautiful Teretz in the name of the Binyan Shlomo who was the Dayan of Vilna. The Gemara in Maseches Yoma 23b (22 lines from the bottom) says (אמר ריש לקיש כמחלוקת בהוצאה כך מחלוקת בהרמה ורבי יוחנן אמר מחלוקת בהוצאה אבל בהרמה דברי הכל עבודה היא מאי טעמא דריש לקיש אמר לך אי ס"ד עבודה היא יש לך עבודה שכשירה בשני כלים) that when the Kohen takes out the Terumas Hadeshen he doesn’t have all the 4 Bigdei Kehuna. The Kohen wears his shirt and pants he doesn’t wear the hat or the Gartel.

Says the Binyan Shlomo, when a person is wearing a belt (a Gartel) his clothing doesn’t have to fit him perfectly. Even if it doesn’t fit perfectly you just tighten the belt a little bit and it looks fine on a person. Only here when he only wore the shirt and pants, so here he was commanded that they fit him well. Here if his clothing did not fit him well, he would not look attired properly. A beautiful Vort on this concept of (מִדּוֹ בַד).

Chametz In The Todah - Tzav 5770

The Korban Todah is the only Korban a Yachid can bring that has Chomeitz in it. There is actually a Lav in the beginning of this week’s Parsha against bringing a Korban that has Chomeitz in it. What is the significance of the Chomeitz in the Korban Todah and why is it the only Korban that has Chomeitz in it?

As we approach Pesach we know that Chomeitz is a sign of the Yeitzer Horah. A sign of things that are not good and are not spiritual. Chomeitz is Matzah with hot air in it, a lot of nothing. Therefore, it is a sign of something negative. A Korban Todah is brought after a person was saved from a difficulty as thanksgiving to the Ribboinoi Shel Oilam. A person does not bring a Korban Todah after something good happens to him. If you win the lottery you do not bring this Korban. It is only when you have a Sakana and are saved from it that you bring the Korban Todah. Therefore, Rav Zevin explains the idea of the Chomeitz in the Korban Todah is precisely this, every time a difficulty falls on a person, and a person is faced with a danger and is ultimately saved, you bring a Korban Todah that has Chomeitz and Matzah. You are recognizing that there was Chomeitz, or Aveiros that brought the something negative, and that you were saved. The Korban Todah is the recognition of the Chomeitz and the Matzah of the experience.

As a matter of fact today instead of the Korban Todah we say the Brocha of Hagoimel which says Hagoimel L’chayavim Toivois. We recognize that there was something lacking in us that brought about this Sakanah.

The Har Tzvi, Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank says this is the reason that the custom is that after a woman gives birth she does not say Birchas Hagoimel. It would seem that she should say Birchas Hagoimel as childbirth is deemed a Sakanah?

The Har Tzvi explains, a Korban Todah is brought only for Chayavim Toivois, that a person came into a Sakanah only because of an Aveira, however, a woman who gave birth it is a Mitzvah and not an Aveira that brought her into Sakanah. It is a Mitzvah to have children. So a woman can’t say Hagoimel L’chayavim Toivois because they are not Chayavim.

With this a second question is answered. The Minhag is that Ketanim don’t Bentch Goimel. Every other Beracha we are Mechaneich children to say so why is Birchas Hagoimel different? The simple answer is that our custom is to Bentch Goimel after an Aliyah which a Kattan does not have. However, the Halacha is that you don’t need an Aliyah according to everyone in order to Bentch Goimel. Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank explains that Hagoimel L’chayavim Toivois, and since a Kattan can never be considered Chayav he doesn’t get punishment for those things that he did. If he came into a Sakana it wasn’t because of Chayavim Toivois and therefore the language of the Beracha is totally inappropriate for a Kattan so he wouldn’t Bentch Goimel.

So the explanation of this unique Korban the Korban Todah that has Chomeitz fits well with the concept of Chag HaPesach, the idea that Chomeitz represents negativity or a failing in Avoidas Hashem.