Megillas Esther depicts two diverse worlds - the world of Haman and the world of the Jewish People – and the interaction between them. Haman’s existence is dominated by the world of fantasy. Immediately upon being promoted to his position of prominence he enacts two new laws. Everyone must bow down to the statue of his likeness, and additionally, they must bow down to Haman himself. Were these the second in command’s biggest concerns? Moreover, when Mordechai refused to acquiesce and bow down, Haman is overcome with rage to the point that he wishes to annihilate an entire people because of the insubordination of a single person. These are acts and feelings that are borne out of fantasies and desires; not the product of clear logical thinking.
Continuing on through the Megilla, one finds numerous additional demonstrations of Haman’s delusional thinking. Even after the decree of annihilation goes into effect and Mordechai’s fate is "signed and sealed," Haman is still infuriated by Mordechai’s denial to bow. He gathers all his advisors and friends and asks them to devise a plan to rid him once and for all from this thorn in his side. They advise him to build a gallows fifty cubits high and hang Mordechai upon them in view of the entire city. Why was he so set on killing an already marked man? What honor did he expect to gain by building a towering gallows? The answer is that his fantasies and imagination caused him to believe that these would be the greatest acts of revenge and would bring him tremendous honor.
This obsession of Haman pushes him to make a nocturnal visit to the king to gain permission to hang Mordechai. Upon arrival, the king asks him what he would suggest be done to someone the king wishes to honor. Automatically, his imagination leads him to believe that out of the millions of people in Achashveirosh’s kingdom, he is the only one deserving honor. He answers that such a person should be paraded in the streets in royal clothes and a crier should proclaim, "So should be done to the one whom the king wishes to honor." This is the ultimate honor he can envision – his dreams will finally come to fruition! Even the invitation to the royal party prepared by Esther was no reason to boost his ego as it did. Is it not common practice that the hierarchy get together to discuss various issues? Yet, in Haman’s mind, everything pointed towards his greatness and prominence. He lived in a world of complete fantasy.
The Jewish people crossed paths with this world when they partook of the party thrown by Achashveirosh. They enjoyed the pleasures and satiated their desires during the banquet, thereby detracting from their own world which until then had spurned fantasy. As a result, Haman was given free rein to do as he wished – and he wished to annihilate the entire Jewish Nation. This allowed them to see things with a clarity that had not been achieved by exhortations of all forty eight prophets who had in the past called upon the Jewish People to repent. They realized that the Jewish Nation has no part and parcel in a world that is built on fantasies. Moreover, they came to a realization that the Jewish way of life is the only true way to live. The only true "light" is the light of the Torah, and real pleasure lies in the performance of mitzvos and the bond that we have with Hashem. This realization was so strong, that it brought them to reaccept the Torah – this time out of pure love of Hashem.
This is the segulah of Purim. It is a day that grants us the ability to perceive the fantasy of the world in which most people live. It allows us to uproot ourselves from such an existence and replant ourselves in the world of truth that is the legacy of the Jewish People. (Da’as Shlomo by Rabbi Wolbe)
This dvar Torah was compiled l’iluy nishmas the Mashgiach Harav Shlomo ben R’ Moshe z"l
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