Q: I want to ask a question about Purim. It says in the Megillah that Achashveirosh gave the Jews the right to defend themselves again. And I would like to know, what would have happened if he didn’t give this right? Wouldn’t they try to defend themselves anyway somehow?
A: When Achashveirosh gave them the right to defend themselves it meant that the authorities in the cities, the garrison, the soldiers in every city, should not interfere with the Jews self defense. Because otherwise, throughout history when Jews defend themselves, they are considered criminals. That’s how it is in the eyes of the goyim. If we defend ourselves against the goyim who attack us, they say that we’re making a pogrom. And so whenever Jews try to protect themselves, then the authorities interfere and try to repress the Jews.
That’s what happened in Alexandria of Egypt when the Jews tried to defend themselves, the Roman governor sent his legions and then they massacred the entire Jewish populace.
Wherever Jews try to protect themselves, it’s considered a big crime; Jews are not supposed to defend themselves. Not long ago the New York Times was complaining that the Jews whenever they have a chance, they make pogroms against the goyim. The writer mentioned that in the times of Haman the Jews made a pogrom on the goyim, and he was upset that the Jews were doing it again, now in Williamsburg instead of Shushan.
What was the story? A homeless man, a bum with a razor blade, was in an elevator in Williamsburg and he gashed a Jew’s face and took away his wallet. So the Williamsburg Jews are not fools. They couldn’t appeal to the police; the police wouldn’t do anything. So one of the Jews who saw what happened ran after this homeless man and while he was running he called for help. “Chaptzem! Catch him!” He put out the Williamsburg call for reinforcements.
You know, Williamsburg is not West Orange; they have big families in Williamsburg, and so all of a sudden the windows and doors of the apartment buildings open up and there are chassidim pouring out from everywhere into the streets. A deluge of human beings; some are putting on their pants, putting on their coats, running out into the streets and they’re ready for business. And when they caught this shaigetz they gave him the special chaptzem treatment. He had to go to the hospital.
So how did our good friends of the Jewish people report it in the New York Times? Headline: Homeless Man Attacked By Hassidic Mob. You know what that means, right? An innocent homeless man walking in the street with no place to go, probably just looking to do a good deed, and the hassidic mob rushed out of their houses and made a riot; for no reason they attacked the poor honorable fellow. Because that’s always how it is for the anti-Semites – when Jews defend themselves it’s called a riot. The New York Times doesn't like that Jews should make pogroms; they prefer it the other way around.
And when the Jews in Eretz Yisroel fought back against the Arabs who attacked them so when the Jews won the war they gained many enemies at that time. Now, I’m no patriot for Medinas Yisroel but if the Arabs are coming to kill, the Jews shouldn’t defend themselves? No, the gentiles don’t think so. The U.N. makes a special meeting about the problem, a special declaration against Medinas Yisroel. All over the world, all the goyim hated the Jews because they won the war.
Because that’s the way of the world. When Jews are killed, chas veshalom, so the goyim, even the good goyim, don't mind it much. But when Jews kill goyim, all the goyim are hurt very much. And that’s why after Purim the Jews gained more sonim than before. Even Achashveirosh, although he was friendly to Esther, when he got the report about how many goyim were killed in Shushan he said וּׂ ָ̆ﬠ ה∆מ¿ך∆ל∆ּמַה ֹ̇ינוƒ„¿מ רַ‡¿ׁ ̆ƒבּו – “And in the other provinces what did they do?” It hurt him. He thought like a New York Times writer; it hurt him that they killed the goyim. ֹ̇ינוƒ„¿מ רַ‡¿ׁ ̆ƒבּוּׂ ָ̆ﬠ ה∆מ¿ך∆ל∆ּמַה means, “How many did they kill already?! So many?!”
Now, chalilah had they killed the Jews, Achashveirosh wouldn’t have said anything. Killing too many Jews, he wouldn’t say a word. But if Jews kill goyim in self-defense it’s already a tragedy.
And so when Achashveirosh gave permission, that was part of the neis. For the sake of the Purim miracle, Achashveirosh was prevailed upon to let them defend themselves. He did them a favor and gave them the right to fight back. It was a great favor that the Persian army did not interfere.
