Secrets in the Book of Esther

SECRETS IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER

FEBRUARY 1999
http://www.heritage.org.il/innernet/archives/gematria.htm

by Rabbi Avie Gold
Reprinted with permission from "PURIM - ITS OBSERVANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE" Published by Mesorah Publications Ltd, Brooklyn, NY. Web: http://www.artscroll.com

In almost every alphabet, each letter is assigned a particular place in the sequence of letters. Most of today's languages developed from earlier, ancient tongues, and not all bothered to keep the internal structure of their alphabets the same as that of the borrowed-from languages. Moreover, even the arrangements of letters in the earlier alphabets had neither scientific nor logical bases. The Holy Tongue of Hebrew, however, assigns each letter its position among the others based upon the unique numerical value of that letter. Thus, the Aleph with a value of one, is first; Bet - two, is second; and Gimmel - three, is third. This system of numbers is called gematria. A complete table of these values appears below.
Aleph = 1 Bet = 2 Gimmel = 3 Daled = 4 Heh = 5 Vav = 6 Zayin = 7 Chet = 8 Tet = 9 Yud = 10 Kaf = 20 Lamed = 30 Mem = 40 Nun = 50 Samech = 60 Ayin = 70 Pey = 80 Tzaddi = 90 Kuf = 100 Reish = 200 Shin = 300 Taf = 400

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A natural consequence of this correlation between letters and numbers is the gematria of words. That is, the total of the numerical equivalents of the respective letters of the word. For example, the gematria of "Abba" - father, is four (1 + 2 + 1). Gematria often plays a significant role in Torah study and kabbalistic teachings. Here are some examples relating to Purim:

127 PROVINCES
The Scroll of Esther reports that King Ahasuerus ruled over 127 provinces. The Vilna Gaon cites a Midrash that locates 100 of Ahasuerus' provinces on continental land masses. The remaining 27 were islands in the sea. He then cites the verse, "King Ahasuerus levied a tax on the land and the islands of the sea" (Esther 10:1) as proof of this statement. The gematria of "mas" (tax) is 100 and the gematria of "vi-eyay" (and the islands) is 27. This verse may then be interpreted: King Ahasuerus had 100 provinces on the mainland and 27 in the sea.

ON THE SABBATH
The Talmud reports that Queen Vashti was killed on the Sabbath, because God always metes out punishment, measure for measure. Every Sabbath day, Vashti would strip her Jewish maids of their clothing and force them to work. Therefore, on the Sabbath, God caused the king to demand that she appear in public stripped of her clothing. (Talmud - Megillah 12b) The commentator Arameiz Badavar finds in Vashti's name an allusion to her profanation of the Sabbath. The gematria of "Vashti" is 716, the same as that of "Shabbat Baza" - she insulted the Sabbath.

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ONLY THE CROWN
When King Ahasuerus asked Haman what to do for the man he wished to honor, Haman thought the king was referring to him (Esther 6:6). And since the king had already raised Haman above all the other officials in his kingdom (3:1), Haman lacked nothing. In fact, he considered himself on a par with Ahasuerus. [Even his name alluded to royalty: "Haman" has a gematria of 95, the same as "Hamelech" - the king.] The one thing Haman did not have was the king's crown. And that he coveted greatly. So Haman replied that the man the king desires to honor should be dressed royally "with the royal crown on his head." (Esther 6:8) The commentator Arameiz Badavar points out an allusion to Haman's lust for the crown, the only thing separating him from the king: The first time Haman is mentioned in the Scroll of Esther (3:1), he is called "Haman son of Hammedasa the Agagite." The gematria of this phrase is 619, exactly one less than the gematria of "keter" - crown - 620. Haman was just one short of the crown!

THE TEST OF SOBRIETY
The Talmudic dictum, "A person is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim until he does not know the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordechai," is the subject of much rabbinic discussion regarding the amount one must actually drink to fulfill this obligation. According to the commentator Abudraham, one is required to drink enough so that he will become too intoxicated to be able to compare two sets of numbers to determine whether they are equal. The Talmud expresses this tersely as the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordechai," two phrases with the same gematria - 502.

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The Name of Y-H-W-H in the Book of Esther
This Is Appendix 60 From The Companion Bible.

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It has been observed by many that no Divine Name or Title is found in the book of Esther. This is the more remarkable, since, in this short book of only 167 verses, the Median King is mentioned 192 times, his kingdom is referred to 26 times, and his name "Ahasuerus" is given 29 times. Y-H-W-H had declared (Deuteronomy 31:16-18), that if His People forsook Him, He would hide His face from them. Here this threatening was fulfilled. But, though He was hidden from them, He was working for them. Though the book reveals Him as overruling all, His Name is hidden. It is there for His People to see, not for His enemies to see or hear. The acrostic letters show the four consonant letters of the name Y-HW-H. In the Hebrew , , , , or, as written in Hebrew from right to left, , , , . In English, L,O,R,D. Also the five letters of the fifth Acrostic, "E-H-Y-H." THE FOUR ACROSTICS. The following phenomena are noticed in examining the four acrostics which form the name "Y-H-W-H": 1. In each case the four words forming the acrostic are consecutive. 2. In each case (except the first) they form a sentence complete in itself. 3. There are no other such acrostics in the whole book, except the fifth Acrostic at the end; though there is one other, forming another Divine Title, in Psalm 96:11. 4. In their construction there are not two alike, but each one is arranged in a manner quite different from the other three. 5. Each is uttered by a different speaker. The first by Memuchan (1:20); the second by Esther (5:4); the third by Haman (5:13); the fourth by the inspired writer (7:7). 6. The first two Acrostics are a pair, having the name formed by the Initial letters of the four words. 7. The last two are a pair, having the name formed by the Final letters of the four words. 8. The first and third Acrostics are a pair, having the name spelt backward. 9. The second and fourth are a pair, having the name spelt forward. They thus form an alternation: A | Backward. B | Forward. A | Backward. B | Forward. 10. The first and third (in which the name is formed backward) are a pair, being spoken by Gentiles.

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11. The second and fourth (in which the name is spelt forward) are a pair, being spoken by Israelites. They thus form an Alternation:C | Spoken by a Gentile (Memuchan). D | Spoken by an Israelite (Esther). C | Spoken by a Gentile (Haman). D | Spoken by an Israelite (inspired writer). 12. The first and second form a pair, being connected with Queens and Banquets. 13. The third and fourth are a pair, being connected with Haman. 14. The first and fourth are a pair, being spoken concerning the Queen (Vashti) and Haman respectively. 15. The second and third are a pair, being spoken by the Queen (Esther) and Haman respectively. They thus form an Introversion:E | Words concerning a Queen. F | Word spoken by a Queen. F | Words spoken by Haman. E | Words concerning Haman. 16. It is remarkable also that, in the two cases where the name is formed by the initial letters, the facts recorded are initial also, and are spoken of an event in which Jehovah’s overruling was initiated; while in the two cases where the name is formed by the final letters, the events are final also, and lead rapidly up to the end toward which Jehovah was working. Thus in the two cases where the name is spelt backward 5 , Jehovah is seen overruling the counsels of Gentiles for the accomplishment of His own; and where the name is spelt forward 5 , He is ruling directly in the interests of His own People unknown to themselves. THE FIRST ACROSTIC (1:20) is formed by the initial letters, for the event was initial; and the name is spelt backward because Y-H-W-H is turning back and overruling the councels of man. The whole clause reads as follows; the words forming the Acrostic being put in italic type:"And when the king’s decree which he shall make, shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small." The four words we give, 1st, in the Hebrew type (with the Majuscular letters at the beginning of each word); 2nd, with the Transliteration; and 3rd, in English paraphrase, reproducing the sentence in the word LORD with the initial letters backward:4 3 2 1

1 Hi' 1 it

2 V ekal 2 and-all

3 Hannashim 3 the-wives

4 Yitt enu. 4 shall-give

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"Due

Respect

Our

Ladies

shall give to their husbands, both to great and small." THE SECOND ACROSTIC (5:4) is formed, as before, by the initial letters, for Y-H-W-H is initiating His action; but the name is spelt forward because He is ruling and causing Esther to act; and take the first step, which was to lead up to so great an end. The four words are: 4 3 2 1

1 Yabo' 1 let-come

2 Hammelek 2 the-king Our

3 V Haman
e

4 Hayyom 4 this-day

3 and-Haman Royal Dinner

"Let

this day be graced by the king and Haman." The name of Y-H-W-H is read in the invitation, intimating that there would be a fourth at that banquet." THE THIRD ACROSTIC (5:13) is the beginning of the end; for Haman had gone forth from that banquet "joyful and with a glad heart" (5:9) "that day." Yet it was to be his last. Hence the third Acrostic is formed with the final letters, for the end was approaching; and the name is spelt backward, for Y-H-W-H was overruling Haman’s gladness, and turning back Haman’s counsel. The four words are: 4 3 2 1

1 zeH 1 this

2 'eynennV 3 availeth

3 shoveH 2 nothing

4 l eY 4 to-me

The English may be freely rendered "Yet am I saD; is all this to me." 6 foR, nO avaiL

THE FOURTH ACROSTIC (7:7) is formed, like the third, by the final letters, for Haman’s end had come. But it is spelt forward like the first, for Jehovah was ruling and bringing about the end He had determined. Haman saw there was cause for fear. A fourth is there – Y-H-WH Himself! And when Esther pleads for her life (7:3), the king asks "Who is he and where is he?" which brings in Jehovah’s own ineffable name - the Acrostic of the five final letters spelling in Hebrew "I am" (see the fifth Acrostic below). Esther replies: "The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman." The king, filled with wrath, rises, and goes forth into the palace garden. Haman, filled with fear, rises, "to make request for his life to Esther the queen, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king." This was the climax, the end had come. Hence the name is spelt by the final letters: 4 3 2 1

1 kY 1 that

2 kal ethaH 4 evil

3 elayV 2 was-determined

4 hara'aH 3 aginst-him

Translated, as before, the Acrostic appears in English thus: "For he saw that there was eviL tO feaR determineD against him by the king." THE FIFTH ACROSTIC (7:5) in this book does not form the name "Y-H-W-H," but the remarkable name E H Y H which means "I AM." It is noted in some manuscripts by Majusclar letters, which have Massoretic authority (see Appendix 30). The acrostic is formed by the final letters, and the name is spelt backward. The king asks "Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?": that is to say, to sell for destruction Queen Esther and her People. In saying this he unconsciously gives the name of Him who came down to deliver His People out of the hand of Pharaoh, and had then come down to deliver them again out of the hand of Haman, "the Jews’ enemy", who, like Pharaoh, sought to destroy the whole nation (compare Exodus 2:23-25 with 3:14,15). Ahasuerus only pointed to human agency, but his words point us to the Satanic agency which was behind it. The acrostic is in the final letters of his question "Who is he, and where is he?" Only the great "I am that I am" could know that, and could

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answer that question. Esther and Mordecai knew the human instrument, but none could know who was directing him but the One Who sees the end from the beginning. The words forming the Acrostic are 4 3 2 1

1 hu'E 1 [who is] he 2 this [man]

2 zeH

3 v eY
e`

4 zeH 4 [is] this [man]

3 and where

"who durst presume in his heart to do so": that is to say, to conspire against the life of the Queen and her People. We may English it thus: "WherE dwelletH presume in his heart to do this thing?" the-enemY that-daretH

Thus was the name of the great "I AM" of Exodus 3:14 presented to the eye, to reveal the fact that He who said of E H Y H "this is My Name for ever, and this is My Memorial unto all generations" (verse 15), was there to remember His People. Here was a "generation" in Persia who experienced the truth and the power of this Name, as a former "generation" had done in Egypt. The same "I AM" had indeed come down to deliver them from Haman; as He had from Pharaoh, and from the great "enmity" (of Genesis 3:15) which instigated both to accomplish the Satanic design of exterminating the Nation of Isreal. In these five Acrostics we have something far beyond a mere coincidence; we have design. When we read the denunciation in Deuteronomy 31:16-18, and see it carried out in Persia, we learn that though God was not among His people there, He was for them. Though He was not acting as Y-H-W-H, "that dwelleth between the Cherubim," He was "the God of Heaven," ruling and over-ruling all "in the Heaven above and in the Earth beneath" for the fulfillment of His purposes, and in the deliverance of His People. Hence, though His name, as well as His presence, is HIDDEN, yet, it is there, in the Word; and so wonderfully interwoven that no enemy will ever know how to put it out.

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ESTHER AND THE 72-LETTER NAME OF G-D
By : Rabbi Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz
From "Manos HaLevi" (page 263) http://www.kabbalaonline.org/Safedteachings/otherkab/Secret_of_Queen_Esther.asp Translation by R. Carmel Kehati [words in brackets are the translator's additions.] "And thus I [Esther] will approach the king." [Esther 4:16] Rabbi Yosef Gackon writes, concerning Esther's three-day fast, that Esther [in fasting for exactly three days] had the following kabbalistic intention. Namely, that three days and nights contain seventy-two hours, and "B'chen" ["thus", in 4:16] equals seventy-two numerically [in letter-gematria], corresponding to the [exalted 72-letter] Name of G-d hinted in the three verses [that begin], "Vayisa", "Vayavo","Vayet" [Exodus 14:19, 20, 21, each of which contain seventy-two letters precisely]. It was with the power of this Name that G-d split the [Red] sea and had the Israelites cross over, and He guided them in His protection and they had no fear [of the enemy]. From that Name, [the flow of] the Divine life-force comes to Esther's supernal [corresponding] sefira; for Esther [as our Sages say] was greenish in complexion [green is a color associated with the sefira Chesed, Divine kindness, as the life-flow descends through the upper worlds]. Esther, with the power of these seventy-two hours, approached[G-d], King of the world, in her prayers; for she was sure of His help [that He would answer her and save the Jews]. Then, in this [lowly physical] world, she approached King Ahasuerus.

MARCH 1998 EDITION
http://www.heritage.org.il/innernet/archives/purim.htm

A PURIM IN EVERY GENERATION
by Rabbi Shlomo Jakobovits
Reprinted with permission from "The Jewish Action Reader-Volume 1", Published by Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, New York 1996

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Throughout the ages, many a Jewish community has encountered enemies
comparable to Haman. Sometimes the Jews succumbed to his persecutions; and in other instances there was a reversal of fortune, and they were saved. At such times, a Purim Katan, a local Purim, would be enacted. Its observance on that same date in future years would serve to commemorate their deliverance from impending disaster. Where the sequence of events rendered it appropriate, a day of fasting was instituted on the day previous to the new Purim. The earliest local occasion on record to be accorded the name Purim did not commemorate the saving of a multitude of Jews. In Granada, Spain, the Moslem king appointed Shmuel Hanagid to command his army. In a series of battles in 1038-39, Shmuel led his country to victory. The Jews of Granada rejoiced by celebrating the 1st of Elul as a Purim. (l) The Purim of Cairo (1524), also known as Purim Mitzraim (Purim of Egypt), closely parallels the original Purim experience. The Governor of Egypt, Ahmed Pasha, rose to be the powerful ruler of that land within the empire of Suleiman the Magnificent.(2) He was jealous of the wealth and social status of the leading Jews, and announced that unless an exorbitant sum of money was conveyed to him by the 28th of Adar, all Jews in Cairo would be massacred. Clearly his intent was the extermination of the Jews, as the sum specified was beyond anything attainable. But Ahmed was also plotting against the Emperor Suleiman and, on the very day he had set as the Jews' deadline, he was assassinated by soldiers loyal to Suleiman. The 28th of Adar was joyously proclaimed the Purim of Cairo! The villain of the Frankfurt Purim story (1614), Vincent Fettmilch, actually referred to himself as the "new Haman of the Jews." He was a fiery rabble-rouser who led mob attacks on the Jewish quarter. After two years of anti-Jewish agitation, he ultimately aroused the ire of the Emperor Matthias, who ordered him arrested and hanged. The Jewish community quickly established the 19th day of Adar as a fast day and the following day as the Purim of Frankfurt. A special scroll was prepared, known as Megillat Vinz (for Vincent), which was read annually on that day, amid great celebration. While the Damascus blood libel was at its height in 1840, the Governor of Rhodes accused local Jewry of the same alleged crime and threatened to annihilate the entire community. It was on the 14th of Adar, as the Jews of Rhodes mournfully prepared for what they expected to be their last Purim, that the Sultan deposed the governor and declared the accusation against the Jews to be false. In ecstasy, the Jews of Rhodes added special ceremonies and "piyutim" (3) to the festivities of our universal Purim, effectively celebrating Purim twice on the same day!

