Timeless Torah

Haman’s star shone brighter than ever before. Appointed as Prime Minister and given the King’s signet ring, there didn’t seem to be anything Haman could not do. Still, as powerful as he was, he did not directly attack the Jews. Even the letters ordering genocide did not openly proclaim the Jews as the intended victims. Of course, our Rabbis wonder, “What could the potent Haman have feared that would cause him to use caution and subterfuge?”

Interestingly enough, the two heroes of the day react very differently to the evil designs conceived by the enemy. Mordechai, leader of our people, “clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes, went out into the middle of the streets and cried a great and bitter cry.” Esther, on the other hand, “sent clothes to Mordechai in order that he remove the sackcloth.”

The Shem Mishmuel, a commentary on the Megillah explains that Esther whose basic nature was one of reticence and reserve, regarded Mordechai’s outward signs of repentance - sackcloth and crying in the streets - an ostentatious and unwarranted display. She considered it better to dress and behave normally, repentance being an inner movement of the heart.

Mordechai, who understood her thoughts, refused. The Jewish people he felt were suffering from apathy. For many years already they had been lulled into a mechanical performance of Mitzvot. Mordechai’s external spectacle of himself was an attempt to attract his brethren’s attention and arouse them from their malaise . It was this sudden upsurge of violent and passionate repentance that Haman was afraid of and what he was trying to prevent. This is why Haman did not wish his diabolical intentions to become known.

As we all know and celebrate, the Jews eventually overcame their adversaries. The Megillah describes their redemption in this manner, “The Jews had light, happiness, joy and honor.” The Talmud writes that light refers to Torah, happiness to Jewish holidays, etc. The Sages, by being cryptic were trying to point out that the Jews always had Torah. But whereas previously they were indifferent to it, now they considered it their light, or now when they thought of their holidays they now regarded them as their source of happiness.

Why did Mordechai and Esther, originally, have two different ideas of how of Purim should be celebrated? Perhaps it was because Mordechai was the soul of Purim, while Esther was its body.