the model? He brought examples from the Torah earlier, with permutations of Shem Hashem that proved Dinim, so why use this reference to Haman’s speech as the rule-defining example? Rabbeinu Bachya is hinting at something here for us, something wonderful related to the names of Hashem that we’ll very uncover very soon!
We’ll quickly summarize what we have learned up to this point, and then begin our takeoff. When Shem Hashem appears in order and straight forward, it represents Rachamim. When it appears in order but backwards, it represents Dinim. When it is a mix of both, it represents a mix of both Rachamim and Dinim.
Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropola writes, after Hakadosh Baruch Hu told Moshe Rabbeinu that he’ll bring makot (plagues) upon Egypt, with the first one being the plague of דָ ם (blood), Moshe approached Pharoah and said to him:
כֹּה אָמַר ה' בְּזֹאת תֵּדַע כִּי אֲנִי ה ' הִ נֵּה אָ נֹכִ י מַ כֶּ ה בַּמַּ טֶּ ה אֲ שׁ ֶ ר־בְּ יָדִ י עַל־הַמַּיִם אֲשׁ ֶר בַּיְאֹר וְנֶהֶפְכוּ לְדָם׃
This is what Hashem has said, ‘By this you will know that I am Hashem. Behold, with the rod that is in my hand, I will strike the water of the river and it will turn into blood.
Why did Moshe need to say בַּמַּ טֶּ ה אֲשׁ ֶ ר־בְּיָדִ י? Is it relevant that the staff was in his hand? Was there a thought he might hit the Nile using the staff held between his feet or toes? Adding to the question, later in Parshat Beshalach, Hakadosh Baruch Hu instructed Moshe to get water, and there He said:
ֹאמֶ ר הּוַ י' מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־מֹשׁ ֶה עֲבֹר לִפְנֵי הָעָם וְקַח אִתְּך מַ טְּ ך אֲשׁ ֶר הִכִּיתָ בּוֹ אֶת־הַיְאֹר קַח בְּיָדְ ך וְ הָ לָכְ תָּ ׃
And Hashem said to Moshe, pass before the people, and take with you of the elders of Yisrael; and your staff, with which you hit the river, take in your hand, and go.
Once again, why is here a need to point out where the stick is held? We know it’s in his hand! Besides, what does it even matter where Moshe placed it? If he wanted to balance it on his back, what is wrong with that?
Adding to these questions, as found in Shvilei Pinchas (Purim) and elsewhere, Chazal say the staff first appeared on Erev Shabbat of Creation at twilight (just like the mouth of the earth). It was in Gan Eden until Adam took it out and passed it on to his son, Shet. It was then passed to Metushelach, followed by Noach, Shem, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaacov, and Yosef. Pharoah took the staff from Yosef and held onto it until Yitro arrived on the scene. Yitro swiped it from the palace as a souvenir and placed it in his fence, where it became stuck and unmovable until Moshe arrived in Midyan. Chazal say, the final carrier of that staff will be Melech HaMashiach, and something special appears on the staff. On it is written Shem Hashem (along with the acronyms that reflect the ten plagues delivered in Egypt). The staff, as we can all picture from the canes we see used by elderly and distinguished individuals, has a curved end on one side, where one grasps it. The other side is straight and flat, perhaps with a rubber cap or similar placed at the tip for traction. Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropola says the Shem Hashem written on the staff was Yud-Heh-Vav--Heh, written one letter at a time, vertically down the stick from the top.
When Hakadosh Baruch Hu referenced this stick in speaking to Moshe Rabbeinu, He made a special request: “Be careful when you hit the Nile with the stick.” How so? Moshe was not to hit the stick with its bottom side, where the rubber cap is placed, but rather with the top of the staff at the spot where Shem Hashem is inscribed. “Hit the Nile with the part of the staff that is in your hand.” This is clear in the language used: אָנֹכִי מַכֶּה בַּמַּטֶּה אֲשׁ ֶר־בְּיָדִ י. Why was this request and detail important? The answer is simple. If Moshe were to hit the water with the staff as he was holding it, he’d be hitting the Nile with Shem Hashem in its straight-forward order – representing Rachamim. But if he were to first flip the staff around and hold it by its bottom end, he would be hitting the Nile with the Shem Hashem spelled backwards – representing Dinim. The plagues were not a sign of Rachamim and he was not hitting the Nile for it to receive any mercy. The plagues were pure Dinim – judgement, and thus the reversal of the staff!