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In some cases, the hated tyrant did not fall but the Jewish community miraculously escaped his sword. Such was the case in Medzibozh, Poland in 1648, when the Chmielnicki hordes bypassed the town. The Purim Katan of Medzibozh was set on the 11th of Tevet, to mark their providential survival. At times, the danger derived from a bloodthirsty mob or an invading army rather than from one powerful individual. Tales abound of such occurrences. One of the most notable took place in Narbonne, France in 1236, when the rash action of one Jew endangered the entire community. A mob rioted, threatening to destroy the Jewish quarter and everyone in it, to avenge the death of a Christian who had been killed by the Jew during an argument. The local commander and his soldiers appeared just in time to avert calamity. The 21st of Adar became the Purim of Narbonne and served as a powerful reminder of the impact one thoughtless Jew could have on the safety of all. In some cases, the villain was an informer who tried to bring ruin on the community or on an individual through malicious reports to the government. Such was the case in Saragossa, Spain, in 1420. The informer was an apostate Jew. When his plot was foiled, a Purim Katan was proclaimed on the 17th of Shevat and a megillah was written for the annual celebration. This megillah is remarkable for its exceptionally close similarity, in style and terminology, to Megillat Esther. It also has the special characteristic of appending to the informer's name the curse "yimach sh'mo" ("May his name be eradicated") every time it appears in the text. (4) This may well be one of the earliest examples of such usage of this expression, which today has become commonplace. One of the oddest, and perhaps one of the most poignant, reasons for a Purim occurred in 1607 in Verona, Italy. The Jews there had been confined to a ghetto since 1599.1t was their request that they be the holders of the keys to the gates, and that the ghetto thus be locked each night from the inside, not from the outside. The day this plea was granted, the 18th of Tammuz, was proclaimed a Purim! Its observance continued until Napoleon abolished the ghetto in 1797. The theme of the annual celebration was an expression of satisfaction in segregation; this community felt that ghetto life had more advantages than disadvantages--at least when Jews hold the keys. Even surviving a natural disaster was cause for the declaration of a Purim. The Jews of Ancona, Italy, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries expressed their gratitude to God for their survival on no less than four separate dates, each celebrated by a Purim. They had been saved from revolutionary riots, an earthquake and two fires.

The Family Purim

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Some events were more personal, observed by only one family and its descendants. Rabbi Yomtov Lipman Heller, (5) became Chief Rabbi of Bohemia in 1627. The Thirty Years War was escalating, and the government imposed a heavy tax on the Jewish community to help pay war costs. Rabbi Heller headed the Jewish committee charged with the responsibility of levying the share each individual must pay of the collective tax. Naturally, there were those who felt they had been assessed too high, and some of these unscrupulous individuals were vicious enough to turn to the government with a list of slanderous accusations against Rabbi Heller. On the 5th of Tammuz (1629), he was summoned to Vienna and sentenced to fine and imprisonment. For fifteen years he experienced repeated sufferings, and the 5th of Tammuz was designated a family fast day. This dark era of his life ended when he became the Rabbi of Krakow on the 1st of Adar, 1644. The day was proclaimed a family Purim. He recorded his misfortunes in his "Megillat Eiva", the Chronicle of Enmity. Rabbi Avraham Danzig, author of Chayyei Adam, lived in Vilna. In 1804 a powder magazine exploded and demolished the housing complex in which he resided, killing 31 people. The rabbi and his family survived, but all of them were injured. He proclaimed the 15th of Kislev to be a family fast day, and the following day a family Purim. How many such Purim days are there? The total number will never be known, as there is no central registry of local proclamations. Of those that are known, the most comprehensive list is in the Encyclopedia Judaica, where 109 are enumerated. Almost 20 percent of these are in Adar. (6) Another aspect that cannot be determined precisely is the extent and duration of observances. Celebrations varied very widely. In a few cases, the local tradition was observed only the first several years. But where records exist, the indications are that in most cities observance was maintained for generations, and sometimes for centuries, as in the above case of Verona. The Purim of Shiraz, Persia was instituted in 1400 and observed for over 500 years.

Why Purim?
Why was Purim chosen, and not Pesach or Chanukah, each of which likewise celebrates Jewish redemption from the designs of our enemies? The answer lies in the characteristics that render Purim particularly appropriate for this role. Often the community event lends itself to an annual one-day celebration, rather than one of seven or eight days. In some cases, as already cited, the saga was such that a previous fast-day was also appropriate, and this, again, is parallel only to Purim. Beyond this, Purim is the one and only festival on which redemption from enemies is marked by unmitigated celebration. When the enemy is Amalek, (7) we do not

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apply the restraint of "Do not revel in the fall of your enemy."(8) On Pesach, restraint is very much in evidence; the flag of our joy is flown at half-mast in the form of half-Hallel, and there are other indications of concern for the Egyptians. On Chanukah, when so many of our people fell in battle, and so many other Jews sided with the enemy, there is no mitzvah of feasting and revelry. (9) For unrestrained joy in deliverance from our enemies, Purim stands alone. Furthermore, the very nature of Purim, the struggle against Amalek, is such that it returns at various times and in various places. The Torah itself proclaims the Amalek confrontation to be from generation to generation.(10) In keeping with this maxim, the Alsheikh (11) interprets the Purim narrative as being a direct sequel to the Amalek confrontation of King Sha'ul, five centuries earlier. Accordingly, in every age of persecution we naturally associate the reappearing arch-anti-Semite with Amalek, our enemy of generation to generation. The failure of his designs in any generation becomes Purim, and thus calls for ongoing proclamations of Purim. Perhaps the strongest support for designating such local observances specifically as Purim comes from the Megillah itself. On the basis of events that happened in Shushan, this one city established its own local Purim, on the 15th of Adar, (12) which to this day is still observed in certain localities and is still called Shushan Purim. The precedent is set right there. and it is a precedent unique to Purim.

FOOTNOTES: (l) According to some sources, this was also a family Purim for the descendants of Shmuel Hanagid, to mark his personal deliverance from assassination plots. (2) It happens that the empire of Suleiman covered almost the same territory as that of Achashverosh. (3) Poetic insertions to the regular prayers (4) The full expression has come to be 'yimach sh'mo u'zichro', which derives from merging these two verses: Exodus 17:14 and Psalms 109:13. Usage as an appendage to an accursed name appears to be a comparatively recent practice. (5) Also known as the Tosefot Yomtov, after a famous work that he authored. It is found quite frequently throughout Jewish history, that Torah scholars have been called by the name of one of their books or commentaries. (6 Detailed descriptions of several local Purim sagas can be found in articles in these issues of Manatschrift fur die Ceschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums: XXXVIII,XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII. (7) Amalek is an old enemy of the Jews. They were the first nation to attack the Jews when they left Egypt. The term Amalek here, referring to his descendants of all generations, is also used as the embodiment of evil. (8) Proverbs 24:17. (9) Esther 9:22. (10) Exodus 17:16.

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(11) In his commentary on Esther 2:5, 4:14. (12) Esther 9:18. See also Ran, beginning of Massechet Megillah.

ENLARGED LETTERS
In Esther 1:6 appears the first enlarged letter in the Megilla, in the word ‫( חור‬White garments), the letter ‫( ח‬ches) has the numerial value of 8. In the Megillah the Ches is enlarged to imply that on that climatic day Ahasuerus adorned himself with the eight garnments of the High Priest. In punishment for this, he suffered the multiple evils of the resulting episode with Vashti, her death, his embarrassment, and his subsequent depression (M’nos Halevi) The Chatam Sofer finds an allusion, in the book of Esther, to the infamous Chmielnicki pogroms in 1648 when tens of thousands of Jews were massacred in Poland and Ukraine. There are two letters in the Megilla which are enlarged , namely, in the word ‫( חור‬Esther 1:6), and in the word ‫( ת כ ת ת ב‬Esther 9:29). A chilling predction is hidden here, teaches the Chatam Sofer: though Haman’s evil plot was foiled, it was carried out, at least in part, at a later date - the year ‫ ,804( ת” ח‬or 1648 C.E)-by Chmielnicki and his hordes of murderers. The letters ‫( ת” ח‬chet-tav) spell out the letter ‫( ח‬chet), which stands for both ‫( ח יי-ם‬life) and-‫ ח ת‬sin; in 5408, it was the later force which so horribly triumphed. Another allusion from the Megilla to future events is found in the listing of the names of the ten sons of Haman, who were hanged for their part in the plot to wipe out the Jews. Three letters of their names – ‫ ,ש , ת‬and ‫ – ז‬are written smaller than normal, directing us towards the year ‫( 7491-6491 ,ת ש ” ז‬remember that the Jewish Near Year begins in September-October) when ten of their Nazis descendants were hanged in Nuremberg. This event, almost exactly 300 years after the pogroms of 1648, which were themselves the continuation of the events of the Megilla, closed the book on the Amalekite/Nazi chain. The Tractate of Yoma 29a indicates that the letter ‫ ת‬is enlarged in the word ‫ת כ ת ת ב‬ (wrote) to indicate that just as the ‫ ת‬is the last setter of the alphabet, so is the store of Esther the end of all the miracles to be included in the Bible.

SMALLER LETTERS
http://www.torahlearningcenter.com/jhq/question163.html

Question: In the Book of Esther, why are certain letters in the names of Haman's sons written so much smaller than the others and why are some letters in the text (such as a tav towards the end of the book) larger than the others? Answer: In Megillat Esther, and elsewhere in the Torah, you find several places where a letter is written slightly larger or slightly smaller than the other letters. This is an ancient tradition, and the reason for each instance isn't always explained.

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The particular ones you mentioned (Esther 9:7,9) aren't explained in any classical sources. Recently, however, it has been discovered that these letters, which occur in the section describing the hanging deaths of Haman's ten sons, may contain an uncanny hint to the Nuremberg trials in which ten Nazis were tried and hung for their anti-Semitic crimes, as follows: As you may know, the Jewish calendar year is represented by Hebrew letters. The small letters in the names of Haman's ten sons are: "tav" "shin" "zain." The large letter is "vav." These letters represent the year 707 ("tav shin zain" equal 707) of the sixth millennium (represented by the large "vav" which equals 6). Thus you have the Jewish date 5707, or 1946 by the civil calendar. On the first of October, 1946 - 6 Tishrei 5707 on the Jewish calendar - the Nuremberg Military Tribunal tried ten Nazis and sentenced them to death by hanging for their modern "Hamanism." One of them, the notorious Julius Streiker, even cried "Purim-Fest 1946" as his cryptic last words. Sources: The Jewish Observer," March 1986, pp. 56-57

ESTHER'S PROPHECY OF THE "TEN SONS OF HAMAN"
http://users.aristotle.net/~bhuie/code10.htm

In the book of Esther, we find the story of Haman, a man who hated the Jews and tried to exterminate them. This hate arose because Mordecai, a Jew, would not pay homage or bow down to Haman, a high official in the Persian empire. But instead of taking vengeance on Mordecai alone, Haman instead sought to destroy all the Jews throughout the Persian kingdom. To accomplish this, he persuaded King Ahasuerus of Persia to issue a decree to annihilate all Jews in the Persian provinces, both young and old, women and children. Esther, the wife of King Ahasuerus, was a Jew and the cousin of Mordecai, who had raised her. She told King Ahasuerus that Mordecai, who had earlier protected the king by reporting a plot against him, was her relative. She also told the king that Haman's wicked plan was against her people, and beseeched the king to allow the Jews to defend themselves. King Ahasuerus had Haman hanged on a gallows he had intended for Mordecai, and he permitted the Jews in every city to gather together and protect themselves against those who tried to assault them. Now let's pick up the story in the ninth chapter of Esther: ESTHER 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king's command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves
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overpowered those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people. 3 And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king's work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent. 5 Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them. 6 And in Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. (NKJV) We see that in addition to the 500 men who attacked them in Shushan, the Jews killed the ten sons of Haman. However, Esther had another request of the king after these 10 sons of Haman had already died. ESTHER 9:11 On that day the number of those who were killed in Shushan the citadel was brought to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your further request? It shall be done." 13 Then Esther said, "If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows." 14 So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman's ten sons. (NKJV) In memory of this great Jewish victory over their enemies, the Jews have celebrated the feast of Purim annually for over 2,000 years. Esther's request to have the ten sons of Haman hanged seems rather unusual, seeing that Haman's sons had already been killed. Dr. Moshe Katz addresses this request in his book, Computorah: . . . The ten sons of Haman had already been killed, why bother to hang them?

