Purim begins with the point we left off with: the sin with the golden calf. The calf, which is “eigel” (עגל), is from the word “igul” (עיגול), which means “round” or “circular.” If we reflect into the events recorded in Megillas Esther, we can keep seeing this concept of igul, of circles.
For example, Achashveirosh ruled from Hodu through Kush, and the Gemara says that just as he ruled over the distance between these two countries, so did he rule from one end of the world to the other. What is the proof that he ruled the entire world, just because he ruled over these two countries? It means that he ruled over the entire circle between Hodu and Kush – meaning the entire world. In these words of the Gemara, we see the concept of the igul, of circle.
Additionally, the party of Achashveirosh lasted 180 days. The number 180 is equal to the letters פ“פ, from the word הקפה, “inclusive”. This further implies that the agenda of Achashveirosh was to attain a kind of royalty that was circular, all-encompassing, where all the points are included.
In addition, the Midrash states that Achashveirosh took control over the entire world by conquering all of the countries that were outside of the more inner countries, and in this way he gained the inner countries without having to conquer them, because once he had the outer countries, the inner countries were defeated with them as well. The depth of this is that he overcame the world in a “circular” manner, for by conquering the outer countries, he had circled all over the inner countries.
Another hint to this concept is that the very word “Megillah” (מגילה) is rooted in the word igul (עיגול). A Megillah is rolled out from a scroll, hinting to the “roundness” that it coming to reveal. The story of the Megillah reveals the holy kind of igul (circle) which counters the igul on the side of evil, which was the eigel (the sin with the golden calf ).
(As is well-known, the original sin of mankind, the Eitz HaDaas, bears a similarity to the sin with the eigel hazahav, the golden calf. They both brought death to the world. The sin with the Eitz HaDaas was the root of all sin, and the sin with the golden calf was its branch.
We can find an allusion to the sin with the Eitz HaDaas from the story of the Megillah, which begins from the point where the sin with the Golden Calf leaves us off at [a decree of death]. For example, after Vashti was called, letters were sent out to all the countries that from now on, “every man shall rule in his home” – the new decree was that man would now “rule” over his wife.
By the sin with the Eitz HaDaas, woman received the curse that man would rule over her, as a punishment upon her for the sin; but this is not how it was supposed to be, had Chavah never sinned. Another connection between the sin with the Eitz HaDaas and the story of the Megillah is that Achashveirosh requested that Vashti appear unclothed in front of all the guests. This resembled the sin of Adam and Chavah of being unclothed in front of the Serpent, which aroused its jealousy and caused him to want to kill Adam and take Chavah for a wife.)