Rabbotai, once Bnei Yisrael were out of Egypt and they found themselves thirsty in the desert, was it still a situation of Dinim, or was it now one of Rachamim? Hakadosh Baruch Hu instructed Moshe Rabbeinu to hit the water, but this time, however, there was no special instruction to flip the stick (and the Shem Hashem).
וְ הָ לָכְ תָּ אֲ שׁ ֶ ר הִ כִּ יתָ בּ וֹ אֶ ת־הַ יְאֹר קַ ח בְּ יָדְ ך וּמַ טְּ ך - Keep the staff it in your hand! A strike of the water with Shem Hashem in its straightforward form was now needed, to invoke Rachamim and deliver water to the thirsty people. When you want to generate Dinim, you do so by invoking Shem Hashem backwards, and when you want to deliver Rachamim, you do so by invoking Shem Hashem straightforward. Which method did Haman, yimach shemo v’zichro, opt for? He went ahead and said י לִ'ה שׁ ֹ ו ֶ ' ו אֵ ינֶנּ'הוְ כָל־זֶ', invoking Shem Hashem backwards in an effort to draw Dinim on Am Yisrael.
Next step. In Megillat Ester, we’re told that Mordechai was aware of all that transpired: וּמָרְ דֳּכַי יָדַע אֶת־כָּל־אֲשׁ ֶר נַעֲשָׂה. He was informed from Shamayim, and he responded by donning sackcloth and demonstrating the practices of mourning. He then sent a message to Esther, informing her of the decree and begging her to enter the palace of Achashverosh to plead for the nation. He insisted she do this right now, even though there was a full year before the decree’s due date. Esther didn’t buy into the plan right away. “Why me? But I can’t approach the king in that manner!” Mordechai was blunt:
כִּי אִם־הַחֲרֵ שׁ תַּחֲרִ ישִׁי בָּעֵת הַזֹּאת רֶ וַח וְהַצְ לָה יַעֲמוֹד לַיְהוּדִ ים מִ מָּ קוֹם אַ חֵ ר וְ אַ תְּ וּבֵ ית־אָ בִ יךַעַתְּ תּ ֹאבֵ דוּ וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם־לְעֵת כָּזֹאת הִגַּעַתְּ לַמַּלְכוּת׃
On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.
Esther agreed to approach the king, but she had one prior request, asking Mordechai to gather all the Jews and to fast for her over the course of three days. Mordechai gathered 22,000 children and they tore open the gates of Heaven! Haman saw this group and decided on the spot that the first thing he would do when the date of his decree arrived, was to kill all these children. Three days later, Esther dressed up for the occasion and approached Achashverosh uninvited. The Megillah describes the king’s reaction:
וַיְהִי כִרְ אוֹת הַמֶּלֶך אֶת־אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה עֹמֶדֶת בֶּחָצֵר נָשְׂאָה חֵן בְּעֵינָיו וַיֹּשֶׁט הַמֶּלֶך לְאֶסְתֵּר אֶת־שׁ ַרְ בִיט הַזָּהָב אֲשׁ ֶר בְּיָדוֹ וַתִּקְ רַ ב אֶסְתֵּר וַתִּ גַּע בְּ רֹאשׁ הַשַּׁרְבִיט׃
As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won his favor. The king extended to Esther the golden scepter which he had in his hand, and Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
וַתִּ גַּע בְּ רֹאשׁ הַשַּׁרְבִיט – Allow me to ask, how did Achashverosh hold his scepter? How did he extend it to Esther? If Esther was able to reach out and grab onto the head of the scepter, as the Megillah states, it means he turned his scepter around before stretching it out upside down - or backwards. Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropola says something truly unbelievable regarding this Pasuk and act: Esther never approached Achashverosh at all! The Pasuk says וַיֹּשֶׁט הַמֶּלֶך, and Chazal state, wherever it says Hamelech Achashverosh it is the king of Persia being referred to, but wherever it simply says HaMelech, it is a reference to the King of Kings – Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Re-reading the above Pasuk, the King of Kings outstretched the sceptre to Esther, and it was reversed backwards in its extension. Why? Because Haman attempted to spark Dinim through invoking Shem Hashem backwards. And how is that now reversed so that the judgement lands squarely back on him? It is achieved by handing the sceptre to Esther flipped backwards, so that she holds onto the head of the sceptre, with Shem Hashem written straightforward as she holds onto it. Esther then drew Rachamim through the invoking of Shem Hashem in its straight order.