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In the writings of the Sages and the commentators, we find several ideas that could clarify this: On the word "tomorrow", in Esther's request, the Sages comment: "There is a tomorrow that is now, and a tomorrow which is later." In other words, Esther was asking that the hanging of Haman's ten sons not remain an isolated episode in history, but should recur in the future, as well. Yet, if this is the case, surely King Ahasverus was in no position to acceed to such a request. Only G-d could make and keep such a promise. An examination of the sources solves this problem, too. According to the Sages, every time King Ahasverus is mentioned by name in the Book of Esther, the reference is to him; when the word [hey-mem-lamed-kaph] the King, appears on its own, it refers to G-d. Esther was therefore not addressing her request to Ahasverus, but to Gd - who granted her request: "And the King commanded it be done." (Esther 9:14) (Computorah, pp. 99-100) If this request was for the future as well as for that time, has this prophecy of Esther been fulfilled? Does history record 10 additional "sons of Haman" who were hanged after trying to exterminate the Jewish people? Yes, both history and the Bible codes verify the fufillment of this incredible prophecy! In Esther 3:1, we are told that Haman is an Agagite. Agag was the king of Amalek (1 Sam. 15:8). Therefore, Haman and his sons were Amalekites. Rabbi Elijah Solomon, a prominent Lithuanian rabbi of the 18th century known as "the great one of Vilna," held the tradition that the German nation was descended from Amalek. During World War II, the Nazis in Germany tried to wipe the Jewish race from the face of the earth. Six million Jews were killed by the Germans. After the end of the war, the surviving Nazi leaders were tried at Nuremburg for this and other

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war crimes. These trials began on November 20, 1945, for 22 German Nazi leaders. On October 1, 1946, 12 of the German defendants were sentenced to death by hanging for their part in the atrocities committed against the Jews and others. One of those convicted was Martin Bormann, who was sentenced in absentia. A second was Hermann Goering, who committed suicide in his cell just hours before the executions by taking cyanide poison. The remaining 10 Germans were hanged to death on October 16, 1946. Dr. Moshe Katz reveals some incredible information about this event: . . . Since the trial was conducted by a military tribunal, the sentence handed down should have been death by firing squad, or by electric chair as practiced in the U.S.A. However, the court specifically prescribed hanging, exactly as in Esther's original request: ". . . let Haman's ten sons be hanged." Though doubts may linger about the connection between the Book of Esther and the Nazi war criminals, the condemned Julius Streicher certainly had none. Through some insight, Streicher appears to have grasped this link to Purim, as revealed by his final shout, with the noose about his neck, mere seconds before he was hanged. . . . With burning hatred in his eyes, Streicher looked down at the witnesses and shouted: "Purim Fest 1946!" (Computorah, pp. 104-106) These hangings took place on October 16, 1946. On the Jewish calendar, October 16, 1946, corresponded to 21 Tishri, 5707. This date was the seventh day of the Jewish feast of Sukkot, the day called Hoshana Rabba. The Jews believe that this day represents the coming time when God's verdicts of judgment will be sealed. In the very passage of Scripture where Esther's prophetic request is recorded, we can find the future execution date of these descendants of Haman, both in the surface text and encoded within it. First, let's look at how the date can be found in the surface text. Jewish sages have long believed and taught that every variation of the surface text, whether it be the size of the letters themselves or a variant spelling of a

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word, has specific meaning. In some cases, that meaning remains a mystery. But in the case of Esther's prophecy regarding the hanging of Haman's ten sons, history has finally unveiled what was plainly there to see for 2,300 years. In Esther 9:7-9, we find a list of the ten sons of Haman who were killed by the Jews. Below is the Hebrew text of these verses as it appears in the Tanakh. Remember, Hebrew reads from right to left.

As you can see, the names appear one above the other in the text. About this strange formatting, the Soncino Commentary states: 7-9. The Massorah prescribes that the names of the ten sons of Haman be written in a perpendicular column on the right-hand side of the page, with the vav, i.e., and, on the left-hand side. This is probably derived from the tradition that the ten sons were hanged on a tall gallows, one above the other. . . . (The Five Megilloth, p. 179)

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However, there may be another reason why these names are listed one above the other. As you can see by looking at the list of names, four letters (the tav in the first name, the shin and tav in the seventh name, and the zayin in the tenth name) appear smaller than the other letters. Starting at the top of the passage, I've highlighted three of these four small letters in red. In the Hebrew language, letters can also represent numbers. Tav has a numerical value of 400, shin a numerical value of 300, and zayin a numerical value of 7. The tav, shin, and zayin, totaled from top to bottom, represent the number 707. Using the Jewish method of recording years, the number 707 can represent the year 5707 on the Jewish calendar. Webster's NewWorld Hebrew Dictionary states: "In practice . . . the thousands are skipped and the Jewish year is referred to by quoting, in Jewish numerical symbols, the figure from the hundreds down" (Introduction, The Jewish Calender, p. xxiv). As shown above, 5707 on the Jewish calendar was the year that the 10 Nazi war criminals were hanged for their crime of attempting to eradicate the Jewish people. For centuries Jews who read the book of Esther had the future date for the fulfillment of her prophecy there in plain sight, but it could not be deciphered until the event actually occurred! The meaning of the fourth small letter, the tav in the seventh name, is still unknown. Perhaps it could signify "the end" of the sons of Haman, since tav is the final letter in the Hebrew alphabet. In the past several years, historical information has been discovered encoded within the Hebrew text of the Old Testament using a method called equidistant letter sequencing (ELS). For those of you who aren't familiar with this procedure, a good introductory article by Dr. Jeffrey B. Satinover explaining the Bible codes (Divine Authorship?) appeared in the October 1995 issue of Bible Review. Using the Bible codes ELS methodology to discover hidden codes in the ninth chapter of Esther, we can find another astonishing discovery. The day and month of the execution of the German "sons of Haman" is encoded and hidden within the text, as shown below!

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21 TISHRI (white letters on red background) The Jewish date "21 Tishri" (kaph-aleph-tav-shin-resh-yod) is encoded at an ELS of 216, beginning in Esther 9:12 and ending in Esther 9:27. This is the date upon which the 10 Nazi war criminals were hanged. Statistically, the odds of this date occurring in this passage by random chance are less than one in 1 million! 5707 (blue letters on light blue) Running diagonally through "21 Tishri" is the Jewish year "5707" (tav-shinzayin), which corresponds to 1946. This year is found at an ELS of 442, beginning in Esther 9:15 and ending in Esther 9:27. It shares the shin with "Tishri." NAZI (white letters on black) Beginning underneath "hanged," the Hebrew transliteration of Nazi (nun-alephtsadi-yod) occurs. This word is found at an ELS of -650, beginning in Esther 9:19 and ending in Esther 8:9. HANGED (yellow letters on dark green) On the top left part of the matrix, running vertically, the Hebrew word "hanged" (tav-lamed-vav-yod) appears at an ELS of 432. It begins in Esther 8:6 and ends in Esther 9:3. AMALEKITE (yellow letters on black) Crossing the bottom of "21 Tishri" is the Hebrew word for "Amalekite" (ayinmem-lamed-koph-yod). This word is found at an ELS of -7, beginning in Esther

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9:27 and ending in Esther 9:26. According to Jewish tradition, the nation of Germany is thought to have descended from the biblical Amalekites (Exo. 17:8). ARYAN (purple letters on yellow) Right above the top of "21 Tishri" is the Hebrew word "Aryan" (aleph-resh-yod). It appears at an ELS of 1 in Esther 9:8. Hitler's objective in eradicating the Jews was to have a pure Aryan race. HAMAN (white letters on blue) At the top of the matrix, at an ELS of 1, the name "Haman" (hey-mem-nun) appears in Esther 8:3. TEN (black letters on light blue) Underneath "Haman," the Hebrew word "ten" (ayin-shin-resh-hey) appears at an ELS of 1 in Esther 8:12. SONS (white letters on maroon) Underneath "ten," at an ELS of 20, the Hebrew word "sons" (beth-nun-yod) appears. It begins in Esther 8:15 and ends in Esther 8:16. The information in the surface text, as well as that encoded underneath the apparent text, is incredible! Only God, in His infinite power, could have inspired these things to be recorded in the book of Esther and then cause them to come to pass more than 2 millennia later. Yet He tells us that He can do this in His word. ISAIAH 46:9 . . . For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure" (NKJV) The Eternal God is certainly awesome! Baruch Hashem! Bryan T. Huie Last updated: January 10, 2000

The Famous "Code" in Megillas Esther
adapted from Keeping Posted with NCSY, Fall 1999 edition
We have a tradition that everything in human history is contained in the Torah, which Hashem used as a "blueprint" for the creation of the universe. The Midrash states, "Just as a king wishing to build a palace does not do so arbitrarily, but rather he consults an architect’s plans, so too G-d looked into the Torah and created the world."

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If the Torah is a blueprint for the world, then everything in the world should be found in it. The Vilna Gaon, an 18th century scholar, wrote in his Sifra Ditzniuta, "all that was, is, and will be until the end of time is included in the Torah...not just in the general sense, but... (even) the most minute details." For centuries, Jewish sages have been uncovering hidden secrets in the Torah. Following is a famous example, reflecting events in the twentieth century, which is found not in the Chumash (Five Books of Moses), but in Megillas Esther. When listing the ten sons of Haman who were hanged (Esther 9:6-10), three letters, namely Taf, Shin, and Zayin, are written smaller than the rest (most printed texts reflect this; if yours doesn’t, look in another). The commentaries offer no explanation for this other than that it is a prophecy. The letters "Taf-Shin-Zayin" represent the Hebrew year 5707, corresponding to the secular year 194647. On October 16, 1946 (21 Tishrei, 5707) ten convicted Nazi war criminals were hanged in Nuremberg. (An eleventh, Hermann Goering, a transvestite, committed suicide in his cell. The Midrash tells us that Haman also had a daughter who committed suicide.) As if the parallel were not obvious enough without further corroboration, Nazi Julius Streicher’s last words were, "Purimfest 1946." (In case you question the accuracy of Streicher’s last words, they are are well-documented; they appeared in Newsweek, October 28, 1946.)

It is fairly safe to assume that (a) Streicher did not know about the three small letters in the Megilla, (b) he did not know that these letters corresponded to the year in which he was being hanged, and (c) even had he known, he would have had no motivation to reinforce the validity of Jewish texts, traditions, or prophecies. One could not ask for a more independent confirmation of the all-encompassing knowledge to be found in the Sifrei Tanach.

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Pourim Contemporain: Nuremberg 1946.

Les fêtes juives Un dossier Alliance
Réalisé par Aharon Altabé www.milah.info

Pourim contemporain: Nuremberg 1946.
Trois mille trois cent ans après la révélation de la Torah sur le Sinaï, nous sommes encore penchés sur les textes, à en chercher et à en découvrir le sens profond. Des événements contemporains peuvent parfois jeter un éclairage nouveau sur certains textes, en monter le caractère prophétique qui ne peut être du qu'à Celui Qui fait toutes choses. Ainsi, la Méguilah d'Esther (chapitre 9) nous apprend que le 13 Adar de cette année là furent défaits les ennemis des Juifs qui fourbissaient les armes depuis de longs mois pour les exterminer. Haman et ses dix fils sont pendus. Le soir même, le Roi demande à Esther si elle est satisfaite du cours pris par les événements et ce qu'elle souhaiterait de plus pour faire avancer la cause des Juifs. La reine demande que les Juifs de Chouchan, la capitale Suze, soient autorisés le lendemain encore à poursuivre leurs ennemis, et de façon surprenante à ce que les dix fils d'Haman soient pendus. Or ils ont été pendus le jour même au cours des bagarres! Une autre énigme de la Méguilah permettra de donner une réponse à cette question. L'énumération des fils d'Haman, à l'occasion de leur pendaison est l'objet d'une curiosité graphique: Le Tav de Parshandatah est écrit en petit caractère. Le Chin de Parmashtah est écrit en petit caractère. Le Zayin de Vayztah est écrit en petit caractère. Le Vav de Vayzatah est écrit en grand caractère.

De telles irrégularités graphiques, qui sont légion dans la version hébraïque de la Bible, appellent une explication. Voyons la ensemble.

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Pourim Contemporain: Nuremberg 1946.

Il est connu que le nom de D.ieu n'apparaît pas dans la Méguilah. Nos Sages l'explique par le voilement de D.ieu, qui reste omniprésent mais fait agir personnages et éléments sans révéler son intervention. D'autres explications rajoutent que la présence divine est mentionnée constamment en allusion dans les termes "le Roi". "Le Roi Assuérus" désigne effectivement Assuérus, tandis que "le Roi" désigne le Roi des Rois, D.ieu. Lorsque Esther demande au "Roi" de pendre les dix fils d'Haman, elle demande de fait à D.ieu de faire pendre dix complices d'un Haman à venir demain. Quels sont ils? La guématria, étude des valeurs numériques des lettres attribue aux neuf premières lettres de l'alphabet (aleph, beth, guimel, daleth, hé, etc) une valeur de 1 à 9, les suivantes ont pour valeur 10, 20, jusqu'à 100, puis 200, 300, 400 pour le Tav qui en est la dernière lettre. Diverses combinaisons permettent d'arriver à 900, et 1000 sera désigné à nouveau par le aleph, 2000 par le beth. Nos lettres irrégulières Tav, Chin, Zayin ont ainsi pour somme 707. Le grand Vav désigne la valeur de 6000. Au cours du 6ème millénaire (de 5001 à 6000), durant la 707ème année, 5707, que s'est il passé? Là encore, une disgression toute apparente vers un texte du Zohar: (Vayikra, 31b): "le septième jour de Soukkot, le jugement des nations est prononcé. Les sentences sont délivrées par le trône céleste, et les Jugements sont exécutés le jour même". Pour nos générations, le souvenir maudit de Hitler (tout comme celui de Staline) est du même acabit que celui d'Haman et d'Amalek. Or c'est le septième jour de Soukkot 5707, 16 Octobre 1946, que furent pendus dix "dignitaires" nazis à l'issue du procès de Nuremberg. Ils étaient douze, dont l'un parvint à s'échapper (Borman), l'un (Goering) se suicida la veille de son exécution. Dix "fils d'Haman" passèrent à la potence ce septième jour de Soukkot. Voyons ce qu'en dit le Newsweek Magazine (October 28, 1946, Foreign Affairs Section, page 46): "Seul Julius Streicher faillit à la dignité. Il fallut le tirer de force, hurlant "Heil .." avec un regard féroce. Arrivé à l'échafaud, il s'écria "maintenant je vais chez D.ieu". Il se tourna vers l'assistance et cria "Pourim 1946"!" Quel est cette conscience soudaine de cet ennemi du peuple Juif de vivre à nouveau un Pourim en cette année 1946, je ne saurai le dire. Il est à noter que le verset qui énumère les dix fils d'Haman répète pour chacun la conjonction "ve-ett", alors que "ett" aurait suffit. Une règle veut que ce recours au Vav de "ve-ett" prenne le sens d'un ajout par rapport au sens simple. "Tel fils, et encore tel autre dans l'avenir, tel fils, et encore tel autre dans l'avenir…" Il nous aura fallu 2300 ans pour saisir encore plus le sens de la Méguilah …et en mesurer l'actualité. Texte rédigé à partir d'une étude sur le sujet parue dans http://www.ujcvp.org/adath_jeshurun/vortify/5757/vayikra.html et http://www.ad2004.com/Biblecodes/Hebrewmatrix/nazistrial.html

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Pourim Contemporain: Nuremberg 1946.

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The Book of Esther is the only book in the Bible which does not mention God's name.

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The Book of Esther is unique in that it contains words which appear nowhere else in the Bible. These include: Tebet: the tenth Hebrew month Kasher: fit Patshegen: a copy of the (written) text Ahashdarpenim: Persian word for the King's officers Pur: Persian word meaning "lot" Karpas: Persian word for "cotton

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All the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are found in the Book of Esther, ch. 3, v. 13. The Hebrew word Mishteh, meaning banquet, occurs 20 times in the Book of Esther (which is equal to the total of ALL the other times it is found in the rest of the Bible).

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The longest verse in the Bible appears in the Book of Esther. It has 43 words in Hebrew (and approximately 90 words in English). It appears in ch. 8, v. 9.

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The Talmud instructs that on Purim one should drink until he knows not the difference between "Blessed be Mordecai" and "Cursed be Haman." Interestingly, the numerical value of the Hebrew letters in each of the phrases ( to a total of 502. and ) amounts in each case

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In Missouri and Louisiana there are towns called Esther. In the city of Tel Aviv, Israel, there is a street called Queen Esther Street.

