Was Esther Crazy?

Megillas Esther 7:6 “And Esther said, a despicable man, this terrible Haman”

“Rabbi Eliezer said, we can learned from here that Esther originally pointed to Achashveirosh when she said, “a despicable man”, immediately an angel came and pushed her hand in the direction of Haman” – (Yalkut Shimoni Esther)

It seems rather crazy, how is it possible that Esther HaMalka ever would have considered pointing at Achashveirosh?! Didn’t she realize that by doing so, she was putting herself and the rest of Klal Yisrael in danger?

Rav Shlomo HaLevi Alkabeitz answers in Manos HaLevi (his work on Megillas Esther) that Esther wanted to give herself up for death.

Esther knew the law, that if anyone in the royal family dies all of the Kingdom’s edicts and decrees were relinquish, she therefore wished to give up her own life, so that Klal Yisrael would not have be annihilated.

Charvonah Zachor LaTov!

Megillas Esther 1: 10 - “Charvonah”

Interestingly, in Megillas Esther when speaking about Achashveirosh’s Servant, Charvonah, his name is spelled in two different ways. In the first Perek ( 1:10)an ‘Aleph’ is at the end of his name and in the seventh Perek, (7:9) “Charvonah one of his officers said before the king, here is the tree that Haman had made for Mordechai…” his name is spelled with a ‘Hey’?!

In his Responsa, Mayim Chaim, Rav Chaim HaKohen Rappaport answers that in the Sefer Beis Shmuel on Gittin it is written that when a name ends with an ‘Aleph’ it means that the name is a secular name, but when it ends with a ‘Hey’ it is a holy name.

Rav Rappaport continues to answer that at first Charvonah’s name was mentioned with an ‘Alef’, because that was his true essence, he was a gentile officer of the King. In the seventh Perek however Chazal say that the Charvonah that was mentioned was not the gentile officer but that he was Eliyahu HaNavi coming in the form of Charvonah to tell Achashveirosh that Haman should be killed on the gallows that he had set aside to kill Mordechai on. Therefore he was truly a holy person, and the name Charvonah is written with a ‘Hey’.

How did Mordechai feed Esther?????????

2:7 “Vayihi Omein Es Hadasa Hi Esther Bas Dodo”

The Medrish in (Breishis Rabba, Parsha 30) mentions a “Peledicka Zach”: Mordechai looked around all of Shushan for a wet-nurse for Esther. After much time spent-- he couldn’t find one. In the end, Hashem did a miracle and gave him the ability to nurse her.

Where in the Megillah can this interesting Medrish be learned out from?

Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlit”a writes that it is possible that this Peleh can be learned out from the pasuk, “Vayihi Omein es Hadassa Hi Esther”. We know that every time that the term Vayihi is used it connotes something negative (See [Va]yihi vs. [Vi]haya). What was the negative thing that happened here?

Rav Chaim answers that Mordechai needed an Omenes (wet nurse) but could not find one. When it said Vayihi Omen it connotes that he himself fed Esther.

After discussing the matter with my friend Gabi, he told me about a Rama Mipanu in Shaar Hagilgulim which quotes a story about a man who needed a wet-nurse. After much time searching, he still could not find one. One day, “out of the blue”, Hashem gave him the ability to nurse his child. The Rama MePanu says that this person was a gilgul of Mordechai!

[Va]yihi vs. [Vi]haya

Megillas Esther 1:2 “Vayihi Bimei Achachveirosh” – “And it was in the days of Achashveirosh”

(Esther Rabba, Psichtos, 11) Every place when it says “Vayihi” – it connotes sorrow. What is the sorrow that is suggested at the beginning of Megillas Esther? Haman HaRasha began his ruse to destroy the Jewish people.

Adding on to the above Midrash, the Nachlas Dovid points out that every place it says, “ViHaya” it is a connotation of happiness that is to come.

The root of the word Vayihi = Yihi (will be) however is clearly connected with something that is to happen in the future. By simply adding a vav at the beginning of the word we change the word from future tense to past tense – [Va]Yihi.

The same has proven to be true with the word ViHaya. By simply adding a vav infront of the word haya (it was) the word becomes – [Vi]Haya, which has a connotation towards the future. (“Vihaya Biacharis Ayamim” – “And it will be in the end of days”)

Now that we understand that the added Vav entirely switches the meaning of the word. We can begin to understand as to why the word Vayihi = sorrow and why Vihaya = happiness.

One who is left in sorrow wishes to switch the circumstances of their present situation to the way that it used to be in the past. On the flipside, one who is presently in a state of happiness wishes that their happiness and good fortune will stick with them into the future.

Megillas Esther leaves us with mixed feelings. At the beginning we started with a VaYihi nevertheless at the end we had feelings of a Vihaya. Iy”H, we should only have to say Vihaya and no longer be forced to say the painful and sorrowful term - Vayihi.

