musical neshama
The “Fall” Of Haman
Turns out, Haman brought himself down!
What is THIS all about you ask?! Precisely Queen Esther’s question when she discovered Mordechai was at the palace gates in sackcloth (Esther 4:5)
מַה־זֶּ֖ה וְעַל־מַה־זֶּֽה What is THIS and what is THIS all about?
Gematria gives us a splendid lens into the hidden miracles of PURIM. The word זה means “this” and זה only appears in Megillat Esther in a small number of passages. The Gematria is a way of interpreting the Hebrew letters based on their numerical values. For example: The above quote has gematria of 220. Mordechai’s answer was relayed to Queen Esther that Haman set into motion an evil decree to wipe out the Jews of the kingdom. Haman had drawn a random Lot called a Pur, to decide when to carry out his evil plot, which landed on the 13th day of the 12th month of Adar. The Queen was terrified, for she had kept her Jewish identity from King Achashverosh. Why the decree? Haman was a real character, totally unhinged that a Jew named Mordechai, only one man, refused to bow to him. For him that was justification for annihilating the entire Jewish population! Mordechai haYehudi, the leader of the Jewish People since the Babylonian exile, stood apart, never bowed, never wavered. He led the Jews of the kingdom in fasting and prayer for Divine help and mercy. Much later in the story we find out the king had a restless night and requested to have his book of Chronicles read to him. When he learned that his life had been saved from Bigtan and Teresh’s plot, the king asked his advisors “What honors and greatness was done to Mordechai for this?” For it was none other than Mordechai who overheard them plotting and reported it to the authorities. מַֽה־נַּֽעֲשָׂ֞ה יְקָ֧ר וּגְדוּלָּ֛ה לְמָרְדֳּכַ֖י עַל־זֶ֑ה (Esther 6:3) Haman showed up all haughty in the middle of the night to bend the king’s ear. But when the king found out Haman was there he called him to his side and asked what he should do for a man the king wishes to honor? Of course Haman was sure this was all meant for him. So he suggested grand gestures to robe the honoree in royal garb and be led on the king’s horse throughout the land, with someone pulling the horse shouting “so shall be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!” That didn’t go over too well for him. What a shock and humiliation that he had to pull Mordechai around as if he was a lowly servant. The plot thickens. Mordechai had compelled Esther to plead for the Jewish People. She was reluctant and scared the king would reject her in which case she would be executed. Considering what he had done to the previous queen Vashti, she knew the risk of angering him. Esther told Mordechai she hadn’t been called to the king in a month. She called upon him to fast for three days and all the Jews must do the same. She and her servants would fast too, after which she would present herself to the king and pray he would extend his scepter. He did and she lived to tell about it. The king offered her up to half his kingdom, he was so enamored with her. Esther was modest and had no interest in that. She had other plans. She invited the king and Haman to a banquet. Haman was on top of the world since he was singled out for this honor. Esther however had no intention of giving honor to Haman. King was in a jolly mood and the queen insisted on another lavish feast with only Haman. The king figured maybe she’d finally reveal her origin to him. So another party it was. Haman thought the king was impressed by him and on his merry way he went, couldn’t wait until the next bash. On his way home, he came upon Mordechai. Mordechai didn’t bow to him, again! This time Haman kept going, he knew he had a party with the king the next day. But, Haman ranted to his wife and family when he got back about how he was a big shot, he was given preference by the king over his other advisors which came with power and riches. He had a wife and many sons. He was the only one invited to the banquet and he was just invited to a second banquet! Yet, וְכָל־זֶ֕ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ שֹׁוֶ֖ה לִ֑י all of THIS was for naught if Mordechai the Jew wouldn’t bow to him and continued to sit by the king’s gate! (Esther 5:13). So now the big night comes and Esther and the king have a blow out party and Haman is the only guest. THIS time was different though. The king was in a generous mood once again and offered her up to half his kingdom. But Esther had something else in mind. She was a courageous queen. She expressed her sorrow and fear that someone in the kingdom planned to eliminate her and her people. The king was outraged. She at long last revealed that she was a Jewess. (Esther 7:5) The king only wanted to protect her and asked
מִ֣י ה֥וּא זֶה֙ וְאֵי־זֶ֣ה ה֔וּא Who is this and where is he?!