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PURIM 5761 BS"D
http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/purim/sedrah_purim.htm The Avnei Neizer says that the uniqueness of the miracle of Purim lies in successfully combatting Amoleik, even though the bnei Yisroel were living in the diaspora without a king. The gemara Sanhedrin 20b says that the bnei Yisroel were commanded to fulfill three mitzvos upon their entry to Eretz Yisroel: First, to appoint a king; second, to eradicate the descendants of Amoleik; third, to build the Beis Hamikdosh. How did they successfully overpower the descendants of Amoleik if they had no king? The Avnei Neizer answers that the need for a king is to UNITE the nation. With this power they can overcome Amoleik. When Homon sent an edict to destroy ALL the Y'hudim, they assembled as ONE and repented, subordinating themselves to the will of the King of all kings. This unity was even greater than that brought about by appointing a human king. Perhaps this concept of the Avnei Neizer can be built upon. Haman's evil decrees actually brought the bnei Yisroel to unify themselves, and this self-same unification brought about Haman's downfall, hangup. In the Hagodoh, we say, "V'hi she'omdo ...... shelo echod bilvad omad oleinu l'chaloseinu, v'haKodosh Boruch Hu motzileinu MI'YODOM." Our not being "echod," united, has been a cause for their standing up against us, in an attempt to annihilate us, but HKB"H saves us FROM THEIR HANDS, through that which their hands have wrought, as is the case with Homon. His decree of annihilation has brought us together; we are again ECHOD. MEGILLAS ESTHER Ch. 1, v. 1: "Va'y'hi" - This first word of the Megilloh and the last word (10:3) "zaro" equal "Mordechai ha'Y'hudi."(283) (Roke'ach) Perhaps we can add another insight into the first and last words of the megillah. We know that Hashem kept a low profile in the Megilloh, orchestrating every event, but not having His name mentioned even once. Hashem's name which embodies this concept of constriction, "tzimtzum," is Shin-Dalet-Yud, "(Sh-adai) Ani she'omarti l'olomi dai" (M.R. on Breishis 17:1). The first and last words of the Megilloh equal 314, the numerical value of the name Shin-Dalet-Yud (Sha-dai), to indicate that from the first word until the last word, everything that happened was controlled behind the scenes by Hashem in the constricted form of natural occurrences. Ch. 3, v. 7: "Hipil PUR hu hagorol mi'yom l'yom u'meichodesh l'chodesh" - Rabbi Yonoson Eibeschitz, in his monumental work Yaaros Dvash, drush 3, asks two questions: 1) Since Homon cast a lot, a PUR, singular, why do we name this day PURIM (9:26) in the plural form, "Al kein koru la'yomim ho'eileh PURIM al sheim haPUR?"

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2) What does "mi'yom l'yom u'meichodesh l'chodesh" mean? He answers that when one casts a lot to arrive at a date, it does not indicate auspiciousness of the date. The lot must land somewhere. Ochon used this claim against the lot cast by Yehoshua, saying that if the names of Yehoshua and Eliezer Kohein Godol were the only ones put into a box, one of their names would be drawn, so this is no indication of guilt (gemara Sanhedrin 43b). Therefore Homon used a different type of system for casting lots. He had one box with the names of the months and another one with numbers corresponding to the days of the year. If, for example, he drew the month Nison and drew the number 100, he knew it did not match, since Nison is the first month. Only with the drawing of a number that was 30 or less could these two lots match. He continued drawing lots until he hit the combination of a month and a day of the year number that landed in that month. Hence, PURIM is in the plural form. Although Homon arrived at only one date, two lots were cast to arrive at this date, one for the month, and one for the day of the year. In the spirit of DRUSH, perhaps we can build onto the words of the Yaaros Dvash. Which number did Homon select? Since there are 354 days in a lunar year, and we see from the Megilloh (3:7 and 3:13) that the calculations began with Nison being the first month, the thirteenth of Ador was the 338th day. This number is significant. In letter form this number spells "CHoLoSH," Ches-Lamed-SHin-. This word means a lottery, just as "gorol" and ""pur" mean a lottery. The Mishneh Shabbos 148b says, "Matilin CHALOSHIN al hakodoshim," on Shabbos the Kohanim may cast LOTS to see who will perform the service. The gemara 149b asks, "Where is the source for the word "CHOLOSH" meaning a lottery?" The gemara brings the words in Yeshayohu 14:12, "CHOLEISH al goyim." Something most interesting emerges upon studying the complete verse. It reads, "Eich Nofalto Mishomayim Heileil ben shachar, nigdato lo'oretz CHOLEISH al goyim. - How have you fallen from the heavens, you bright star? You have been cut down to the earth, CASTER OF LOTS on nations." This seems to be the story of Homon, who was in a high position and was cast down from it. He was the one who cast a lottery on the Jewish nation. The first letters of "Nofalto Mishomayim Heileil" spell Homon, Hei-Mem-Nun. Possibly this particular word CHOLEISH was used, as it equals 338, and Homon would choose the 338th day of the year to ch"v annihilate the bnei Yisroel. When Yehoshua waged war with Amoleik it says (Shmos 17:13) "Va'yaCHALOSH Yehoshua es Amoleik." The Yalkut Shimoni #265 says that this means he cast LOTS to decide whom to kill and whom not to kill. The Yalkut says that there are four synonymous terms for casting lots: 1) cholosh 2) gorol 3) pur 4) chevel. Amoleik was smitten with each of these terms: cholosh in Shmos 17:13, "Va'yaCHALOSH Yehoshua; gorol and pur in Megillas Esther 3:7, "hipil PUR hu haGORO;" chevel in Hoshei'a 13:13, "CHAVLei leidoh yovo'u lo." From this Yalkut we see that Yehoshua, a descendant of Binyomin, had laid the grounds for Mordechai, also a descendant of Binyomin, to overpower Amoleik, specifically with LOTS. This might be another reason for the plural term PURIM. It encompasses two lots, that of Homon, and the one that preceded it, the lot cast by Yehoshua, which set into motion the power to have Homon's lot also be one which brought victory for the bnei Yisroel. Through Yehoshua's "VA'YACHALOSH," the bnei Yisroel merited to turn around the king's decree, (8:10) "VA'YISHLACH sforim.

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"VA'YACHALOSH and VA'YISHLACH have the same letters. A final gematria: The word PURIM when spelled "mollei Vov," equals 336. It appears in the Megilloh five times, but only twice with a "Vov". Add these two times to the 336 and it totals 338. R'MOZIM Esther's name appears in the Megilloh 54 times. Homon's name appears 54 times as well. Esther's other name, Hadasoh, appears once. Homon's other name, M'muchon, also appears once. "Zeh l'umas zeh oso Elokim" (Kohelles 7:14). (Rokei'ach) Possibly this might be alluded to in the blessing recited after the Megilloh reading, in the words "Hadon es di'neinu," rather than simply, "hadon lonu." "Don," judge, equals 54, the number of times that Homon's name appears. Homon wanted to have the bnei Yisroel JUDGED negatively. Hashem responded by judging us with "di'nei'nu, OUR judgement, our 54, the 54 times the tza'dekes Esther's name appears. Homon's name appears 54 times, and Zeresh's name 4 times, totalling 58. Correspondingly, Mordechai's name appears 58 times. (Roke'ach) The GR"A on Mishlei 15:25 says that there are 54 letters in the names of the sons of Homon who were hung. The Megilloh contains 167 verses. The two chapters of Amoleik, Shmos 17:8-13, and Dvorim 25:17-19, contain 167 letters. (Rokei'ach) KLOPPING (BANGING) HOMON The custom of banging when (preferably immediately after) Homon's name is read in the Megilloh is alluded to in the Torah. In Dvorim 25:2 it says, "V'ho'yoH iM biN hakos horosho." The last letters of "V'ho'yoH iM biN" spell Homon. Upon hearing "Homon," "hakos horosho," bang the evil one. (Rabbi Yaakov Emdin) Rabbi Yehudoh Chosid says that every time one bangs Homon during the reading of the Megilloh, Homon feels the banging in Gehinom. AD D'LO YODA The gemara Megilloh 7b states, "Michayiv inish libsumi b'Furia ad d'lo yoda bein ORUR HOMON L'VORUCH MORDECHAI." Following are a few explanations - Imbibe until: 1. You don't know if there is a difference in the numerical value between the gematria of "orur Homon" and "Boruch Mordechai", both of which equal 502. (Perhaps the 502 value of both "orur Homon" and "boruch Mordechai" teaches us that the hidden miracles of Hashem are greater than the open ones displayed in Egypt with the ten plagues. Dtzach Adash Bachav equal 501, while "boruch Mordechai" and "orur Homon" each equals 502.)

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2) You are beyond the point of emulating Esther's behaviour as it is described in the verse stated between the downfall of Homon and the elevation of Mordechai. The verse is 2:20, "Ein Esther MA'GEDDES." When one is intoxicated, one tells all. (Sfas Emes) 3) You don't know which power was greater in bringing the repentance and turnabout, the negative edicts of Homon, or the words of admonition of Mordechai. 4) You don't differentiate between Hashem's edicts, be they seemingly harsh, or sweet. Look at the great outcome of the terrible edicts of Homon; the bnei Yisroel accepted the Torah willingly (gemara Shabbos 88a). (The Holy Admor of Satmar zt"l) 5) You don't know, meaning you negate the value of, those who are between "orur Homon" and "boruch Mordechai." There are many people who straddle the fence when it comes to Torah issues. The Prophet Eliyohu complained to the false prophets who were somewhat religious, but not totally committed to Hashem, "How long will you trod on the two threshholds (M'lochim 1:18:21)?" (The Holy Admor of Satmar zt"l) 6) The M.R. on Breishis 12:2 says that upon mentioning the name of a tzaddik, one must bless him. Upon mentioning the name of a rosho, one must curse him. It is obviously more pleasant and less risky to bless a righteous person than to curse an evil person. Imbibe until you do not differentiate between the two, and as easily denigrate the evil person as you would exalt the righteous person. (The Holy Admor of Satmar zt"l) SEUDAS PURIM The festive meal of Purim is alluded to in the Torah in Breishis 21:8, "Va'yaas Avrohom mishteh godol b'yom HIGOMEIL." "Higomeil" has the letters Hei, Gimmel, Mem, and Lamed. The same letters spell Megilloh. (Divrei Yechezkel of Shinov) MISHLOACH MONOS A Satmar chosid once received mishloach monos delivered by a neighbour's son who was dressed as a monkey. During the course of Purim the chosid had the opportunity to visit the Holy Admor of Satmar. He told the Rebbe what happened and said that he felt slighted by the outlandish dress. The Rebbe responded that surely no negative intentions were meant and that it was in the spirit of Purim. He added that even if a real live monkey had delivered the mishloach monos, it would be a proper fulfillment of the mitzvoh, as stated by the Chasam Sofer. The words of the Chasam Sofer can be found in his Chidushei Chasam Sofer on Gittin 22b. MATONOS LO'EVYONIM Ch. 9, v. 19,22: - "Simchoh umishteh v'YOM TOV umishloach monos, Mishteh v'simchoh umishloach monos uMATONOS LO'EVYONIM" - The Shaar Yisochor (the Holy Admor of Munkatch) notes two differences between these two verses. The first mentions YOM TOV and leaves out MATONOS LO'EVYONIM, while the second mentions MATONOS

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LO'EVYONIM and leaves out YOM TOV. He explains this with the gemara Megilloh 5b which says that although the Rabbis seriously considered giving Purim the status of a Yom Tov, they decided not to do so. The first verse, which mentions Yom Tov, leaves out Matonos Lo'evyonim, since if Purim had been a Yom Tov, there would have been no Matonos Lo'evyonim, since money is not to be used on a Yom Tov. The second verse leaves out Yom Tov, as it was decided to not institute Purim as a Yom Tov, and then Matonos Lo'evyonim were permitted and instituted. Possibly, some other differences between these two verses can be explained along the same lines. The first verse mentions simcho before mishteh, and the second verse does the reverse. Also the first verse has the word "umishlOach" spelled "mollei Vov" after the letter Lamed, while the second verse has it "chosser Vov." (Some editions have the first "umishloach" also "chosser Vov," but this is inaccurate.) Since the first verse discussed Purim with the status of a Yom Tov, the simcho would begin at night, while the special mishteh of Purim would be during the day, hence simchoh is mentioned first. The second verse deals with Purim as we know it, not a Yom Tov. The simchoh is at the Purim meal, where the edict of "ad d'lo yoda" is fulfilled, hence mishteh before simchoh. Also, if Purim would have had the status of a Yom Tov, as mentioned in the earlier verse, the mishloach monos would be a greater one. Halacha requires that the mishloach monos be something worthy in the eyes of the recipient. Everyone has a higher standard for Yom Tov food than for weekday food, hence the word 'mishlOach "mollei Vov." In the second verse which relates Purim as a day that is not an actual Yom Tov, the word umishloach is "chosser Vov," indicating that a lesser level is sufficient. COSTUMES (~:)> )~:)> Esther 8:17 - "V'rabim mei'a'mei ho'oretz mis'Yahadim ki nofal pachad ha'Y'hudim aleihem" - The Medrash Shmuel says that their conversion wasn't genuine, as the verse states that a great fear of the Y'hudim fell upon them. They only appeared as Y'hudim outwardly. "Mis'Yahadim" means "made themselves as Jews." Similarly, we dress as nonY'hudim to show that the outward dress is not the real person. Perhaps another reason for wearing costumes is that Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer chapter 50 says that Eliyohu the Prophet dressed himself as Charvonoh and appeared in front of Achashveirosh. He then suggested that Homon's gallows was a perfect fit for Homon (see Tosfos on gemara Yoma 31a d.h. Amoh). We therefore also dress ourselves as if we are impersonating someone else. In the spirit of the season, the liberty is taken to suggest that this might be why we say "V'GAM Charvonoh zochur latov," (piut Shoshanas Yaakov, taken from Yerushalmi Megilloh 3:7). Why not just say, "v'Charvonoh zochur latov?" The GAM seems superfluous, redundant, extra, needless, dispensable, and totally unnecessary. The gemara B.K. 66a derives from the word "GAM" in Dvorim 23:19 (esnan zonoh u'mchir kelev) to include a substitute for an object, "l'rabos shinu'yeihem." We are saying that Eliyohu the Prophet, the substitute for Charvonah, the GAM, should be remembered for good. In "birkas hamozone," grace after meals, we say "hoRachamon hu yishlach lonu es Eliyohu hanovi ZOCHUR LATOV," possibly alluding to his being remembered for good when he impersonated Charvonoh. As well, Eliyohu equals 52, as does V'GAM, (49 plus its three letters equals 52). LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, MO'OZ TZUR Y'SHU'OSI 6

In the stanza beginning "Krose komas b'rosh," we sing, "ROVE bonov v'kinyonov al ho'eitz toliso." We know that ten of Homon's sons were hung on the tree gallows. "Mo'oz tzur" tells us that "ROVE bonov" were hung. How many sons did Homon have in total? If Homon either had only ten sons, or had twenty or more sons, how do you explain the word "ROV?" Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer chapter 50 says that Homon had FORTY SONS, ten of whom lived in Poras and were royal scribes, while the remaining thirty resided throughout the rest of the lands. "Omar Rebbi Eliezer, 'Arboim bonim hoyu lo l'Homon. Asoroh shehoyu sofrei hamelech, ushloshim b'chol hamdinos.'" How then, do we explain "ROV bonov" in the "Mo'oz tzur?" Perhaps the Tosfos on Yoma 31a d.h. "Amoh" can be helpful. Tosfos says that the children of Homon were decapitated before being hung on the tree gallows. Armed with this information, perhaps it can be said that "ROVE" does not mean the majority of the NUMBER of his sons, but rather, the majority of the BODY of each of the ten who were hung. "KEIN YOVDU CHOL OIVECHO, HASHEM." (Shoftim 5:31)

