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Chagim

"V'nahafoch Hu": Man and G-d in Megilat Esther

Rabbi Reuven Taragin

I) Character Introduction

The Gemara (Meg. 19a) quotes three opinions concerning what segments of the megila must be read in order to fulfill the mitzva of megila reading:

1) Rebbe Meir- Its entirety

2) Rebbe Yehuda- From "Ish yehudi" (2:5)

3) Rebbe Yossi- From "Achar had'varim ha'eileh" (3:1)

4) Rashbi (Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai)- "Balaylah hahu" (6:1)

The gemara explains that the argument revolves around what/who is considered vital to the Purim story.While Rashbi demands only the reading of events seen as miraculous, the other tannaim include as central various character introducing segments:

Rebbe Yossi- Chapter 3-5- Haman

Rebbe Yehuda- Chapter 2- Mordechai (and Esther)

Rebbe Meir- Chapter 1- Achashveirosh

The first five chapters supply background information essential to understanding the last chapters' description of the miraculous turn of events.We will see that each of the three units identified by the tannaim significantly enhances our appreciation of the final outcome.

II) Chapters 3-5- The Inverted Plot

Rebbe Yossi mandates the reading of chapters 3-5, which describe Haman's plan, for only by recognizing the plan's nuances can we truly appreciate their inversion.The events described by these chapters: 1) Haman's appointment and plan (Chapter 3), 2) Mordechai and B'nei Yisrael's mournful response (Chapter 4), and 3) Esther's festive meal with the king and Achashveirosh, reoccur in the second half of the megila, but with a distinctly different outcome.

Haman left the first meal "sameach v'tov leiv" which lead to his decision to plant a tree for the hanging of Mordechai;the second meal ended with his own hanging on that very tree.The office to which Haman was appointed in chapter 3 became that of Mordechai in chapter 8.The mechanism (ring, letters, runners) which Haman utilized to seal the fate of the Jews was later appropriated by Mordechai for their defense.

The mourner's cloths Mordechai donned in the king's court in chapter 4 transformed in chapter 8 into royal garb in that very place.The (Jewish inhabitants of the) city of Shushan, which had been confused and depressed by Haman's decree (3:15), rejoiced upon hearing of Mordechai's (8:15).

Those who had gathered together to fast in hope of a miracle (4:16-7) later gathered to defend themselves after Esther's successful reversal.

The megila summarizes these inversions by describing the turn of events as- "v'nahafoch hu- asher yishlatu hay'hudim heimah b'soneihem."V'nahafoch hu, the theme of Purim, connotes not only the fact that the danger was miraculously resolved, but also the way the resolution occurred.Danger's resolution can not always be clearly attributed to heavenly intervention.The Purim story's significance lies in the fact that the salvation recycled and utilized all the elements of the danger in its service.Since this hipuch (reversal) defines the holiday of Purim, Rebbe Yossi demands the reading of the plot to insure that it be appreciated.

III) Chapter 2- Mordechai (and Esther)

Chapter 2's depiction of the crowning of Esther and the recording of Mordechai's loyalty to the king are significant for they set in place the individuals who will foil the plot.This prophetic placement before the plot's very inception reaffirms Providence at work.[1]

IV) Chapter 1- The Feast

A) The Sin

The most problematic opinion is that of Rebbe Meir who requires one to read the entire megila.Why must one study the elaborate details of Achasveirosh's feast?

Chazal, based on the juxtaposition of the feast to Haman's plot, identified it as the sin for which the Jews were to be punished.Chazal identify the meal as one meant to celebrate the faulty assumption of the Beit Mikdash's ultimate demise, the vessels used as those of the Beit Mikdash, and the garments worn as those of the kohen gadol.

Notwithstanding the historical accuracy of Chazal's identifications, celebrating the success of a foreign king while Eretz Yisrael and the Beit Mikdash lay desolate expressed Jewish insensitivity to the tenuous nature of life in exile.Haman's plot and Achashveirosh's initial consent served to remind them of where, and under whose rule, they temporarily resided.

B) Vashti's Execution

Notwithstanding Chazal's sensitivity to the problematic nature of the feast, one wonders why the megila felt it necessary to present the Vashti crisis.Would a simple mention of her execution, instead of a detailed description, not have been enough to clear the stage for Esther?Achashveirosh's irrational rash treatment of Vashti exposed the weakness that would be exploited later by her successor in the Jew's defense[2].

C) Esther's Plan

Although Mordechai commanded Esther to immediately approach the king and beg on behalf of the Jewish people, Esther employed an elaborate plan that included two meals.Rashi explains that she hoped the meals would make Achashveirosh jealous of Haman who was strangely invited to the royal feast.[3]Although she refers to the first feast as one organized for Achashveirosh ( "lo" 5:4), she describes the second as planned for both the king and Haman ("lahem" 5:8).

Esther realized that Achashveirosh's concern for the fate of the Jews hinged on the threat to them being presented as a threat to him.In order for him to view Haman's decree against the Jews as treason, she first had to get him suspicious of his most trusted advisor.She did so by implying a relationship between the advisor- Haman, and herself.

Achashveirosh expressed his fear in his inquiry to Esther at the feast-

"mah sh'eilateich v'yinaten lach; u'mah bakashateich ad chatzi hamalchut v'seias"

What is your quest? It will be granted.What is your desire- up to half the kingdom? It will be performed (5:6)."

