The Darkei Moshe (HaAruch 'ד ג"תרצ) writes that when there's a bris milah on Purim, the bris should be performed before the reading of the megillah so that when we read (8:16), ויקר וששון ושמחה אורה היתה ליהודים it will apply to the new-born child, too. As we know, a child is born a Yid even before his bris milah. Nevertheless, the child only receives the title יהודי after his bris. Therefore, we want the child to receive his milah before the reading of the megillah so that when we read ליהודים, it will include him too. This teaches us that the megillah not only discusses the past but the present, as well, as the miracles of the past replay themselves when we read the megillah.
The custom is to read the names of the ten sons of Haman in one breath to show that they all died at the same time (see Shulchan Aruch 690:15). The Chidushei HaRim (Likutim) zt'l explains that this is a remez for the resha'im of Bnei Yisrael to die each year at this time, when we read the megillah.
The megillah begins with ויהי, which is an expression of distress, and ends with ודובר זרעו לכל שלום, "speaking peace to all his kindred", an expression of joy, to symbolize that even if before reading the megillah, we were in pain, after reading the megillah, there are yeshuos and joy.
The Gemara (Moed Kattan 28.) teaches, "Life, children, and parnassah aren't dependent on one's merits. They depend on one's mazal." The Tiferes Shlomo zt’l writes that מגלה is gematriya מזלא. This hints that with the megillah, one can attain life, children, and parnassah, the yeshuos generally dependent on one's mazal.
The Story of the Imrei Yosef and the Gates of Gan Eden
The Imrei Yosef zy’a told the following story, and he commented that it happened "to a chassidishe yungerman in Spinka." (His son, the Chakal Yitzchak zy’a writes, "Whenever the Imrei Yosef told a story, he always included the names of the people involved in the story. But this time, he told the story without names. So, I’m certain he was referring to himself." Therefore, we will tell the story using the Imrei Yosef's name):
Once, on Pesach, after the second Seder, the Imrei Yosef went to the bookcase and randomly took out a sefer. It was a Megillas Esther. He read the entire megillah, and when he finished it, a neshamah came to him and said that he had a problem because he hadn't yet been admitted into Gan Eden. The neshamah explained that, generally, it takes no longer than twelve months to gain entrance into Gan Eden, as it states in Megillas Esther (2:12-13), חדשים וששה המור בשמן חדשים ששה המלך אל באה הנערה ובזה הנשים ותמרוקי בבשמים. But this neshamah said that more than twelve months had passed – in fact, many years had passed – and it wasn't yet permitted into Gan Eden.
The neshamah said, "The gates of Gan Eden aren't always open. They open when Yidden read the megillah. Every year, when the megillah is read on Purim, neshamos line up and wait their turn to enter Gan Eden. I also wait in this line, but the gates closed before my turn to enter. This has been going on for many years. This year, I decided to wait the entire year at the gates of Gan Eden so that when the megillah is read, I'll be first in line. I just heard you read the megillah, so I knew the gates of Gan Eden would open. I immediately knocked on the gates of Gan Eden and requested permission to enter."
The malachim guarding the door replied, "It's true, the megillah was read, but it isn't Purim today."
"But the megillah was read," the neshamah pleaded. "Open the doors and let me go to my place in Gan Eden."
The issue was debated, and the case was brought before the beis din in heaven. The beis din ruled that if the Imrei Yosef donated the zechus of this megillah reading to this neshamah, the neshamah would be permitted to enter Gan Eden.
The neshamah pleaded that the Imrei Yosef grant him the merits of this megillah reading. The Imrei Yosef agreed, and the neshamah was admitted into Gan Eden.
From this story, we learn that each year, while we read the megillah, the gates of Gan Eden are open. Therefore, we understand this is a good time for tefillah to attain all yeshuos. The gates of Gan Eden are open, and we can merit salvations.
The Megillah as Prayer and Source of Miracles
The Divrei Shmuel of Slonim zt’l once said, "The tzaddikim of our generation don't compare to the tzaddikim of the past; they can't perform miracles like the great tzaddikim of the past. However, although the tzaddikim aren't the same, Hashem remains the same." Therefore, we can expect miracles to happen in our generation, too.
There are those that say that on Purim night, after reading the megillah (and saying ואתה קדוש), the chazan should recite Kaddish תתקבל (see Mishnah Berurah 693:1). According to this view, the chazan says Kaddish תתקבל twice on this night, once after Shemonah Esrei and again after the megillah. Kaddish תתקבל is the Kaddish said after a tefillah. But what tefillah did we say? This indicates that reading the megillah is like a prayer, a plea for our nation.
One of the reasons we don't say Hallel on Purim is because הילולא זו קרייתא, "Reading the megillah is like saying Hallel" (Megillah 14.). We add that reading the megillah is a prayer for all our needs.