YOM TOV SELECTIONS PURIM 5763 BS"D
http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/purim/sedrah_purim63.htm MEGILAS ESTHER Ch. 1, v. 1: "Hu Achashveirosh" - He is Achashveirosh - These words seem to be totally superfluous. The gemara Megiloh 11a therefore derives from these words that he was the same evil person from the beginning till the end. Simply, this means that we should not mistakenly think that he was evil in the earlier episodes of this story, as evidenced by his agreeing to give Homon free-reign over the bnei Yisroel to do with them as he wished, but later he bettered his ways and wanted to save them. Rather, he was evil throughout, and it was only through Hashem's clandestine intervention that the bnei Yisroel were saved. Alternatively, the medrash says that he originally reigned over 240 countries, and Targum Sheini says that he now reigned over 127 lands, which are half of his original kingdom. It is very understandable that when one has mastery over as vast a number of countries as 240 or 254, and has not experienced any rebellion or defection, he likely would rule with an iron fist, and also would not be reluctant to destroy any group, as he still has many countries under his rule. As well, this would put any thoughts of rebellion out of the minds of any other ethnic group or country. However, once he has already experienced the loss of half or over half the countries he once ruled, he should have been exceedingly reluctant to have any other group destroyed. This would be unlikely to stem the tide, as so many others have already shaken off his yoke, and he would want to retain all remaining countries and peoples. In spite of these logical reasons, with no major persuasion acquiesced to Homon's wishes and sold the bnei Yisroel down-river. This is what is meant with, "He was the same evil person from the beginning until the end." The beginning refers to when he ruled over either 254 or 240 countries, and the end refers to our verse, when he was left with only 127 countries. (Chidushim Y'korim - Rabbi Yaakov Tenenbaum Baal responsa Naha'rei Afarsimon)

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Ch. 1, v. 1: "Hamoleich" - Who rules - The verse should have said "ha'melech." The gemara Megiloh 11a derives from this that Achashveirosh was not of royal lineage and took the position for himself. Why is this relevant to the Purim story? This accentuates the awesomeness of our being saved from his diabolical schemes. A king who was heir to the throne is more apt to be tough with his people as they accept him, since he inherited his position, a king the son of a king. It is less likely for them to revolt even if he issues tough edicts. One who is not of royal lineage who ascends to the throne, normally is kind to his subjects as he fears that they might otherwise revolt. This is the intention of the verse in T'hilim 72:1, "LiShlomo Elokim mishpo'techo l'melech tein v'tzidkos'cho l'ven melech." A king needs to have the ability to be tough when required and to be benevolent at other times. Kind Dovid was the first king from the lineage of Yehudoh. He therefore had the tendency to be soft and yielding. Therefore we have the prayer to Hashem give the king (Dovid) the characteristic of "mishpot," the ability to carry out just ruling even when it is harsh. King Shlomo, on the other hand, was a "ben melech." He more readily has the nature to be tough with his subjects as he ascended to the throne as an heir of royalty. His prayer was therefore for "tzidkos'cho," Your charity and kindness. In spite of Achashveirosh's ascending the throne on his own, he did not display the normal character of benevolence, which usually accompanies such a situation. He killed his wife, who had royal blood in her veins, and also handed over the bnei Yisroel to Homon gratis. Being saved from such a nasty despotic ruler deserves our greatest praises. (Droshos Rabbeinu Yoseif Nechemioh Rov of Krakow) Perhaps this gives us another explanation of Achashveirosh's being evil from the beginning until the end. He was not only evil after being the king for many years, when he felt comfortable and secure in his position, but even in the beginning, when he ascended the throne lacking the merit of being royalty, he nevertheless was also wicked. Achashverosh succeeded Cyrus as ruler of the Persian Empire, toward the end of the Jews' seventy-year exile in Babylon (Rashi). On the mystical level King Achashverosh alludes to G-d, the King of the World. The Midrash reads the name Achashverosh as an acronym for acharit veraishit shelo, alluding to the One Whom "the end and beginning are His." Ch. 1, v. 3: "Ossoh mishteh" - He made a party - The reason for prefacing the Purim story with the party Achashveirosh through for his county-men is that it is surely germane to understanding why the evil decrees came about in the first place. The gemara Megiloh 12a says that the decree of annihilation was a result of the bnei Yisroel's enjoying their involvement in the party. But there is also a lesson in fully appreciating the miracle that took place. Don't think that the development of events was in the realm of the norm, as it is normal for a king to issue edicts and readily agree to rescind or counter them at the request of his wife, thus minimizing the miracle of Achashveirosh's hearkening to Esther's request. It is not so! If Vashti, who was a true daughter of royalty, who also brought him to the position of king, when he was displeased with her, was disposed as quickly as a used paper plate, surely if Esther suggested something that would displease him, and as far as he knew, she was but a 8

waif from the street with no royal blood, he would certainly replicate the Vashti scenario. (The Holy Alshich) Ch. 1, v. 7: "V'hashkos bichlei zohov" - And drink in golden vessels - Once a goblet was used it was not rinsed and used again. Rather, it was given to the one who used it to keep. (Yalkut Shimoni and Medrash Abba Guriyon) Ch. 1, v. 8: "V'hash'sioh chados ein oneis" - And the drinking was proper without coercion - Since Achashveirosh wanted the bnei Yisroel to sin why didn't he force the imbibing of alcoholic beverage? He would rather create the ambiance where drinking came naturally without coercion. Thus when the bnei Yisroel would drink of their own will they would sin willingly and Hashem's wrath would pour upon them in abundance. Measure for measure they repented. At the time of receiving the Torah it was forced upon them. They now accepted it willingly. (The Holy Shal"oh) Ch. 1, v. 11: "L'hovi es Vashti" - To bring Vashti - The gemara Megiloh 12b relates that Achashveirosh commanded that Vashti be brought to him in this public gathering in a most immodest manner. She, being of similar mind, readily agreed to this. Hashem punished her by either having leprosy cover her body or by having a tail grow. The Rambam explains that the tail grew from her forehead. Alternatively, he says that the tail is not to be taken literally, but rather, that it is an allusion to her suddenly menstruating heavily. He adds that "zonov," a tail, has the same mathematical value as "nidoh." Ch. 1, v. 12: "Vatmo'ein hamalkoh"- And the queen refused - The gemara Megiloh 12b relates that Hashem punished Vashti by either having leprosy cover her body or by having a tail grow. She refused to appear in public and sent a message of derision back to Achashveirosh, saying that her father was capable of imbibing 1,000 glasses of alcoholic beverage, while Achashveirosh, a former horse attendant, lost his head figuratively by drinking just a little of the golden brew. She, in turn, lost her head literally. Why didn't Vashti simply send a private message that she was "dermatologically challenged"? Achashveirosh surely wouldn't want her to appear thus in public, and much anger and retribution could have been spared. We can derive from this the deep-seated weakness of a person who is very haughty. Admitting that she was the source of the problem was so far removed from her mind that she wouldn't admit her shortcoming. Rather, she said that Achashveirosh 's being inebriated was the problem; someone else is at fault, not I. (Rabbi Y.R.) Ch. 1, v 16 “Vayomer Mumuchan”- And Mumuchan said ‫ מ ו מ כ ן‬instead of ‫ מ מ ו כ ן‬of “Memuschan said”. A Tanna taught: “Memuchan (Esther 1:14) is Haman. Whay was he called Memuchan? Because he was destined “ ‫( “ מ ו כ ן‬muchan) for destruction. Rav Kahana said: “From here we see that an ignoramus alwas thrusts himself to the forefront.” Memuchan is mentioned last in verse 14, yet he speaks first (Megiloh 12b; Midrash). Everywhere else he is referred to as ‫( מ מ ו כ ן‬Memuchan) but here he is called ‫מ ו מ כ ן‬

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(Mumuchan) a combination of the two words “ ‫( ”מ ו מ כ ן‬mum ken), meaning “a blemish is here.” The blemish is his discourtesy in speaking out of turn. The Torah is not tolerant of boorishness (Mesoras habris). Ch. 1, v. 20: "V'nishma pisgam ha'melech" - And the word of the king will be heard - We find the word "v'nishma" in two other places, Shmos 24:7, "Kole asher di'beir Hashem naa'seh V'NISHMO," and Shmos 28:34, "V'NISHMA kolo b'vo'o el hakodesh." The Baal Haturim connects the "mesoroh" of these 3 words as follows: The gemara Megiloh 3b states that Raboh says that if a person has the opportunity to learn Torah and at the same time has the responsibility to read Megilas Esther, or to do service in the Beis Hamikdosh and read Megilas Esther, reading Megilas Esther takes precedence. We can thus say that "V'NISHMA pisgam ha'melech," to hear the word of the King, the miracle of the Purim story, takes precedence over "naa'seh V'NISHMO," the learning of Torah, and "V'NISHMA kolo," the service in the Beis Hamikdosh, as the verse in Megilas Esther ends with "ki raboh hee," - it is greater. Alternatively, he offers that "ki Raboh hee," means that the statement of Raboh is binding. Another explanation of "ki RABOH hee" is given in the offering on the words "Kimu v'kiblu" (9:27). The Nachal K'dumim offers another insight into this "meso'roh." The gemara Shabbos 88a derives from the verse "va'yisyatzvu b'sachtis hohor" (Shmos 19:17) that the bnei Yisroel were coerced into accepting the Torah. The gemara goes on to say that since they were coerced, if one were to transgress the precepts of the Torah, he could excuse himself by saying that it was accepted through coercion. The gemara adds that in the days of Achashveirosh the bnei Yisroel willingly accepted the Torah, as is written, "kimu v'kibl(u) haYehudim" (Megilas Esther 9:27). Tosfos d.h. "kofoh" asks why there was a need for coercion, as we see that the bnei Yisroel willingly accepted the Torah, as is indicated by the words "kole asher di'ber Hashem naa'seh v'nishmo" (Shmos 24:7). Tosfos answers that coercion was necessary since there was the fear of the bnei Yisroel's rescinding their acceptance when they would see the awe inspiring fire present at the time of the giving of the Torah. The medrash Tanchuma on parshas Noach says that coercion was necessary for acceptance of the Oral Torah, and "naa'seh v'nishmo" was a willing acceptance of the Written Torah only. This automatically answers Tosfos' question, as the willing acceptance in the days of Achashveirosh was only necessary for the Oral Torah. Alternatively, the Rashb"o writes that the excuse of being coerced into accepting the Torah only helped until the bnei Yisroel entered the Holy Land. However, upon entering, this excuse fell to the wayside, as the merit to live in Eretz Yisroel was predicated upon the bnei Yisroel's complying with the Torah's precepts, as is stated, "Va'yi'tein lo'hem artzose goyim, Baavur yish'm'ru chukov v'Sorosov yintzoru" (T'hilim 105:44,45). We can now explain the "mesoroh" of "v'nishma" as follows. The statement of "naa'seh v'nishmo," indicating that the bnei Yisroel willingly accepted the Torah, was limited to the Written Torah only, "v'nishma PISGAM haMelech," the King's statement as WRITTEN in the Torah only. However, even the Oral Torah became binding, "v'nishma KOLO," even 10

His voice, Torah "she'b'al peh," upon entering the Holy Land, "b'vo'o el haKodesh." (Nachal K'dumim) (n.b. - If your Baal Koreh reads the word "pisgOm" rather than "pisgAm" please don't correct him based on what you've read here. There are two opinions about this matter.) Ch. 1, v. 22: "Li'h'yos kol ish soreir b'veiso" - For every man to be master over his household - This played a crucial roll in the future developments. Mordechai now would not be excused by saying that Esther hid herself. (Chasam Sofer in the name of the Ponim Yofos) Ch. 2, v. 5: "Ish Yehudi …… ushmo Mordechai …… ish Yemini "- A man from the tribe of Yehudoh …… and his name was Mordechai …… a man from the tribe of Binyomin - The gemara Megiloh 12b explains that Mordechai was maternally from the tribe of Yehudoh and paternally from the tribe of Binyomin. If so, why was his maternal lineage mentioned first? This is because his ancestor from his father's side was Shimi, who grievously sinned against King Dovid. (Rokei'ach) Ch. 2, v. 5: "Ushmo Mordechai"- And his name was Mordechai -The gemara Chulin 139b asks, "Where is Mordechai alluded to in the Torah?" The gemara answers, "It is found in the words 'mor drore,' which the Targum Onkeles translates as 'mira dachia,'" which is phonetically very close to the name Mordechai. In his preface to the Hagodoh of Pesach the Rei'ach Dudo'im explains this with the Rambam hilchos klei hamikdosh 1:3 who says that the incense "mor drore" is derived from the sweat ("musk") of a non-kosher animal. The Raavad sharply disagrees with the Rambam, stating that an item used in the Mikdosh for the incense burning surely does not come from a non-kosher source. He posits that it is a plant extract. The Kesef Mishneh justifies the Rambam, stating that this sweat is dried and is ground down to a fine powder. It is considered a totally different object in this form, similar to sand, and is therefore totally kosher. See the Mogein Avrohom O.Ch. #216, s.k. 3. The word "drore" is translated as FREE, as per commentators on Vayikroh 25:10. FREE, "mutar," also means permitted, while TIED, "ossur," means prohibited. Although the "mor" comes from a non-kosher source, nevertheless it is "drore," permitted, "dachia," pure, as explained by the Kesef Mishneh. The M.R. Bmidbar 19:1 comments on the words of the verse in Iyov 14:4, "Mi yi'tein tohore mito'mei," - Who can extract a pure object from a defiled one - this refers to Mordechai who was pure and holy, although he was the grandson (Megilas Esther 2:5) of the defiled Shimi (Shmuel 2:16:5, M'lochim 1:2:8). The allusion to Mordechai, a holy person who came from an unholy source is appropriately taken from "mor drore," an object used for the holy incense, also taken from an unholy source.

