The Depth of Divine Providence in the Megillah: The Pit Haman Dug for Himself
Class No. 131 | Wednesday, Parashas Mishpatim, 22 Shevat 5758 - Opening Class at the "Chut Shel Chessed" Yeshiva (on Shmuel HaNavi St.)
The wicked Haman convinced Achashverosh to take the law into his own hands in order to execute Vashti without a trial, with the goal of becoming the sole legislator. Through a calculation of the times of the feast, it is revealed how Haman's political move is exactly what enabled his own immediate hanging in the end.
When they called Vashti to come to Achashverosh's feast, she found a wonderful excuse to evade it. She claimed to the king's messengers: "This is the yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of my father and grandfather, I am in mourning, I have lit candles, and I am fasting." Suddenly she remembered that this was indeed the memorial day according to the Jewish date, and decided to use the Hebrew calendar to justify her absence.
How does the calculation work? The great feast lasted one hundred and eighty days. Achashverosh could not have started the feast exactly on the 1st of Tishrei, Rosh Hashanah. Why? Because many senior ministers in the kingdom were Jews, and it was impossible to hold international ceremonies for 127 provinces without the Jewish Ministers of Finance and Ministers of the Interior, who were busy with Rosh Hashanah prayers.
The Deed of Slavery on the Sole of the Shoe
One of those senior ministers was Mordechai the Jew. Mordechai sat at the King's Gate and was an important minister and a senior general, just like Haman. Both of them were like "Chiefs of Staff" in the Persian army - one was the commander of the ground forces and the other was the commander of the air force.
During one of the wars, Haman squandered his entire war budget and came to beg Mordechai to lend him money. Mordechai agreed, but made it conditional on Haman writing him a deed of slavery. Mordechai engraved this deed on the sole of his shoe, since everything can be stolen from a person when he is sleeping, but a shoe that is on his foot - cannot be stolen. Whenever he wanted, Mordechai would show Haman the sole of his shoe and remind him that he was his eternal slave, he and his sons.
"The Chasam Sofer says: The moment Haman was sold as a slave, he became a 'Canaanite slave' whose legal status is like that of a Jew. It turns out that Haman, with his decrees against the Jews, actually decreed against himself!"
Vashti's Exact Calculation
Let us return to the calculation of the days of the feast: Since the Jewish ministers were absent, the feast only began on the 3rd of Tishrei. 180 days from the 3rd of Tishrei brings us to the 3rd of Nissan. However, in the Hebrew calendar, it is permissible to make up to six "deficient" months (of 29 days). If we subtract six days for the deficient months, we arrive at the 9th of Nissan. If we add to this the seven additional days of the feast (the women's feast), we arrive exactly at the 15th of Nissan - the night of the Passover Seder!
Vashti told Achashverosh that she observes the date according to the way of the Jews, and demanded: "Call the wise men who know the times, from the tribe of Yissachar who know how to intercalate years and months, and you will see that the memorial day falls exactly at the end of the seven days, on the night of the Seder." But the wise men, who saw the danger and understood where this story was heading, refused to come.
Haman's Sole Legislation
When the wise men did not arrive, Haman saw this as a golden opportunity. He had waited years to take the law into his own hands and become the sole legislator in all 127 provinces. Until that day, every law in the kingdom had to pass the approval of advisors and prime ministers from all the provinces.
Haman said to Achashverosh: "If we wait for all the wise men and advisors, you will never hang Vashti. They will start to find merit for her and say that this is the first rebellion in her life, and for one rebellion a person is released. You must take the law into your own hands!" Haman convinced the king that this was his personal problem, and that he must be the sole legislator who determines her death sentence without anyone's interference.
He Dug a Pit and Fell Into It
The book "Ayeles HaShachar" on the Megillah explains a wonderful point: This was the first time that Achashverosh took the law into his own hands and became an exclusive legislator, who could kill and hang whoever he wanted without consultation. Immediately afterward, he passed his ring to Haman, who became the executor and the de facto ruler.
But here lies the Divine Providence. Regarding this exact move it is said: "He dug a pit and excavated it, and he fell into the trap he made" (Psalms 7:16). In the merit of that very law that Haman initiated in order to hang Vashti immediately and without a trial, it became possible for Achashverosh to hang Haman himself immediately!
The moment Haman was caught in his corruption, Achashverosh no longer needed to gather 127 advisors to judge his case. By the power of the constitution that Haman himself handed over to the king, he was hanged immediately. With Hashem's help, may all the "Hamans" in every generation be hanged in this way, and may we merit the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen.
Part 2 of 2 — Class No. 131
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