This week we are simply going to tell a story. You might have heard this story before, but never like this. It’s a story most of us were taught from the age of 3. But equally, most of us have never upgraded our knowledge of it since. Here is the story of Megillas Esther through the eyes of the Vilna Ga’on[1]. It must be pointed out that though, to the uninformed onlooker, the Gra’s version of events seem to be far from the text of the Megillah, all the Gra reveals is mentioned in the pessukim (if one looks at the words with pinpoint accuracy). Sometimes we will point out where the passuk hints to each event, but other times we will leave it to the studious reader to consult the Peirush Hagra himself. If ‘Megillas Esther’ is all about revealing that which is hidden (being megaleh ha’hester) vis-à-vis all the little miracles Hashem employs in running the world, then the Gra certainly does bring out these little miracles in the Megillah. It’s a little long, but we’ve tried to add in a bit of entertainment, and it certainly is worth the read. Here’s the scoop. Brace yourselves for something extraordinary…
The story begins: The New Capital
Once upon a festival there was a king called Achashveirosh. Originally a ‘stableman,’ Achashveirosh had usurped the throne of the Babylonian Empire (previously moulded by Nebuchadnezzar) using various underhand means (Gaddafi would have been proud). Unsurprisingly, as a king of 127 countries over which he had no hereditary right to rule, Achashveirosh was looking for ways to legitimise his rule – to win the people over to douse his fears of a rebellion. Thus, he married a lady called Vashti, who, apart from being particularly beautiful (on the outside at least), was Nebuchadnezzar’s granddaughter.
Rabbi Shochet and his wife had moved from Florida to become to newest Rabbi of an old Shul in the suburbs of Brooklyn that had closed down may years before. Knowing that they had a huge task ahead of them, they approached the dilapidated building with happy hearts, eager to restore the Shul to its former glory, and more importantly to them – its congregation. The first task that they were required to do was fix the broken building and make it into a respectable place to pray. The Shul needed much work, but they had set themselves a goal to be finished in time for Purim and they seemed to be on schedule; until a terrible snow storm ravaged the entire city and did much damage to the older buildings, including the old Shul. Stuck inside their house for two days, the Rabbi and his wife desperately prayed that their Shul was not harmed in the storm, but when they finally were able to get there, they saw that their prayers had not been answered. Rabbi Shochet’s heart sank when he stood by the Aron Hakodesh, looking up at the leaking roof. His eyes followed the trail of the drops of water to a massive hole about 10 feet wide next to the Aron Hakodesh. There was no way that this would be fixed before Purim, which was now only a day away. Undaunted, Rabbi Shochet and his wife once again prayed that Hashem would help them. Rabbi Shochet stood in front of the Aron Hakodesh and pleaded with Hashem “Master of the World, you know that we are only here for Your sake. We uprooted ourselves and our family to help rebuild a community. We are here to rebuild Your people. Please help us
The Me’iri explains that the reason the Mishnah forbids reading the Megillah in reverse order (from the end part back to the beginning) is that only when one reads the story forwards does one gain an appreciation for how the individual events came together to form the magnificent Divinely-woven tapestry we call Megillas Esther. Only when we read the Megillah forwards do we see the Divine Hand properly, and only then does the Megillas Esther take on its real role of being megaleh the hester (revealing the hidden).
One of the things which seems to make an non-insignificant appearance in the Megillah is the sum of money. Haman is constantly stressing the fact that he wants to give the king money to have the Jews killed, whilst Achashveirosh refuses such an offer. Why is the money an important part of the story that the Megillah sees it fit to tell us about it? Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld gives a remarkable insight here. He writes that Haman had a cunning plan here. He would ask Achashveirosh for permission to kill off the Jews, but at the same time he would give Achashveirosh money so it would look like Haman was paying Achashveirosh for this right. When the various ethnic groups would see that Haman has paid Achashveirosh for the right to kill of a sect of society, they’d all get extremely worried; ‘what if someone comes up with enough money to persuade the king to have us killed next?’ they’d think. The outcome would be that there would be a rebellion and Achashveirosh would be overthrown, with the convenient consequence of Haman becoming the new king. In other words, the money was part of Haman’s plan to overthrow Achashveirosh - ultimately something that Achashveirosh did not fall for. And, Esther, having realised that this was Haman’s intention via the money all along, does not forget to drop this into her claims against Haman to the king when she is pleading for her life - ‘for my people have been sold.’
We shall end with a short idea about Purim. Esther and Mordechai instituted mishlo’ach manos as part of the Purim festivities. What has this got to do with Purim? Purim is about recognising HaShem’s Hand in everyday events. Where does sending food to one’s mate come into this?[14] We can answer via a note that was hung on the door to the Beis HaMedrash in Kelm during the month of Ellul each year. The note reminded everyone to be extra careful to create unity and foster good relations with others during the month leading up to Rosh HaShanah. What does this have to do with Rosh HaShanah?
With all the fun and frolic of Purim, we sometimes forget the many lessons to be derived from Megillas Esther and their applications to our daily outlook on life.
Like the Torah, Megillas Esther was written with ruach hakodesh. Besides its historical importance, it teaches us valuable lessons no less applicable to our lives today than it was at the time of its composition thousands of years ago. One of the lessons of Megillas Esther is that the real causes of events in history are often far different than those that are apparent at first glance.
In the story of Purim, it would seem that the stubbornness of Mordechai not to bow to Haman was the cause of our peril and the edict of destruction. However, the Talmud teaches that the real cause of Haman's decree was that the Jewish people participated in the king's feast described in the first chapter of the book. The king's feast
Many of the Jewish holidays revolve around the dinner table. Food's prominent role throughout the festivals ranges from dipping apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah to eating in little huts on Sukkos; from drinking four cups of wine at the seder to drinking to a stupor on Purim.
Even within the laws of Purim, three of the four primary mitzvot revolve around food: Eating the festive meal, extending meal packages to friends (mishlo'ach manos), and providing for the poor (matanos la'evyonim). The common denominator of all these mitzvos centers around the basic human need for sustenance.
The Rambam states that on Purim it is better to involve oneself more extensively with helping the needy than with embellishing one's own meal or giving food gifts to acquaintances. Why is the mitzvah of taking care of the needy on Purim superior to the other mitzvot of the day? Of course we should always try to help
Esther and Mordechai instituted mishlo’ach manos as part of the Purim festivities. What has this got to do with Purim? Purim is about recognising HaShem’s Hand in events - that He is behind everything that happens. Where does sending food to one’s mate come into this? We can answer via a note that was hung on the door to the Beis HaMedrash in Kelm during the month of
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This website is dedicated to the memories of
Moshe Shlomo ben R'Shmuel | Shlomo ben R'Chaim | Aryeh Leib ben Pinchas Tzvi
