Rabbi Yissocher Frand writes:
“The Megillah [Esther 3:9] states that Haman offered to increase the king’s coffers by 10,000 kikar silver in exchange for the right to get rid of the Jews. (Tosfos in Tractate Megillah [16a] indicates that this was a half shekel for every Jewish person.) The simple analysis of Haman’s offer is that Haman was afraid that Achashveirosh would object to the loss of Jewish tax revenue if he killed them all. To pre-empt that financial objection, Haman was ready to sweeten the deal for the king by making an offer of ten thousand kikar silver.
On the metaphysical level, however, the Rabbis tell us that Haman was trying to negate the merit of the Jews’ annual half shekel contribution to the Temple’s upkeep. The Gemara [Megillah 13b] says that since Hashem knew that Haman would offer shekels to Achashveirosh to ‘purchase’ the right to destroy the Jews, Hashem pre-empted Haman’s contribution through the half shekel. The merit of the Jews contributing the annual half shekel protected them (in the future) against Haman’s evil designs.
I once heard an interpretation of this Gemara in the name of the Yismach Yisrael. Haman’s potential for destroying the Jewish people was hinted at in his own description of the nation: “There is a people that is dispersed and divided...” [Esther 3:8]. It is only because there is division and unjustified hatred within the Jewish nation that their enemies have the ability to harm them.
When the Jews are divided, they represent only individuals, not a klal [a communal entity]. When that happens, we have lost our strength. Haman’s whole plot was based on the division of the nation. That is why G-d insisted that each Jew should give exactly one half shekel. The symbolism of the half shekel is that each Jew is only a fraction of the entity. He needs to combine with his fellow Jews to make a significant contribution. If we think we can be ‘an entire shekel unto ourselves,’ that is not going to work. Our strength is through the recognition that we need each other and the realization that we need to set aside our petty differences to come together to provide a complete shekel.
To add to this, I find it fascinating that the value of the letters of Haman’s name, when multiplied together, heh (5) times mem (40) times nun (50), equals 10,000!
RABBI YAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER
RABBI DAVID GURWITZ