What did Esther say immediately upon grabbing onto the sceptre? She invited Achashverosh and Haman to attend a party prepared in their honor, and she did so with the following request:
א ֶ ל ־ ה ַ מּ ִ שׁ ְ תּ ֶ ה א ֲ שׁ ֶ ר ־ ע ָ ש ׂ ִ י תִ י ל ו ֹ (וֹם ) י'הַ הָ מָ ן 'וְ מּ ֶ לֶ ך'הַ בוֹא 'יָ.
Esther invoked Shem Hashem in her request, in its form representing Rachamim. She essentially said to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, “This evil Haman is taking Your name and turning it, in order to turn Your children into slaves and targets for eradication! He’s using Your name to draw Your anger and Dinim upon us! Ribbono Shel Olam, וֹם י'הַ הָ מָ ן 'וְ מּ ֶ לֶ ך'הַ בוֹא 'יָ !”
The result of Esther’s actions were: וְנַהֲפוֹך הוּא – the tables were turned and the verdicts reversed! In one swift minute everything was flipped on Haman, from י לִ'ה שׁ ֹ ו ֶ ' ו אֵ ינֶנּ'ה וְ כָל־זֶ' to וֹם י'הַ הָ מָ ן 'וְ מּ ֶ לֶ ך'הַ בוֹא 'יָ, and with this, we were saved, Besiyata Dishmaya.
The mazal of the month we are entering is one that is reversed, all because of י לִ'ה שׁ ֹ ו ֶ ' ו אֵ ינֶנּ'הוְ כָל־זֶ', and it is our job and responsibility to flip it back just as Esther did. Mordechai revealed to us how that is done: לֵךְ כְּנוֹס אֶת־כָּל־הַיְהוּדִ ים – We are to gather all Jews together, and וְצוּמוּ עָלַי – we are to daven to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and beseech His mercy. It will be the King of Kings who puts out His scepter for us to grab onto, with His name of Rachamim spelled out in in our hands.
From this idea, we’ll shift to a davar peleh – a wonderful idea, connected back to the original words of Rashi we started with: פָּרָ שׁ ָה זוֹ יָפֶה נִדְ רֶ שׁ ֶת בְּמִדְ רַ שׁ רַ בִּי תַנְחוּמָא. The value of יָפֶה, as we pointed out, is 95, just like Haman. The Midrash says (Bereshit Rabbah 19:2): אַרְ בָּעָה הֵן שׁ ֶפָּתְ חוּ בְּאַף וְנֶאֶבְדוּ בְּאַף – Four began their speech with the word אַ ף (but) and lost their place in the world through that word. The four are: 1) The snake, who said to Chava, “ל ֹהִ ים-אַ ף כִּ י אָ מַ ר אֱ”; 2) the baker, who said to Yosef, “אַף אֲנִי בַּחֲלוֹמִי”; 3) the encampment of Korach, who said to Moshe, “אָמְרוּ אַף לֹא אֶל אֶרֶ ץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְ בָשׁ”; and 4) Haman, who said to his family, “אָמַר אַף לֹא הֵבִיאָה אֶסְתֵּר”. The career of all four ended abruptly after those remarks. The primeval serpent was sent to slither on the ground, the baker was hanged, Korach’s followers were swallowed up, and Haman was hanged. Sefer Peninim Yekarim adds a nice point. The Mishna (Shabbat 5:1) teaches us which animals that may go out into the public domain on Shabbat and how. וְ נָאקָ ה בַ חֲ טָ ם – a female camel goes out with a string tied through her nose (אַ ף). He says ה'נָאקָ stands for: ה'מן– ק'רח – א'ופה –נ'חש, our four characters who began their statement with אַ ף and then vanished, teaching us not to stick our nose into any matter.
