Instead of the Parsha, this week we will focus on the Megilas Esther during Purim Katan.
Haman was hanged on the gallows he made for Mordechai, and the king's anger subsided. King Achashveirosh granted Queen Esther the house of Haman, the Jews' enemy, on that day. Mordechai appeared before the king, as Esther had informed him of their relationship. The king took off his ring, which he had removed from Haman and gave it to Mordechai, and Esther placed Mordechai in charge of the house of Haman. Esther resumed speaking before the king, and she fell before his feet, and she wept and beseeched him to avert the harm of Haman the Agagite and his device that he had plotted against the Jews. Then the king extended the golden scepter to Esther, and Esther arose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor before him, and the matter is properly before the king, and I am good in his sight, let it be written to rescind the letters, the device of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. For how can I see the evil that will befall my people, and how can I see the destruction of my kindred?” Then King Achashveirosh said to Queen Esther and to Mordechai the Jew, “Behold the house of Haman I have given to Esther, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he laid a hand on the Jews. And you-write about the Jews as you see fit, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for a writ that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be rescinded.” (Esther chapter 7 & 8)
If Haman was already on the gallows in 7:10, why did Esther need to put Mordechai in charge of Haman's house? Additionally, Esther fell at his feet in verse 3, shedding tears and begging him to intervene and stop the harm that Haman the Agagite had schemed against the Jews. What caused her to continue being concerned about Haman, even after his death? Why was it necessary for Esther to make Mordechai the leader of Haman's estate? What was the purpose? And why only Mordechai and not someone else?
The key can be as follows: We must say that Achashveirosh despised Haman as person and really wanted to get rid of him. That is why he hung him when the right time came. However, Achashveirosh wasn’t in love with the Jews and, as the Gemara states, he was a foolish king and didn’t grasp a situation. Mordechai and Esther were very smart, and they knew that Haman was evil and had a secret plan to eradicate the Jews, even if he was killed. However, Esther had to show this proof to Achashveirosh about the secret evil plans and to stop the damage immediately. Therefore, since Mordechai was from the sages of the Sanhedrin who, besides being a Scholar was fluent in all languages. Esther understood that Mordechai could decipher writings even if they were encrypted. Mordechai was placed over the house of Haman and found all the writings of Haman and deciphered his secret evil plans, to be carried out even if after he was killed. Esther came to the king and wept, and says Posuk 5” let it be written to rescind the letters, the device of Haman”. Esther showed obvious proof to Achashveirosh that the danger to the Jews was still intact even after the evil Haman was dead. When Achashveirosh was confident in the words of Esther, he said: “Behold the house of Haman I have given to Esther, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he laid a hand on the Jews. He acknowledges that Haman was hanged and the house of Haman, which are the evil plans. Now Achashveirosh had to act quick to rescind the decree. And you-write about the Jews as you see fit, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring,
This is so true in all generations where we know that the evil leaders had secret and hidden evil plans against the Jews, and the only way to avert the evil plans was to destroy the movement, and not only the leaders. We see that Hashem eradicated the Romans and all other great nations who were evil to the Jews. In our present time there exist the same actions, but Hashem watches over us constantly, and will take care of all the nations who have secret evil plans for the Jews, and Hashem will hasten the coming of Moshiach. Amein.
(Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