Parshas Vayikra - "Putting Yourself Out There"

QUICKIE/ FUNFACT: Vayikra 1:2 "…When a man among you brings an offering to Hashem…"

The Sforno commenting on this passage says that an animal offering is not only an offering of one's animal but it is also an offering of oneself. An obvious question is, how does a person bring himself as an offering to G-d? Rav Eliezer Man Shach Zt"L answers that we can learn a tremendous lesson from the bringing of Korbanos. A person brings themselves as a Korban before Hashem when they stand before G-d and admit their nothingness with a broken heart. When a person shows this humility, even if they have a physical imperfection, which would disqualify them as a karban in the mikdash, they are still considered to be a perfect Sacrifice before the Lord. Not only are they Kosher as a Korban but they are considered to be an Olah offering, one that is most desired by the Ribbono Shel Olam.

The opening of the third book of the Torah begins with something unique and special. We are left to understand the small aleph that is written at the end of the first word of the parsha, Vayikra. After working on the Mishkan, and its construction was complete it was still lacking something. It was lacking the appeasement of G-d. Within this Calling (Vayikra) which Hashem did to Moshe, the Mishkan was now officially complete. It was until this point in history that Klal Yisrael waited for this Calling from Hakadosh Baruch Hu to Moshe. This calling was Hashem's notion of breathing life into the Mishkan and deeming it a valid resting spot. To make note of this point a small aleph is written in the Torah.

Why was this calling that was done by Hashem, specifically one that related to the Karbanos? If a person wants to be forgiven for a sin the Karban is not the most essential part of the offering but it is the Viduy and the Charata that comes with it that is the most important part! The Ramban answers that when a person brings a Karban it is not just like he is bringing the animal but it is like what we said earlier, he is bringing himself. A person should feel that his atonement is coming because all of the things that he is presently doing to the animal are also happening to him (Slaughtering, Skinning, spilling of the blood). therefore the giving of the Karban is one in the same with the Viduy and the Charata.

It says in the Midrash at the beginning of this Parsha that we should start teaching our children from Parshas Vayikra and not from Breishis and Shmos. Why is this? One would assume that they should try to amuse their children with the beautiful stories of our forefathers and then make an attempt at teaching them the more complicated details of the sacrifices. The Shulchan Shlomo answers, that quickly after commencing the studies of the Karbanos a person realizes that there is only so much that a Karban can fix. If one sins by mistake then he brings a Karban Chatas. If he sins on purpose however, he either pays with his life or some other sort of physical affliction. The Midrash says that we should start teaching our children from Parshas Vayikra because they will instantaneously realize the sensitivity of sin and they will distance themselves from it.

We are too teach our children the message of, Sur Meira Viasei Tov. This message is not only important to the children but it is equally as important to us as adults. When reading the Karbanos we are too imagine the scene as if we are being sacrificed on the mizbeach. The messege is clear we just have to internalize it.

HAVE A FANTASTIC SHABBOS! and a Shabbat Shalom ~

Letter From The House Of A Mourner

From:

Sent: Monday, March 10, 2008 4:33 PM
To:
Subject: wrote this about one of the murdered in Israel on Thurs...

To my dear friends and family,
_____ and I just got back form paying a shiva call to the family of Segev Avichayil, the young boy murdered in the terrorist attack Thursday night. I was expecting a terrible scene of crying and shouting, of blaming and lots of unanswered questions. What we encountered was the exact opposite.
the apartment was a modest one, the only interior design being the sefer lined living room walls. this was clearly a home of torah and yirat shamayim. at least a hundred people were crowded into the room, all listening while the father of this young man spoke with total composure and clarity. Segev's mother and sister sat quietly listening to words which are difficult to imagine coming from a man whose son had been so cruelly torn from him. I tried to absorb every word, knowing that I was in the presence of greatness and would probably never encounter strength like this again.
Rav Avichayil was telling all the heartbroken people who came to comfort him that he was not broken. He said that he and his wife, and all of their remaining children were stronger in their faith and love for Hashem than ever. He said that Hashem has chosen this time for the Jewish nation to return to its borders, and the terrorist was just a shaliach to test our resolve to resettle the land. Hashem had now chosen a new path for him and his family to embark on, and all he could do was thank Hashem for having been graced with such a precious neshama for the years his son lived.
someone there asked if he had questions for Hashem. He said that the gemara is written in a way that there are always more questions to be asked, deeper layers to reveal and understand. He said that he did not have questions of Hashem, he just knows that he can not understand everything yet. he said that he had no questions, just perhaps he felt a lack of clarity. He went on to describe his son Segev, a boy so connected to torah at just 15 years old. he loved to learn with his father, and had deep respect for his father. He stood when his father entered the room, and always was very interested in how his father was doing. He called from yeshiva all the time to speak to his parents and siblings aways caring so much for what they were doing and how they were. He went regularly to the hospital to dance and sing and make people happy. His father asked him once if he was embarrassed to do it, and he could not understand the question. Why should he be embarrassed to make people happy. We have truly lost a special neshama.
Segev's Rav from Merkaz Harav was there. He told us that the reason Segev had been in the library the night of the shooting and not in the Bait midrash was because the Bait midrash was crowded and he did not want to be distracted from his learning. the terrorist killed all the students who could not escape the library fast enough. Segev died with his sefer still open in his hands.
May Hashem bring a nechama to this beautiful Jewish family, who raised their son with the most beautiful torah values and love for yidishkeit. May we see the yeshuah quickly in our days. We must all continue to daven for Shalom for klall yisrael in Eretz Yisrael, and for protection from the evil reincarnation of Haman and Amalek.
Besurot Tovot, ___________

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