The Imrei Chaim of Viznitz adds, each of the four were envious characters. Korach envied Moshe and Aharon, the snake envied Chava, the baker envied the Sar HaMashkim whose dream was solved, and Haman envied Mordechai. And as we know: הַ קִ נְאָ ה וְ הַ תַּ אֲ וָה וְ הַ כָּבוֹד, מוֹצִ יאִ ין אֶ ת הָ אָ דָ ם מִ ן הָ עוֹלָם – envy, lust, and the desire for honor put a man out of the world.
After we established a connection between Haman and Korach, we can continue on to the Midrash that describes Korach’s opening act in our Parsha. וַ יִ קַ ח קֹ רַ ח – he took his tallit and he took advice from his wife. The Midrash says, there were two great people (gedolim) in the world, one belonged to Yisrael – Korach – and one belonged to the nations of the world – Haman – and both listened to the advice of their wives before falling down. We now have a second connection between Haman and Korach. The latter took advice to challenge Moshe with regards to the Halachah of a garment made entirely of techelet, and with regards to the Halacha of a room filled with Sifrei Torah requiring a Mezuzah. The former took advice to stand up a tall tree to hang Moshe from and ended up being hanged from it himself.
A third source of this connection between Korach and Haman comes from the Gemara (Sotah 9b), which states the primeval snake seduced Chava, who was unfit for him, and consequently, all that was his possession was taken from him. The snake was initially meant to be king over every domesticated animal and non-domesticated animal, but now he was cursed more than all the animals combined. The Gemara continues to say the same reversal of fortune is found with a list of 10 individuals, which include both Korach and Haman, all of whom placed their eyes on that which was unfit for them, and consequently, what they desired was not given to them and what they did have was taken from them.
A fourth source is Gemara (Pesachim 119) which states Yosef hid three treasures in Egypt – one of them was revealed to Korach, one to King Antoninos of Rome, and one is hidden for the righteous in the future. The Ben Yehoyada comments, the treasures were the money Yosef received when selling the food prior to the famine in Egypt, and it was split into three piles. That which came from idol worshipers in one pile, that which came from thieves in another pile, and that which came from those who observed the seven Noahide laws was placed in a third pile. Each pile was transformed into a single coin. Korach found the first coin, that which had no business entering the world of purity and holiness, and following the earth swallowing him up, no trace of that treasure remained. What is the connection to Haman? R’ Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz, in Manot HaLevi, says Haman told his wife and family all about his כְּבוֹד עָשׁ ְ רוֹ וְרֹב בָּנָיו – his great wealth and many sons. He says he found in the sefer of Rabbi Yosef Gakun, a Midrash that states one the Yosef’s three buried treasures was revealed to Korach, and the second to Haman!
There are more connections between Korach and Haman that we can list one after the next, including The Midrash (Tanchuma, Matot 5) that says: שׁ ְ נ ֵ י ע ֲ שׁ ִ י רִ י ם ע ָ מְ ד ו ּ ב ּ ָ ע ו ֹ ל ָ ם – Two wealthy men arose in the world, Korach from Israel and Haman from the nations of the world; but both were lost from the world. Why? Because their gift was not from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Rather, they grabbed it up for themselves. What does it mean that they grabbed it up? Neither recognized the source of all wealth and gifts, Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Both believed their own hands and entitlement could drive their possessions and accomplishments.
We’ll end our list with the Tosafist, Rabbeinu Ephraim. Moshe Rabbeinu instructed Korach to return the next morning, and to bring with him Ketoret. What language did he use in this call? אַ תָּ ה וָהֵ ם וְ אַ הֲרֹן מָ חָ ר ' הֱ יוּ לִ פְ נֵי ה אַ תָּ ה וְ כׇ ל־עֲדָ תְ ך. Rabbeinu Ephraim looks at this peculiar and repetitive language and points to the significant sofei teivot found within: ן' וְ אַ הֲ רֹ ם' וָהֵ ה'אַ תּ ָ – Haman. Haman is found in our Parsha when the encampment is invited to all offer up the Ketoret, because the disputes of Korach and Haman are one in the same. One is fighting against, and envious of, the gadol hador Moshe Rabbeinu, and the other, Mordechai. One failed and was sent into the ground, the other failed and was separated from the ground in an upwards motion.
