A famous joke is told about two elderly Jews, one a pessimist and the other an optimist. The difference between the two was that the pessimist would always say, “It can’t get any worse than this,” to which the optimist would reply, “Oh, yes it can!”
Let’s go back in time to Persia, about 2,500 years or so. Now, stay with me on this.
What had appeared to most Jews of the time as a mere social exercise of levity and excitement, a fun party hosted by the king, instead actually telegraphed a pending national calamity that could have had catastrophic results. The circumstances on the ground were jovial. It was truly the calm before the storm. No one, aside from Mordechai, could see the rising tide, indeed the tsunami of massive loss of life soon to be washed away due to the free-flowing drinks and licentious behavior. The Jewish world had become inured to its own self-inflicted melancholy. Jews attending the bacchanal actually derived pleasure from the use of precious Temple vessels that had once been used in the sacred service! When we sobered, we were rudely awakened to a self-absorbed madman who carried a remarkable disdain for a people and a fellow minister, willing to voluntarily provide 10,000 talents of silver—this was quite a sum back then—as payment for the rights to annihilate the Jewish people. Chazal teach us that the counterweight to this plan was the willing nature of the Jewish people, who centuries earlier had selflessly donated funds toward the construction of the Tabernacle while in the desert. In this way, we preceded Haman’s negative act with a positive one.
In the end, 18,544 Jews refused to be dissuaded by the sagacious advice of Mordechai, a man who had honorably served as a member of the Sanhedrin. Haman, like his predecessor Bilaam, understood that the Achilles heel of the Jewish nation rested in a weakening of our moral conduct. In his own uniquely cunning way, he closed the window and left little recourse for the Jewish people to claim that they were forced to attend a party where everyone could “do according to every man’s wish” (Esther 1:8).
The Yalkut Shimoni explains that when Haman entered the courtyard and met Achashverosh, he unequivocally declared, “Destroy the Jews!” The king wasn’t convinced that Haman would succeed, so he allowed his wisest men and magicians to provide counsel. According to Rabbi Eliezer, 365 ministers offered advice, but none understood the circumstances better than Zeresh, the wife of Haman. “If he is of the Jewish nation, were you to throw him (Mordechai) into a fiery furnace, know that Chanania, Mishael and Azarya survived. A den of lions? Daniel lived. Prison? Yosef rose to prominence, leading Egypt, as second in command. Banish Mordechai to the desert? The Jewish people had strengthened themselves as a nation there. Remove his eyes like what had been done to Shimshon? Many of us will also die as a result. Instead,” she advised, “hang Mordechai from a tree.”
Hashem agreed to allow Satan to obtain a document that would seal our fate. The Torah was then observed leaving the presence of Hashem, clothed in the garments of a widow, followed by the sun, moon, heaven and earth, all donned in sackcloth, crying (see Joel 2:10 and Isaiah 50:3).
Eliyahu arose in defense and summoned Moshe, to whom he explained the dire set of circumstances. Moshe instructed Eliyahu to call Mordechai and to “make known to him that he should stand his ground on earth, and that in turn, we will stand here, in heaven, in prayer and supplication.” Eliyahu then raced to Mordechai and informed him of Moshe’s command. Mordechai knew exactly what needed to be done.
Haman found Mordechai sitting on the floor, for three days and nights, among 22,000 children, fasting and wearing sackcloth and ashes, crying out to Hashem. “Celestial angels,” said God, “I hear the cries of children, and they are comparable to spears and arrows.” Moshe replied, “These are neither spears nor arrows. These are the sounds of the children of Israel who are destined to die like sheep, and yet the heart of our enemy, Haman, is happy.”
Immediately, as a result of the joint efforts in both the mundane and cosmic worlds, Hashem’s mercy was revealed, the calamitous fate of the Jewish nation was uprooted, the letters/edicts were destroyed, and God upended Haman’s diabolical advice upon his head. The Yalkut Shimoni (1,087:1) and Midrash Rabbah (Parsha 10:1) conclude that the “King” in this storyline refers to God, whose “sleep” was disturbed due to the insufferable stress of klal Yisrael. This is the full meaning of the verse “On that night the King’s sleep was disturbed” (Esther 6:1).
By Mordechai Plotsker
Mordechai runs a popular 10-minute nightly shiur on the parsha with a keen interest on the invigorating teachings of the Berditchever Rav, the Kedushas Levi. Mordechai resides in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with his wife and children, and can be reached by email at [email protected].