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Ch. 2, v. 5: "Mordechai" - The M.R. on this verse says that Mordechai was equal to Moshe. We find that Mordechai's name appears in Megilas Esther 58 times, the same numerical value as Noach. The Ari z"l writes that Noach's soul transmigrated into Moshe. Ch. 2, v. 6: "Asher hegloh Nevuchadnetzar" - That Nevuchadnetzar sent into exile - The medrash says that when Raabi Yonoson read this verse (while studying Megilas Esther, but not when reading it to fulfill the mitzvoh, as it is prohibited to interrupt) he would add, "May his bones be pulverized." When reading his name in the book of Yirmiyohu he would not add these words because the evil king was still alive. The Sfas Emes explains that as long as he was alive, as evil as he was, there was the possibility that he would repent. I don't grasp this. Although it is true that during the narration of the story in the book of Yirmuyohu he was living, and during the narration of Megilas Esther he wasn't, but when Rabbi Yonoson read the book of Yirimiyohu Nevuchadnetzar was already dead. Ch. 2, v. 7: "Va'y'hi omein es Hadasoh" - And he was the caretaker of Hadasoh - He pumped "emunoh," faith, into Hadasoh. (Likutei Mahara"n) Ch. 2, v. 10: "Asher lo sagid" - That she should not disclose - Targum says that Mordechai realized that Achashveirosh was easily brought to anger and lashed out with severe punishments. Perhaps if he would be angry with Esther he would take it out not only on her but also upon her nation. The Ibn Ezra offers that if Achashveirosh wouldn't know her religious affiliation it would be much easier for her to keep Shabbos and kashrus, etc. Ch. 2, v. 22: "Va'ya'geid l'Esther" - And he related to Esther - The Beis haLevi asked his son Rabbi Chaim Brisker, when he was just a little child, "Why did Mordechai reveal the plot of the attempted assassination of Achashveirosh? What is so terrible if an evil person would die?" Rabbi Chaim immediately responded, "And what's so terrible if two evil people would die?" Ch. 2, v. 23: "Va'y'vukash hadovor va'yimotzei" - And the matter was investigated and it was found - Yalkut Shimoni writes that Bigson and Teresh planned to kill the king by placing a poisonous snake into Achashveirosh's drinking water and having it expel its venom. They then removed it from the vat. When Mordechai had Esther transmit this information to Achashveirosh and he in turn looked into the matter, Hashem miraculously made a snake appear in the water. This is indicated by the word "va'yimotzei," and it was found. A "m'tzioh" is an object that was lost and is now found, Here too, a snake was removed, but a snake was later "found" in the water. Ch. 2, v. 23: "Va'yiko'seiv b'sefer divrei ha'yomim" - And it was recorded in the book of chronicles - The medrash remarks, "If the simple recording of events in a book written by flesh and blood brought about such major events, imagine the impact of the recording of people's lifetime of activities in Hashem's chronicles!" Ch. 3, v. 1: "Homon" - The gemara Chulin 139a says that Homon is alluded to in the Torah in the words "hamin ho'eitz" (Breishis 3:11). "Hamin" has the same letters as 12

Homon. This is a most appropriate verse for this allusion. It is more than just a word that can be read Homon; it embodies Homon. Odom was given free reign over the whole world. He literally lived in Paradise. Hashem forbade just one tree to him. Nevertheless, he faltered and ate from it. Likewise Homon was elevated to the coveted position of secondto-the-king. Everyone bowed down to him. One Jew by the name of Mordechai would not bow down to him. Instead of noting that he had mastery over everyone save one Yid, he felt that all his honour was negligible, "V'chol zeh einenu shoveh li" (6:13). _ _ _ 3:2 vlo yishtachaveh in verse 6 ein Mordchai korei'a umishtacha'veh LO va'yimo'lei Homon cheimoh" why twice why no word LO earlier why did he wait to get angry until verse 6 - Verbauer?? first he had avodozoro on neck hu Yehudi so he may not bow down- it was removed and still Mrchai didn't mishtachve LO dika to Homon's body alone - ersht then he got cheimo'dik. _ _ _ Ch. 3, v. 4,5: "Va'yagidu l'Homon, Va'yar Homon ki ein Mordechai korei'a umishtacha'veh lo" - It was only after Homon was told that Mordechai did not bow down to him that he saw that it was so. Before this he was unaware of it because in his great arrogance and conceit, he didn't even bother to look at his lowly subjects. (Taamo Dikro) Ch. 3, v. 7: "Hu chodesh Nison" - It is the month of Nison - The name of this month alludes to miracles, "nisim." Alternatively, it means a time of light, as in Z'charioh 9, "misnosesses." (Ro'kei'ach) Ch. 3, v. 7: "Miyom l'yom u'meichodesh l'chodesh" - From day to day and from month to month - The story is told of the Avnei Nezer's being in Krakow right at the beginning of the month of Ador. Among the people who came to see him was the Krakower town drunk, and in an inebriated state to boot. The Avnei Nezer asked him why he jumped the gun and started his "bisu'mei" two weeks ahead of schedule. He responded that he not only began in earnest from Rosh Chodesh, but also extended his "hidur mitzvoh" until the end of the month. He justified himself by asking the following: Why did Homon decide upon having only one day set aside for slaughtering the bnei Yisroel? Surely some of them would hide and be saved. If the edict would be for a week or a month he could more realistically actualize his goal. It must be that Homon feared that things might turn against him, as indeed happened. If this were to happen the bnei Yisroel would in kind make the whole month be a festival. This made Homon see red! He would rather limit his diabolical plans to one day of slaughter so that if it wouldn't work out the bnei Yisroel would have but one day of rejoicing. In theory he would really have preferred to have the slaughter last the complete month of Ador. Am I then to limit my drinking to but one day on Ador because Homon could not "fargeen," have the generosity, to have the bnei Yisroel celebrate a whole month? The Avnei Nezer lauded this explanation and told it over in the name of the Krakower "shikur" to many people. Perhaps this explains why "day to day" is mentioned before "month to month," as Homon first decided that the slaughter last but one day. Ch. 3, v. 7: "L'chodesh shneim ossor hu chodesh Ador" - To the twelfth month it is the month Ador - The reason only Ador haSHeini may be the additional 13th month is that our 13

verse says that Ador is the 12th month, and if we were to add an addition of any other month to the calendar, then Ador would no longer be the 12th month. Was there an extra Ador in the year of the miracle of the Purim salvation? Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Chomoh says that there was. He derives it from this verse (gemara Yerushalmi Megiloh 5:1) Ch. 3, v. 7: "Hu chodesh Ador" - It is the month of Ador - Homon was happy that the month was Ador, as its "mazal," sign, is fish. He thought that just as fish are easily caught, so too, the bnei Yisroel would be easy prey. Hashem responded that some fish swallow others. Homon would not be a like the fish that swallows, but rather, like the one that is swallowed. (Yalkut Shimoni) Perhaps this explains why "mazal Ador DOGIM," in the plural. The "mazal" of the bnei Yisroel is that there are 2 fish, alluding to one that swallows and one that is swallowed. They are portrayed facing each other and not face to tail, one behind the other. Perhaps this alludes to what happened to Homon. A strong, quick swimming fish can overtake a slow moving one and swallow it. They would be facing the same direction. This is what commonly takes place. Homon thought that he would prevail and attacked the bnei Yisroel head-on. With the ensuing "v'nahafoch hu," the miraculous turn-around, the bnei Yisroel overcame him as he was trying to swallow them, hence the 2 fish facing each other. Ch. 3, v. 8: "Yeshno am echod" - There exists one nation - The gemara Megiloh 13b says that Homon attempted to allay Achashveirosh's fears of retribution from Hashem by saying "yeshno," the bnei Yisroel are "asleep" when they do mitzvos. This means that they put no heart or emotion into their mitzvoh acts. Because of this Hashem will likewise "remain asleep" and not come to their aid. Mordechai was the leader who brought the bnei Yisroel back to serving Hashem with emotion and vigour. "Nirdomim" is a word that is synonymous with "y'sheinim." "Ki Mordechai haY'hudi" (10:3) has the same numerical value as "nirdomim." (Goral Samach-Beis - Rabbi Dov Fink) Ch. 3, v. 8: "Yeshno am echod m'fuzor umforod bein ho'amim" - There exists one nation that is scattered and split among the nations - The reason for the bnei Yisroel's being able to exist, "yeshno," is that they are united, "am echod." The way to ch"v overpower them is "m'fuzor umforod bein ho'amim." (Rebbe Reb Bunim of Parshis'cha) Ch. 3, v. 8: "V'do'sei'hem shonos mikol om" - And their creeds are different from those of all other nations --Their religion is that they must be different from all other nations. (Rebbe Reb Bunim of Parshis'cha) Ch. 3, v. 9: "Yiko'seiv l'abdom" - Let it be written to have them vanish - The medrash says that when the angels in heaven came to intercede for the bnei Yisroel, Hashem responded that the edict to annihilate the bnei Yisroel was sealed with a clot of mud and not with blood, so it could be rescinded. (It seems that the concept of "in mud" and "in blood" is symbolic. If one were to create a seal of mud, the mud would later dry and crumble. Not so with blood, as it leaves a permanent mark.) The Ari z"l says that the words of this medrash are alluded to in the word "l'abdom," which is spelled Lamed-Alef-Beis-Dalet-Mem. This word can be split in two, leaving us with "lo b'dam," - not in blood. There is an 14

even earlier source for this insight. It is the Ro'kei'ach, although he does not connect it with the medrash. Ch. 3, v. 9: "Vaa'se'res alofim kikar kesef"- And ten-thousand kikar weight of silver - The gemara Megiloh 13b says in the name of Reish Lokish, "It was known to the One Who created the world that Homon would weigh "shkolim" to purchase the bnei Yisroel and do with them as he wishes. Therefore Hashem preempted him by giving the bnei Yisroel the mitzvoh of giving "shkolim." This is fulfilled as mentioned in the first mishnoh of Shkolim, 'On the first day of the month of Ador announcements are made to give 'shkolim.'" The mitzvoh is to annually give a "machatzis ha'shekel," a half-"shekel." Perhaps we can offer a mathematical allusion for the gemara's statement. Homon attempted to PURCHASE the bnei Yisroel, taking them out of Hashem's control and supervision. "Shekel," spelled Shin-Kuf-Lamed, when halved, "machatzis," gives us the numerical values 150, 50, and 15. The corresponding letters are Kuf-Nun, Nun, and Yud-Hei. These letters spell "HaKiNYaN," - the possession. This refers to the bnei Yisroel's being owned exclusively by Hashem, and by none other, as per Pirkei Ovos 6:10, "Yisroel kinyon echod." (Nirreh li) Tosfos on the gemara Megiloh 16a d.h. "v'dochi" writes that he heard that the 10,000 "kikar" weight of silver that Homon offered Achashveirosh in our verse equals the amount of "shkolim" that the 600,000 bnei Yisroel who left Egypt gave in the form of half"shkolim," and Homon wanted to give their complete redemption. Tosfos ends by saying that if you calculate it you will find that it is accurate. The Chizkuni on our verse independently gives us a calculation of how Homon's 10,000 "kikar" weights of silver equal the amount of half-"shkolim" 600,000 bnei Yisroel would give. On average, people live seventy years. The responsibility to give a half-"shekel" begins at the age of twenty (This is contested by some, see Torah T'mimoh on Shmos 30:13.) as is written in Shmos 13:14, "mi'ben ESRIM shonoh." On average people give their half-shekel for fifty years. The type of half-shekel given is in the "shekel hakodesh" coin system, which has double the value of non-kodesh "shkolim," hence 25 "shiklei kodesh" are given in a lifetime, which equal 50 standard "shkolim." Fifty "shkolim" equal 100 "zuzim." Sixty people would give 6,000 "zuzim," equal to 60 "monoh," the weight of a "kikar" of silver, as a unit of "kesef" equals a "zuz." Ten-thousand times this amount was given by 600,000 people as 60 goes into 600,000 ten-thousand times. Thus a total of 10,000 "kikar kesef" was given by these 600,000 people, and Homon offered an equal amount. The Ba"ch on the above Tosfos calculates exactly as the Chizkuni and says that this is the intention of the Tosfos. The Targum Sheini on Megilas Esther simply states that Homon offered 100 "kesef" for each of the 600,000 bnei Yisroel who left Egypt. He does not explain why 100 "kesef" per person was offered. I believe that the calculation of the Chizkuni is not that of the Tosfos. Tosfos clearly states that the amount was equal to that given by the bnei Yisroel WHO LEFT EGYPT. The 600,000 adults who left Egypt above the age of 20 years did not start giving a half-"shekel" 15

until the second year in the desert at the time of the building of the Mishkon, at the earliest being 21 years of age, thus allowing for only 49 years of giving, and also, they did not live beyond the age of sixty because of the death sentence brought on by their sinning at the time of the sending of the spies, as recorded in Bmidbar 14:29. This further reduces their giving to only 39 years. Thus the calculation Tosfos had in mind seems to not be that of the Chizkuni. Perhaps the intention of Tosfos can be explained with the words of the Rabbeinu Chanan'eil mentioned in Tosfos on the gemara Sotoh 5a d.h. "Odom." He says that the weight of a "rviis halug" of blood, the minimal amount required to be in a person's circulatory system to stay alive, is that of 25 "shkolim." The R'vid Hazohov explains according to this that the giving of a half-"shekel" is a fiftieth weight of that of a "rviis" of blood. Thus a half"shekel" is truly a tithing, a "trumoh" as mentioned in the end of our verse, since the average tithing of "trumoh" is one part of fifty. As mentioned earlier, Tosfos said that Homon wanted to give their COMPLETE redemption. The R'vid Hazohov says that this likely means "shkolim" for the complete weight of their blood, 25 "shkolim", or 100 "kesef," per person. We thus arrive at exactly 10,000 "kikar kesef." Although a daring "chidush," perhaps with the approach of the R'vid Hazohov we have an insight into why money is called "domim," whose literal meaning is blood. Ch. 3, v. 11: "Ha'kesef nosun loch" - The money is given to you - The M.R. 7:21 says that Achashveirosh unwittingly alluded to Homon's eventually being hung from the gallows. "Ha'kesef" has the same numerical value as "ho'eitz." The gallows are given to you. Ch. 3, v. 11: "Ha'kesef nosun loch" - The money is given to you - Although Homon offered to purchase the bnei Yisroel, Achashveirosh declined and gave them over to Homon gratis. This might be somewhat of a fulfillment of the admonition, "V'hismakarteM …… v'eiN koneH" (Dvorim 28:68). These final letters of these three words spell Homon. (Nirreh li) Ch. 4, v. 2: "Ki ein lovo el shaar ha'melech bilvush sok - Because it is inappropriate to come to the gate of the king in sackcloth - Sforno applies these words to 3 situations in the Torah. The first is in Breishis 41:14, when Yoseif was drawn out of the dungeon and had his prison clothes exchanged for presentable clothing before appearing in front of Paroh. The second time is in Breishis 50:4, when Yoseif spoke to the "household" of Paroh to receive permission to take his deceased father to Eretz Yisroel for burial. The Sforno posits that the reason Yoseif didn't approach Paroh himself was not because he was estranged from Paroh, but rather, that Yoseif was wearing rented mourning clothing. It is interesting to note that the first and final time that Yoseif communicated with Paroh as recorded in the Torah involved the concept of "ki ein lovo ……" The third time is in Vayikroh 21:18, where the verse prohibits a Kohein who has a physical blemish from doing the service. Sforno says that this is akin to "coming to the gate of the king in sackcloth." Ch. 4, v. 16: "El ha'melech asher lo chados" - To the king inappropriately - The medrash on the words "K'dos mah laasose bamalkoh Vashti" (1:15) says, "To his swine (Vashti) he sought counsel to act "k'dos," - as is appropriate, while to the holy Jewish nation he behaved "asher lo ch'dos." We can thus interpret these words in our verse as saying, "And 16