There are endless examples, some of them above, leading us to conclude Haman was the same as Korach. Thus, Rashi comments at the start of our Parsha: פּ ָ רָ שׁ ָ ה ז ו ֹ י ָ פ ֶ ה נ ִ דְ רֶ שׁ ֶ ת. The numerical values of יָפֶה and המן are the same – Rashi is saying to read the Parsha from start to finish, all 95 Pesukim, and there you’ll find the drasha. There you will recognize Haman directly within the Parsha.
It is written that Rebbe Nachman of Breslov said the secrets of Purim were only revealed him to slightly at first, but over time he gained a full vision and comprehension of them. He writes that his work, his Avodah, on the day of Purim was also to correct the sin of Korach. At first he did not understand the connection between Purim and Korach, but later, with the help of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, he grasped it. What was it? He points to the Pasuk: א שׁ ו ֹ 'מּ ָ רֵ ט ר ֹ 'נָיו יִ 'פּ ְ אַ ת פּ ָ 'אִ ם מִ 'וְ, whose roshei teivot spell out פורים. And what is the word that follows in that Pasuk? קֵ רֵ חַ. The secret of Purim was revealed to him in this Pasuk. (Later he writes that he went back to check the Pasuk, and קֵ רֵ חַ is not the next word found. קֵ רֵ חַ appears in the Pasuk just prior, whereas the word after פורים is גִּ בֵּ חַ. He explains the difference and sustained connection, but we’ll leave that for another time.)
Korach and Haman appear together throughout the examples provided and Haman is found in the Parsha of Korach, but where is the exact point of connection between the two? The Gemara (Chullin 139b) asks where we find Mordechai hinted to in the Torah, and answers it is in the words מׇ ר־דְּ רוֹר, found in section detailing the Ketoret of the Mishkan. That Gemara also states Moshe is found in the words בְּשׁ ַגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר. Why does the Gemara list Mordechai and Haman? Why aren’t Aharon Antiyochus listed there? Why are we looking for them together in the Torah? If the Gemara is looking for Mordechai and Moshe together, it is because they are directly connected. After Eliyahu HaNavi revealed to Mordechai all that took place with Haman’s decree, Eliyahu ran to Moshe Rabbeinu and called on him to daven to Hakadosh Baruch Hu that the decree be annulled. Based on the how the decree was sealed, Moshe Rabbeinu could not do so alone though and needed a tzaddik on earth to join him in that Tefillah. Thus, Mordechai and Moshe joined together to beseech Hakadosh Baruch Hu to annul Haman’s decree.
Mordechai was found in the sweet scent of the Ketoret, whereas הָ מָ ן (95) was the opposite. He was found in the חֶ לְ בְּ נָה (95) – the galbanum, an ingredient that on its own has an unpleasant odor. The Bnei Yissaschar says, Haman was the chelbena – because he too had an unpleasant odor. Whereas Esther is referred to as Hadassa (myrtle tree) and Shoshana (rose), both of which have very pleasant scents, Haman was the polar opposite to the nose. Haman opened his remarks with אף, seeking to draw judgement upon the Jews, and was hanged. Just as Korach opened his hostile dispute with אף and wound up buried in the ground.
Based on its name, the month of Tammuz is the most difficult month of the year. We can change that, however, through our gathering and uniting of all Jews, through our genuine and dedicated Tefillah, and through our recognition of Hashem’s name. As we enter Tammuz, may we approach the King of Kings with sincerity, and may He extend His scepter to us so that we grasp on to the Shem Hashem that brings us only Rachamim during the coming month. May all our hostages be returned home, may all our soldiers return safely, and may the terrible threats to our North and South be eliminated. As the Navi Zecharia says, may the fast of Tammuz and the fast of Av become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals for all Am Yisrael, speedily in our day. ◊
