“You will fall before him.” (6:13)
Zeresh told Haman: כי נפל תפול לפניו - “You will fall before him [Mordechai]”. What was Zeresh saying? Was she telling Haman there is no hope for him and he will fall before Mordechai?
The Malbim explains that she was offering advice. She told Haman to humble himself before Mordechai. נפל תפול לפניו, act as though you are weaker than him because then Mordechai will stop davening, and then there will be hope for you. But if you fight Mordechai and he davens to be saved, Hashem will certainly listen to his tefillos.
Indeed, immediately after Haman led Mordechai through the streets of Shushan with immense honor, Mordechai returned to his tefillos, as it states (6:12): וישב מרדכי אל שער המלך - “Mordechai returned to the king's gate”, and Rashi writes: לשקו ולתעניתו - “That he returned to his sackcloth and fasting”. He wisely didn't stop davening, and that is what brought about the salvation.
The Avnei Nezer zt”l was once ill, and when he began feeling better, he said that sometimes the yetzer horah causes people to feel a bit better, so they will stop davening. The Avnei Nezer noted that Mordechai didn't make this mistake. He continued davening even after all the honor he received.
This is one of the lessons of Purim, to believe in the power of tefillah. And particularly, on Purim itself, Purim is an eis ratzon [special time] for tefillah.
In the spirit of Purim, we suggest why Haman's youngest son was called Vayizasa. The reason is that he saw his nine brothers hanging and didn't run away! Therefore, for being so foolish, he deserved the name Vayizasa! (Vayizasa is a name people comically use on Purim to describe someone unwise.)
This joke reminds us that if there's a problem, and you have an opportunity to escape from it, you must be a fool not to utilize it. We are referring to tefillah on Purim. Look around yourself for a moment, consider all your neighbors' homes. Is there a family that doesn't have a serious problem? For one, it is related to health; for a second, it is about shidduchim; for a third, it is about nachas; and for a fourth, it is about parnassah. But there's a solution. You can daven on Taanis Esther and on Purim. Only a Vayizasa will be callous and not take advantage of these holy times. (R’ Elimelech Biderman)