thus I will come to the king who behaves inappropriately." Perhaps because of his bad behaviour Hashem will foil his plans. Alternatively, "I will come to the king who ascended the throne inappropriately," as the gemara Megiloh relates that he took the throne by force. (Siach Yitzchok - Verbauer Rov) Ch. 4, v. 16: "Lo chados" - Inappropriately - Do not entertain the thought that Esther felt that she was taking a limited risk, thinking that even if the king would be displeased with her coming unannounced and uninvited that she would be subject to no negative consequences, as after all, she was the queen, or in the worst scenario she would only receive a rebuff or tongue lashing. She knew full-well that Achashveirosh might have her head. "Lo chados" has the same numerical value as "misoh," death, 455. (Nirreh li) Ch. 4, v. 16: "V'chaasher ovadti ovodti" - And as I have lost will have been a permanent loss - Esther stated that until now when she appeared in front of the king it was only at his behest, and when he had relations with her she had no choice, and thus had not committed a sin. If she would now appear in front of the king of her own volition, and he would likely have relations with her, she would be held responsible, and thus would be prohibited to remain married to her true husband, Mordechai (gemara Megiloh 15a). However, the Holy Zohar in parshas Vayikroh writes that "vatalbeish Esther malchus" means that she clothed (enveloped) herself with the Holy Spirit of "ruach haKodesh." He writes in parshas Ki Seitzei page 276a that if Esther received the level of "ruach haKodesh" it is impossible to say that the heathen Achashveirosh had relations with her. Instead, he writes, that Hashem sent a human form called a "sheidoh," which resembled Esther, and Achashveirosh had relations with this human form, while Esther remained untainted. Medrash Talpios says that this is alluded to in the gemara Chulin 139a, which says that Esther is hinted to in the Torah in the words, "V'onochi hasteir astir" (Dvorim 31:18). The double expression, "hasteir astir" indicates Esther's being hidden; the real Esther never fell into Achashveirosh's clutches. Ch. 5, v. 1: "Vatilbash Esther malchus vataamode" - And Esther donned royalty and she stood - The word "vatilbash" alludes to the gemara Shabbos 113a, that a person should dress himself in clean respectable clothing in honour of Shabbos. The letters of the word "vatilbash" can be rearranged to form "ulShabbos." Likewise, one is to do this in honour of Yom Tov as per the gemara Yerushalmi Kidushin 1:4. This is alluded to in the word "vataamode," whose letters can be rearranged to form the word "mo'adose." (Rokei'ach) Ch. 5, v. 2: "Va'y'hi chirose ha'melech es Esther" - And it was when the king saw Esther Yalkut Shimoni writes that Achashveirosh suffered from a debilitating blinding condition called "sanveirim." When Esther appeared in front of him his eyesight totally returned. This is the intention of the words, "And it was when the king saw Esther." It is no wonder that "nosoh chein b'einov," - she found favour in his just-healed eyes. Alternatively, she found favour "because of" his eyes. (Medrash Talpios) Ch. 5, v. 6: "Mah sheilo'seich" - What is your request - Esther had earlier in the day requested that Achashveirosh and Homon attend her wining/dining feast (verse 4). What prompted him to ask her, "What is your request" at the meal itself? Perhaps all she wanted 17

was a get-together with the king and his most prominent minister. Medrash Lekach Tov says that Achashveirosh and Homon voraciously dug into the wining and dining, while Esther sat there in a sullen mood. It then became obvious to him that her intention was not in the social sphere, but rather to make a request. Ch. 5, v. 6: "Chatzi hamalchus v'sei'os" - Half the kingdom and it shall be done - The Torah contains 248 positive mitzvos. This is alluded to in these words. The numerical value of "malchus" is 496. Half of "malchus" is 248, "v'sei'os," that should be done, i.e.positive precepts. (Nirreh li) Ch. 5, v. 9: "V'lo kom v'lo zo" - He did not arise nor tremble - Homon noted that Mordechai not only refrained from according him honour by not standing up in his presence, but that there was absolutely no reaction, not even a facial expression. This caused Homon to be filled with anger. (Taamo Dikro) Ch. 5, v. 9: "Zo" - Tremble - This translation is preferred by Ibn Ezra, and is sourced as a 2 letter word based on Koheles 12:3, "ba'yom she'yoZU'u," rather than the translation "sweat," sorced as a 3 letter word, with the first letter Yud falling away in conjugation, based on Yechezkeil 44:18, "lo yach'g'ru b'YoZA." Ch. 5, v. 14: "Yaasu eitz govoah chamishim amoh" - They shall prepare a tree/gallows 50 amos tall - From where did Homon procure a wooden pole of such an extreme length? 1) From the "eits hadaas" mentioned in Breishis 2:17 (M.R.) 2) It was a beam from Homon's home. (Yalkut Shimoni) 3) From Noach's ark (Targum Sheini) 4) From the Beis Hamikdosh (Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer chapter #3) 5) Homon created it through magic. (Medrash Talpios) "Yaasu" might not mean "prepare," but rather, literally "make." 6) Homon chopped down a tree called "erez" from the royal botanical garden, "ginas habison." (Rokei'ach) We know the height of the gallows, but how wide was it? The Rokei'ach says that it was 12 "amos" and a "zerres" wide, while the Medrash Talpios says that it was 12 "zerres" wide. What is puzzling is that Targum Sheini explains how Homon and his 10 sons were hung on the 50 "amoh" tall gallows, and Tosfos on the gemara Yoma 31a d.h. "Amoh" is a bit hardpressed in finding enough space for this elite troupe. Since the pole was either 6½ or 12½ "amos" wide, why wasn't there sufficient room to hang a few people side-by-side? Actually, this seems to be a legitimate question even if the pole was relatively thin, as two people could be hung at the same level on two sides of the pole. Ch. 6, v. 1: "Va'y'h'yu nikro'im" - And they were read - Why is the "nifal," - it was done to form used, rather than simply "va'y'ikr'u"? This teaches us that the sons of Homon, who were Achashveirosh's servants who were requested to read from the historical chronicles, attempted to skip over the incident of Mordechai's saving the kings life, and the books read of themselves, audio books.

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Rabbi Yaakov says in the name of Rabbi Chanina, "Do not be startled with this interpretation. If the lots cast for the division of Eretz Yisroel read themselves aloud so that there should be no strife among the tribes, to help orchestrate the saving of the whole nation surely Hashem would wrought such a miracle." Ch. 6, v. 2: "Va'yimotzei chosuv" - And they found recorded - The medrash says that the sons of Homon opened to the page where the incident with Mordechai and Bigson and Teresh took was recorded, but they leafed further to avoid reading this, and the book itself went back to the place where it was opened. We can thus extend the concept of the previous offering from the medrash that the book read of itself and say that "Va'yimotzei chosuv asher higid Mordechai," was also verbalized by the chronicle book. It declared that it "was found written," the book was already opened to the incident of Mordechai, but the readers intentionally attempted to skip over this. (Medrash Talpios) The Yalkut Shimoni writes that "Va'yimotzei chosuv" teaches us that it was "just now found to be written," because Shimshi, the son of Homon, who was to read these words, erased them, but the angel Gavriel rewrote them. Alternatively, Medrash Talpios writes that he heard in the name of the medrash that we find in our verse a change in the name of one of the attempted murderers of the king. Earlier (2:22) his name is Bigson, and here it is Bigsono. The sons of Homon were the scribes who recorded the happenings in the royal chronicles. To diminish Mordechai's great deed of saving the king's life they entered that Bigson OR Teresh attempted to have the king killed. In other words, even after investigation, it was not clarified which one of these two people was the guilty party. "When in doubt knock them both out!" So both Bigson and Teresh were hung. Thus the words "Bigson O Teresh" appeared in the chronicles. This would considerably diminish Mordechai's great deed, as an innocent person was also killed. Hashem wrought a miracle and had the two-letter word "O" (Alef-Vov) split, with the Alef attaching itself to the end of the word Bigson, and the Vov attaching itself to the beginning of the word Teresh. (I trust that there was no problem with the "final Nun" in Bigson because the chronicles were written in the Persian language.) Thus Bigson became Bigsono. This is the intention of "va'yimotzei," - and it was NOW found, but this is not the way it was originally recorded. Alternatively, "divrei ha'yomim" are chronicles of past history, things that took place before Achashveirosh was born. Although he requested history books, and they were clearly in different tomes from those that chronicled the happenings that took place during Achashveirosh's reign, miraculously, the pages relating to the incident with Mordechai and the attempted assassination were FOUND in the older history volume. Ch. 6, v. 11: "Va'yarki'veihu" - And he had him ride - The Rokei'ach has this word spelled lacking the letter Yud between the Kof and the Veis. This is not our text. According to the Rokei'ach's text it allows for a reading of "va'yar'k'veihu" meaning and he rode him. This teaches us that Mordechai literally rode upon Homon. This explains why the verse does not say that Homon had Mordechai ride "upon the horse." We now also understand the gemara Megiloh 16a differently. The gemara says that Homon bowed down to enable Mordechai to 19

ride. This is understood as Homon acting as a step-stool upon which Mordechai trod to mount the horse. The Rokei'ach says that Homon bent down to allow Mordechai to mount him. Ch. 6, v. 12: "O'veil vachafuy rosh" - A mourner and his head covered - The gemara Megiloh 16a explains that when Homon led Mordechai who was riding on the king's horse through the streets of Shushan, Homon's daughter looked down from above when they passed by. Having only a bird's-eye view, she could not tell who was who and assumed that her father was on the horse being led by Mordechai. She took the household garbage and dropped it down upon the head of the horse handler. Realizing her mistake, she took it so to heart that she threw herself out the window as well and died. Homon was therefore an "o'veil," a mourner, because his daughter had committed suicide, and had his head covered with the refuse she dumped on his head. The Gri"z haLevi Brisker asks a simple question. "According to these words of the gemara, why doesn't the verse reverse the order and say "chafuy rosh v'o'veil," as Homon's head was first covered with garbage before his daughter committed suicide?" He answers this with the words of Tosfos on the gemara B.K. 17a d.h. "Zorak." Tosfos says that if A threw a rock or shot an arrow at someone's vessel and was right on the mark, but before the destruction of the vessel took place B shattered it, B is held financially responsible. If however, A took the vessel itself and threw it in a manner that it would surely shatter upon impact, and again B preempted him and shattered the vessel, A is responsible. (Tosfos ends by saying that it is simple to understand the difference between these two cases. The great Gaon Rabbi Dovid Karliner wrote to the Holy Tzemach Tzedek that he wracked his mind but could not fathom the difference.) Given this difference we can offer that Homon's daughter dropped the garbage from quite a distance above the ground. Homon looked up. She now realized that the garbage was about to land on her father and she immediately threw herself out the window. Both she and the garbage were simultaneously in flight. Since the damage inflicted by throwing an object at another object is only considered done when it actually hits its target Homon was not yet a "chafuy rosh." Homon's daughter however, was the object itself in flight, clearly destined to die upon impact. Here we consider the object as if it was already destroyed. Thus halachically Homon was first an "o'veil" and only afterwards a "chafuy rosh." Ch. 6, v. 13: "Linpol" - To fall - Usually "to fall" is expressed as "lipol," with the first letter of the verb disappearing, "chasrei Pei Nun." Perhaps, because Homon's advisors and his wife Zeresh told him of his possible downfall and his mastery coming to an end, the letter Nun was left in place, as its numerical value equals 190, the same as "keitz," the end. (Nirreh li) Ch. 6, v. 13: "LinpoL l'fonoV lO suchaL" - To fall in front of him you will be unable The merit for the bnei Yisroel's being saved was their repenting. This brought about Homon's downfall. The final letters of these words in our verse spell Elul, connoting repentance. (Siach Yitzchok - Verbauer Rov)

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Ch. 7, v. 5: "V'eizeh hu asher mlo'o libo laasos kein" - And who is he whose heart has filled him (with the audacity) to do thus - Did Achashveirosh suffer from selective amnesia? As king, he was in the prime position of authority, and was the greater partner in the diabolical plan against the bnei Yisroel, as clearly recorded in 3:8-15! The M.R. 7:13 and the Targum record a lengthy conversation between Achashveirosh and Homon, with Achashveirosh continually displaying fear of retribution from Hashem and Homon rebutting his concerns and attempting to allay the kings fears. We can now explain an anomaly. Achashveirosh was willing to forego a payment of 10,000 "kikar kesef," a tidy sum by any standard (3:11). This is so unusual for a money-hungry individual the likes of Achashveirosh that the M.R. 7:20 comments that this is totally the reverse of what is to be expected, especially in light of Achashveirosh's being a greater bnei Yisroel hater than Homon. By taking the money Homon's ownership of the bnei Yisroel would be binding, and as he devised the idea, he would surely carry it out. We are clearly led to the conclusion that although Achashveirosh acquiesced to Homon's wishes, he still feared retribution, or was at the least, in doubt. He therefore washed his hands of the affair. By not taking money he kept himself at arms-length distance and left the dirty work for Homon. He would not be held responsible because he never issued an edict. All he did was granting Homon permission to do to the bnei Yisroel as he saw fit (verse 11). Homon, in his attempt to bring his scheme to fruition stepped beyond his bounds. Not only did he issue the evil edict, but he also enhanced it by writing that this was "b'shem ha'melech Achashveirosh" (verse 12). This was totally contrary to Achashveirosh's wishes, and explains why he was in a fury (verse 7). Homon blatantly abrogated their agreement. We can now understand Achashveirosh as asking, "Who has the audacity of heart to do thus," to write that I issued the edict. (Agodoh Udrush by Rabbi Yaakov Tenenbaum Baal responsa Naha'rei Afarsimon) Ch. 7, v. 6: "Va'tomer Esther" - And Esther said - Although in 2:5 we have a limited list of Mordechai's ancestors, see the Targum on this verse for a complete 41 generation ancestral list. Ch. 7, v. 9: "T'luhu" - Hang him - The verse in Shmos 3:14 says "E'h'yeh asher E'h'yeh." Rashi explains that Hashem told Moshe that He would be with them and redeem them from this difficulty and the double expression indicates that there will be later troubles from which Hashem will extricate the bnei Yisroel as well. Commentators explain that this expression is one of trusting in Hashem's fulfilling His words, as indicated by multiplying the numerical value of "E'h'yeh" by itself, 21x21=441, the value of EMES (truth). Here too, the fulfillment of redeeming the bnei Yisroel from Homon's terrible edict was realized at the point when Achashveirosh said, "Hang him!" "T'luhu" has the same numerical value as EMES. (Nirreh li) Ch. 7, v. 10: "Va'yislu es Homon al ho'eitz" - And they hanged Homon on the tree - This took place on the 16th of the month of Nison. This is alluded to in Yehoshua 5:12,