Achashveirosh, suspicious of a possible Haman- Esther plot, reminds Esther that she already enjoys rights to half the kingdom.What more would she possibly receive from Haman?[4] Achashveirosh's concern keeps him from sleeping; instead, he consults his records to take stock of his friends and enemies.His concern regarding Haman is augmented by the latter's sudden midnight appearance in the king's courtyard.Achashveirosh's tests Haman's intentions by requesting that he recommend a reward for the king's favorite.Haman's suggestion that he be allowed to wear the royal garments and ride the royal horse confirm Achashveirosh's suspicions.The king commands Haman to lead Mordechai through the streets so that all can see the king's control over matters.Those who had information that could be useful to the king would see their potential rewards; those loyal to Haman would take notice of their leader's present standing.

Like Haman's wife and associates, Esther realizes that the king's suspicion has been aroused and that the time is right for her to take the crucial final step.This step had to be taken during the feast because the Vashti experience had shown the wine's effect on the king's "trigger finger".Indeed, Esther, with a little help from Haman's fall on the bed and Charvonah, who informs the king of Haman's targeting of his loyal aid- Mordechai, managed to anger Achashveirosh enough to move him to order Haman's execution.Yet another feast had ended with Achashveirosh's execution of a key member of the royal party.

D) G-d's Complimentary Assistance

The plan bears testimony to Esther's ingenuity.Her faith in G-d did not negate her sense of the call for cautious maneuvering.On the other hand, her plan could not have succeeded without Providence's complementing assistance.We shall see how every step taken by Esther was complemented by essential unforeseen developments.Although each one of these developments could have been coincidental, their summation indicates G-d's guiding hand behind the scenes.Chazal concretized this fact by crediting angels with the various coincidental occurrences.

Esther's first step was presenting herself as the king's uninvited guest."Luckily" the king (Chazal- G-d's angel) recognized her by raising his scepter.Although Esther's feast aroused the king's suspicion, it's confirmation came through the completely unforeseen circumstances that followed.

Haman delight over having been invited to the royal feast was ruined by the site of the defiant Mordechai.This frustration sent Haman into a mad frenzy aimed at ridding himself of his archenemy.His addiction to this end caused him to act irrationally.Impatient to get the king's approval for the hanging, he surprised an already suspicious king in the middle of the night.Still obsessed with his prestige, he fell for a quite obvious trap.

Coincidences also prepped the king for his nocturnal meeting with Haman.Already troubled by the day's events, he spent the night studying the records.By chance (Chazal- the intervention of G-d's angel) he happened to be on the Mordechai page at the moment Haman arrived.

The strange nocturnal meeting provided the story's turning point- Haman's leading Mordechai through the street set the stage for the final blow.Before Haman had a chance to respond to the drastic change in his fortune, he was whisked off to the meal at which he was immediately accused of treason- his decree against the Jews was portrayed as aimed at the queen.

Achashveirosh, well aware of his inclination to irrational decisions while drunkenly angry, exited the feast to calm himself down.He returned to find Haman on Esther's bed (Chazal- pushed by an angel) which he mistook as a rape attempt.The final nail in Haman's coffin was supplied by Charvonah (Chazal- Eliyahu Hanavi) who happened to know of Haman's tree.His information completed the picture of Haman's targeting of all the king's allies.The accumulation of damaging, yet purely circumstantial, evidence was too much for the drunk king to bear.In his drunkenness he was unable to distinguish between his top advisor- Haman, and the relative unknown- Mordechai, and ordered Haman's execution.

Just as Esther's orchestration of the first meal had not alone provided sufficient basis for Achashveirosh's humiliation of Haman, so too, Esther's accusation at the second feast would alone not have generated the execution decree.Only the complementary coincidences brought the desired results.

V) Bitachon (Faith) and Hishtadlut (Human Initiative)

The nature of the Purim miracle teaches us much about the proper balance between bitachon and hishtadlut.Faith in G-d does relegate man to mere prayer.The fact that G-d can resolve the crisis without man's initiative does not give man the right to expect Him to do so.

On the other hand, bitachon should give one the fortitude necessary to act in uncertain circumstances.Plans are not always foolproof.In fact, more often than not ambitious plans can not offer solutions to all the problems complicated situations present.Bitachon should allow one to securely adopt the best option in the hope that G-d will deal with the aspects beyond man's control.

This message was essential to a people apprehensive about returning to settle the land of Israel.Based on the experience of the past hundred years, we know full well the multiple unknowns potential returnees must have faced.They did so only in faith that G-d would provide the answers to the questions their best efforts could not resolve.

Israel has been resettled in our own times in quite similar fashion.Those who first returned could not provide the details of the comprehensive plan necessary to rebuild a country out of the sand.Those who proclaimed the state could not provide a plan that would insure the state's ability to survive the inevitable attacks.The immigrants who populated Israel left other lands with hopes, but very often without a clear picture, of what laid ahead.

These pioneers, like their ancestors, acted in the Purim spirit.Like Esther, they identified the most promising course of action and proceeded in faith.May we be zocheh to do so- "bayamim haheim, bazman hazeh."

[1] See Rashi 3:1.

[2] According to Chazal identification of M'muchan, the advisor who pushed for Vashti's execution, as Haman, it is fitting that Haman fell by the same weakness he himself had exposed.

[3] See Rashi 5:4 in the name of Chazal.See also Torah Sh'leimah 28.

[4] This explains why when Achashveirosh repeats his question to Esther at the end of the megila after the crisis's resolution (9:12), he no longer mentions the idea of "half the kingdom."