And Esther’s reply (Esther 7:6) אִ֚ישׁ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב הָמָ֥ן הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה an adversary and an enemy, THIS evil Haman. Haman made King Achashverosh so mad he stormed off. Haman knew he was in big trouble. He pleaded with Esther for mercy. When the king returned he found Haman by Esther’s side and his rage grew, do you intend to conquer my queen with me here? The king’s advisor proclaimed, “see the gallows that Haman built for Mordechai are right over there!” …and that was the end of Haman. Haman was hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordechai the Jew. Esther was quite distraught nonetheless since Haman’s edict to murder the Jews was still in effect. The king gave the ring he had previously given to Haman to Mordechai, and he turned over Haman’s estate to Esther and Mordechai as well. The king loved Esther and told her she could do as she pleased to rectify Haman’s decree, but he couldn’t nullify it. So they needed to write a new edict declaring the Jews had the king’s blessing to fight and defend themselves and destroy their oppressors!
Mordechai went out from before the king wearing royal clothes and a crown and the city of Shushan was cheerful and glad! לַיְּהוּדִ֕ים הָֽיְתָ֥ה אוֹרָ֖ה וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה וְשָׂשׂ֖ן וִיקָֽר
Through Mordechai and Esther, the Jews reached a level of holiness and community after fasting and praying, they were unified once again, and in turn completely defeated their enemies. On the very day the oppressors were slated to slaughter the Jews, וְנַֽהֲפ֣וֹךְ ה֔וּא everything was reversed! The Jews fought and defeated the enemies and Esther pleaded with the king to continue fighting again the next day in Shushan. She told the king she wanted Haman’s sons to be hanged too. That is what happened. When the fighting was over Mordechai HaYehudi and Queen Esther declared a national Jewish holiday for eternity that the Jews would celebrate by giving gifts to the poor, feasting, and bringing food to others. And that is why we celebrate Purim, named for the Pur- a random lottery Haman cast to decide when to wipe out the Jews. His plot was foiled and the Jews prevailed with their renewed faith and hope.
Oh, but wait, what about the numbers? Ah yes indeed. Now we can return to put the puzzle pieces together and figure THIS all out. What is the Gematria telling us? When we add the numerical value of all the above passages of Esther and Achashverosh we get:
1) מַה־זֶּ֖ה וְעַל־מַה־זֶּֽה 220
2) אִ֚ישׁ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב הָמָ֥ן הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה 1,013
3) מַֽה־נַּֽעֲשָׂ֞ה יְקָ֧ר וּגְדוּלָּ֛ה לְמָרְדֳּכַ֖י עַל־זֶ֑ה 1,250
4) מִ֣י ה֥וּא זֶה֙ וְאֵי־זֶ֣ה ה֔וּא 115
TOTAL: 2598
In each of the above verses there is an understood purpose of caring for and protecting someone other than self, seeing another’s pain, and aiming to honor another. Achashverosh was no angel, he encouraged Haman’s evil machinations. But when it involved his queen, he protected her and when it mattered, he protected her People too. So, we’ll subtract 536, the value of Haman’s narcissistic lament וְכָל־זֶ֕ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ שֹׁוֶ֖ה לִ֑י for a new TOTAL: 2062
Let’s make this more interesting, shall we? Gematria for לַיְּהוּדִ֕ים הָֽיְתָ֥ה אוֹרָ֖ה וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה וְשָׂשׂ֖ן וִיקָֽר is 2068! Subtract 2062 above from the 2068, and we get 6. What is the meaning of 6? (Here we use another gematria device based on the number of words.) Esther’s emphatic six words encapsulate who Haman was, אִ֚ישׁ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב הָמָ֥ן הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה “an adversary and enemy, THIS evil Haman!”
Haman’s downfall
Then we have Haman’s own words וְכָל־זֶ֕ה “and all of THIS”
Haman was nearly next in line to the king. He had status, power, riches, a wife and 10 sons. But to him THIS was nothing if he couldn’t get just one man, a lone Jew, to bow to him. He set himself up to fall. He desired to kill Mordechai and all the Jews so much that he offered to fill the king’s treasury with 10,000 silver coins, an enormous price, to pay for the king’s men to do the killing, [eerily foreshadowing the pay to slay of our oppressors]. He was evil incarnate, a terrifying enemy. Then he left things to chance with a lottery -Purim to fulfill that plot. He wanted to ride that regal horse decked out in the king’s crown and robe. He relished the queen not just the palace. He built a tall gallows for Mordechai. וְכָל־זֶ֕ה All of THIS was his undoing. In the end he was hanged instead. So were his 10 sons!
So I’d like to end with THIS thought. If we were to add just a few words to those 2 small ones, we would achieve כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה, “All Israel is responsible THIS one for THIS one, (for each other). May it be so.
Chag Purim Sameach
radA– thismonthismadejustforme *<:~)
חזק!
Miriam Leah
Related Posts
