This was the cause of such great joy during the neis of Purim—because that’s when it was revealed that the entire narrative, beginning with Achashveirosh and Vashti—was all from Hashem, right up to the end of the Megillah when the Yidden were saved and ultimately went on to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash.
We all go through situations in life, but as we grow older, we begin to see the big picture. We see clearly how a situation we went through twenty years earlier strengthened us for the current moment—and the story always begins earlier than it seems, and it ends later than we think. When we recognize this, we can give thanks to Hashem with a complete heart, knowing that as much as we thank, there’s so much more depth and goodness beneath the surface.
The Midrash tells us that the word “Achashveirosh” also alludes to Hashem (אחרית וראשית שלו). When a Yid understands that the Ribbono shel Olam was with him from the beginning, and the Ribbono shel Olam will be with him after everything, and the current moment is only a small fraction of the picture, he will sing and dance—realizing that his entire life is one saga of Hashem’s mercy and kindness.