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"Va'yishbos HAMON mimochoras." This refers to the day after Pesach had begun, as indicated in the previous verse. (Hadar Z'keinim) Ch. 8, v. 13: "HaY'hudi(i)m asi(u)dim" - The Jews will in the future - There is an extra letter Yud in HaY'hudi(i)m and a "kri" of "asidim" and "ksiv" of "asUdim." As mentioned earlier in 1:20, the Medrash Tanchuma on parshas Noach says that the bnei Yisroel willingly accepted the Written Torah at Har Sinai, and only accepted the Oral Torah after being saved from the diabolical machinations of Homon. We can thus say that at this point, when the edict was changed, and in tandem the bnei Yisroel willingly accepted the Oral Torah, there is an extra letter Yud in the word "La'Y'hudi(i)m" to allude to their having accepted the Written Torah, embodied in the Ten Commandments, hence the letter Yud, whose numerical value is 10. "Asi(u)dim," for the future, they would also accept the Oral Torah, embodied in the Six sections of mishnoh, hence the letter Vov, whose numerical value is six. (Nirreh li) Ch. 8, v. 16: "LaY'hudim hoysoh orOH" - For the Jews there was light - The gemara Megiloh 16b explains the word "orOH" to refer to the Holy Torah. Why is this word in the feminine form and not in the more familiar and common male form, "ohr," as per the gemara's proof from the words "v'Sorah ohr"? The gemara Shabbos 88a says that we derive from the words "kimu v'kiblu haY'hudim" (9:27) that the Jews WILLINGLY accepted the Holy Torah at this times, as at the time of the giving of the Holy Torah at Har Sinai they accepted the Torah through coercion, as Hashem suspended Har Sinai above them as a barrel, threatening to lower it upon them if they were to not accept the Torah. Hashem is likened to the Groom and the bnei Yisroel as the bride when the Torah was given. The Groom's great interest in the marriage was demonstrated at Har Sinai, but not the bride's. At this point in time the bride WILLINGLY agreed to the spiritual "marriage," hence the word representing the Holy Torah, "orOH," is in the feminine form. (Droshos Rabbeinu Yoseif Nechemioh Rov of Krakow) Perhaps another answer can emerge from the compilation of a number of points. Tosfos on the above-mentioned gemara d.h. "Kofoh" asks why it was necessary to coerce the bnei Yisroel to accept the Torah. After all, the Torah states that the bnei Yisroel said "naa'seh v'nishmo" (Shmos 24:7). The Medrash Tanchuma parshas Noach answers that although the bnei Yisroel willingly and eagerly accepted the written Torah, "Torah shebiksav," they did not willingly accept the oral Torah, "Torah sheb'al peh." This component required coercion. Tosfos on the gemara P'sochim 116b d.h. "V'nomar" in the name of the Medrash Tanchuma on parshas Bo explains the difference between the words "shir" and "shiroh." Each means SONG, but "shiroh," the female form, connotes a song of praise for an act that is not final, i.e. there will again be difficulty afterwards from which we will need to be extricated. This is like a woman, who goes through severe labour pains and even when she has given birth is not over these pains, because she will again become pregnant, and will again have labour pains. The word "shir," the male form, connotes song and praise for a final redemption, where no later pains of exile will be experienced. (This has direct bearing on the text of our Seder, 22

see Mishneh B'ruroh and Eimek Brochoh) In a similar vein, we can possibly suggest that "ohr," the male form, refers only to the written Torah, as its text is complete. There will be no other written Torah ever given by Hashem (9th of the Rambam's 13 principles of faith). However, the oral Torah is never complete. New insights, interpretations, and understandings develop as we continuously learn the Holy Torah. This is the nature of a female, as mentioned by Tosfos. Since the bnei Yisroel now accepted the oral Torah, it is most befitting to give it the female appellation "orOH." (Nirreh li) Ch. 8, v. 16: "LaY'hudim Hoysoh Oroh V'simchoh V'soson Vikor" - For the Jews there was light and happiness and rejoicing and grandeur - The Rokei'ach notes that the numerical value of the first letters of every word in this verse is 54. It is interesting to note that Homon's name appears 54 times as well. At this juncture in the Purim story, where the king's edict has become favourable for the bnei Yisroel, we have the power of Esther, whose name also appears 54 times, and is equal to the value of the first letters of the words of our verse, overcome Homon. Ch. 9, v. 14: "V'eis a'se'res bnei Homon tolu" - And the ten sons of Homon they hung - The Rokei'ach had a text that we do not have. He had the word "yitlu" in the place of "tolu" as a "ksiv," the written text, although he says that this word should be read "tolu," which is both our written and verbalized word. Logic dictates that the word be "tolu." The previous verse relates that Esther requested of Achashveirosh that ten sons of Homon be hung on the gallows. Our verse begins with the king's affirmative response, "l'hei'osose kein." There is therefore no need to repeat that they should be hung. Clearly the verse is telling us that the edict was carried out and they WERE hung. Yet, the Rokei'ach has a "ksiv" of "yitlu." The list of the ten sons of Homon is in verses 7 through 9 of this chapter. Among their names we find three letters that are written in a diminished size. They are the letters Tof of "Parshando*s*o" in verse 7, Shin of "Parma*sh*to, and Zayin of Vay*z*oso, both in verse 9. The numerical value of these 3 letters is 707. In the year 707 of the 5th millennium, i.e. 1946 c.e., the Nuremberg war crimes court convicted and hung 10 Nazis y"sh. All of them went to the gallows in a calm manner except for one who was dragged there. He hollered, "Purimfest Tof-Shin-Zayin!" It seems that these ten men were a repeat of the killing and hanging of the ten sons of Homon, and it gives us an insight into the "Purimfest" response. We now might have an understanding of the "ksiv" word "yitlu," meaning "they shall hang," in the future tense. The verse in the "kri" form tells us that the actual ten sons of Homon were hung, while the "ksiv" form alludes to the ten sons of Homon being hung in the future, at the Nuremberg trial. (Nirreh li) Ch. 9, v. 17: "SimchoH v'sossoN laY'hudiM" - Happiness and rejoicing for the Jews The final letters of these three words spell HoMoN. When Homon is at the bottom the bnei Yisroel experience "simchoh and "sosson." (Rokei'ach) Ch. 9, v. 18: "Bachamishoh ossor bo" - On the 15th - The Ramban in his commentary on the gemara Megiloh 2a explains that the reason the walled cities celebrated Purim a day 23

later is that they felt secure in the fortified cities and did not make a day of rejoicing until they had a sign from heaven that they do so. Some interpret this as a punishment for their feeling secure and not being empathetic to their brethren. The message for us today is very clear. Ch. 9, v. 27: "Kimu v'kiblu haY'hudim" - The Jews established and accepted - The gemara Megiloh 7a brings Tano'im who offer four proofs that the text of Megilas Esther was inspired through "ruach hakodesh." Shmuel, the Amora, responded that had he been present at the assemblage of these Tano'im he would have offered a better proof. This is from these words of our verse. The double expression "kimu v'kiblu" is to be understood as, "They substantiated above (in the heavens) that which the bnei Yisroel accepted upon themselves below." Rovo responded that indeed Shmuel's proof is the best, as there are rebuttals to the other four proofs offered. The gemara then offers two more proofs. Tosfos d.h. "L'chulhu" asks a most powerful question. Rovo, who so staunchly agrees with Shmuel's proof, uses these same words of our verse to derive another concept. In the gemara Shabbos 88a he says that we derive from these words that the bnei Yisroel willingly validated their previous acceptance of the Torah. At the time of the bnei Yisroel's acceptance of the Torah Hashem suspended Har Sinai above them, threatening to make this their burial spot if they refused to accept the Torah. Hence the Torah was accepted under duress. At this point in time, at the end of the Purim story, the bnei Yisroel willingly accepted the Torah, "kimu mah shekiblu ch'var." If so, how could Rovo himself say that there is no refutation to Shmuel's proof, since he himself uses these words for another insight? Tosfos answers the seeming contradiction of Rovo in 4 ways. 1) Tosfos on the gemara Chagigoh 9a d.h. "Dilmo" says that we can derive both thoughts from the same words, as not only is there a superfluous word in "kimu v'kiblu," but there is also an extra expression, as the verse could have said "kimu v'kimu," or "kiblu v'kiblu." Hence both ideas can be derived. 2) On the gemara Shovuos 39a Tosfos d.h. "kimu" answers that Rovo realizes that he is in dispute with Shmuel, as Shmuel clearly does not derive that the bnei Yisroel later accepted the Torah willingly from the words "kimu v'kiblu." According to Shmuel's position on this, his proof for M.E.'s being Divinely inspired is conclusive. 3) On the gemara Shabbos 88a Tosfos d.h. "Omar Rovo" says that although Rovo's opinion in the gemara Megiloh makes Shmuel's proof inconclusive, but Rovo does not destroy Shmuel's logic. The other 4 proofs are negated. 4) Alternatively, Tosfos says that the correct version of who made the statement in Chagigoh that needing the same words for one insight negates their use for deriving anything else, is RABOH, and not ROVO. Thus there is no contradiction, as Rovo posits that the same words can be used for a second concept. In 1:20 on the words "v'nishma pisgam ha'melech …… ki RABOH hee," the 2 insights of the Baal Haturim were mentioned. Perhaps another interpretation of "ki RABOH hee" emerges from the answer of Tosfos that RABOH made the statement in the gemara 24

Chagigoh. If reading Megilas Esther takes precedence over learning the Torah and service in the Beis Hamikdosh, it is only logical if Megilas Esther is at least on par with the Torah in some way. If the words of Megilas Esther are not even Divinely inspired, their reading could not take precedence. Since the other proofs that Megilas Esther was said through "ruach haKodesh" are not conclusive because the words are used by Rovo himself to derive the insight mentioned in Shabbos, how could Megilas Esther come first? The answers is "ki RABOH hee." The statement in the gemara Chagigoh 9a was said by Raboh, and we posit like Rovo, that it teaches us that Megilas Esther was said with Divine inspiration, and therefore "v'nishma pisgam ha'melech," hearing the reading of Megilas Esther takes precedence over the other two. (Nirreh li) The GR"A offers a most marvelous resolution to the problem posed by Tosfos. What is truly breathtaking is the attention given by the GR"A to a nuance of difference in the way the two gemoros express themselves. The gemara Shabbos says, "SHE'NE'EMAR 'kimu v'kiblu,'" while the gemara Megiloh says, "DICH'SIV 'kimu v'kiblu.'" Literally translating these two highlighted words we have, "as is SAID," and, "as is WRITTEN." This point makes all the difference and resolves Tosfos's problem. The word "v'kiblu" in our verse has a "kri" and a "ksiv," a "read" form and a "written" form. The word is actually written without a final letter Vov. This allows for two interpretations, the "kri" meaning, "and THEY accepted," while the "ksiv" ("ki'beil") meaning is, "and HE accepted." The gemara Megiloh derives from "v'kiblu," the way we READ the word, "she'ne'emar," that THEY (plural) the bnei Yisroel, accepted the mitzvos the Rabbis instituted upon themselves. The gemara Shabbos derives from "v'ki'beil," the way the word is actually WRITTEN, "dich'siv," that the bnei Yisroel affirmed and willingly undertook to fulfill that which he, Moshe, "ki'beil," received, when he ascended Har Sinai. Beyond the obviously breathtaking beauty of this insight, it should also serve to teach us the razor sharp accuracy of the words used by our Holy Rabbis.

by Daneal Weiner email: [email protected] http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/purim/orchards.htm Back in Breishis, 4 rivers came out of the Garden of Eden, paralleling the 4 kingdoms which put us into exile. The name of the 2nd river is "Gichone" which Chazal say symbolizes Persia. How? The snake, which, in the Garden, was the external force of the 25

yetser horah, convinced Adam and Chava to sin by speaking lashon horah. It slandered Hashem! It said the reason G-d didn't want them to eat from the tree is because then they would be like G-d too, implying the tree was where G-d got His knowledge from as well. G-d cursed the snake saying it would crawl on it's belly. The word for belly is 'gichone'! Haman also spoke slanderous about the Jews to Achashveirosh. Ergo, Gichone = Persia. But wait. There’s more! Jump to Vayikrah 11:42 and there is a big letter 'vav', printed as it's inscribed, larger than the standard letter size. A footnote in the margin of most Chumashim (but not inscribed in the Torah scroll) will tell you that this vav is the middle letter of the Chumash. And that vav appears in the word 'gichone'! This verse found amongst laws regarding eating says, "Anything that crawls on it's belly...you may not eat them for they are an abomination." The Vilna Gaon explains this middle letter. The central message of the Torah is simply not to give in to our yetser horah! If it has to do with the snake, it is an abomination! And why the vav? First of all, it looks like a snake. Second of all, a ‘vav’ represents 6. Six are the days of creation without Shabbos! Just the 'natural' world with out it's spiritual counterpart. The strategy of the yetser horah is “It's all nature.” "G-d? What G-d? He ate from the tree. You eat from the tree and you be a god too!" "Give up an hour of work to learn? What is learning gonna do? It aint natural! You know how much money you can make in that hour? And Shabbos has 25 of them! Rosh Hashanah has 51! Pesach, 169! You can become a millionaire with just Pesach alone!" The Megilah starts out with a 'vav'. It ends with a 'vav'. Almost every column of an inscribed Megilah begins with a 'vav'. Hashem's Name doesn't appear openly anywhere in the text. How natural can you get? And yet the Vilna Gaon says that in every single verse the divine providence of Hashem can be seen! Like we said, just as the snake spoke slanderous, so too did Haman. He convinces Achashveirosh to let him kill all the Jews saying, “The Jews are a people but they’re dispersed. It ain’t natural. Their laws are different from anyone else’s. It ain’t natural. They don't follow the king rules. There is nothing natural about them! What role do they play in our natural world? They pay a few taxes? I'll pay their taxes." A Midrash from Parshas Nassoh states, "Rebbi Pinchas said, 'Two enemies of Israel were not cursed until 70 verses were read over them.' Which two? The snake and Haman." From 'Breishis barah,' the first words of the Torah, till 'on your belly,' the curse G-d gave to the snake, is 70 verses! From Megilah 3:1, 'Achashveirosh promoted Haman...and advanced him...', till 7:10, 'So they hanged Haman on the gallows...' is 70 verses! Hold this thought! Gemorah Megilah states, "Ravah says, 'One is obligated to drink till he doesn't know the difference between the cursed Haman and the blessed Mordechai.'" We know the curse of Haman came over 70 verses. What about the blessing of Mordechai? From 6:1, "That night sleep eluded the king..." (which is the "nehapuch hu" from Haman's rise to Mordechai's rise), till 10:3, "Mordechai the Jew was viceroy to king Achashveirosh..." is 76 verses! The difference between the cursed Haman and the blessed Mordechai is six verses. 26

SIX!?! The letter 'VAV'!!! We have to drink till we don't know the 'VAV'! We have to drink till we don't know the first 6 days of creation! We have to drink till we don't know the 'nature' of the world! We have to drink till we don't know that things are cyclical or statistical or happenstance! In other words, We have to drink till we say, "G-d, help me!" We have to drink till we say, "I'm out of control!" We have to drink till we say, "Who's in charge here!? I'b been waitin' 15 segonds for my nest dring!!!!!!" And why don't the women have to drink? Because all they have to do is look at the husband's and they KNOW there is a G-d running the world! WOA! A flash of inspiration in your merit! We have to drink till we are nehapuch hu. Nehapuch the 'HU'! 'Hu' is spelled 'hey'-'vav'-'aleph'. The center is the 'vav'! The peripheral are, 'hey' + 'aleph'. Turn it around! The 'hey' and 'aleph' become central. ‘Hey’ + 'aleph' = 5 + 1 = 6! G-d is One, the aleph, and Rashi in Breishis 2:4 says the world was created with the letter 'hey'! There's your 6! There’s your ‘nature’! Its all G-d running the world. Woooweee! Baruch Hashem! A round for the house on me!!!

27

Julius Streicher

Julius Streicher

(1885-1946)

Streicher's Career and Positions Streicher's Part in the Removal of Opposition Through Anti-jewish Propaganda and Incitement The Ant-Jewish Boycott of 1933 "Ritual Murder" Propaganda The Anti-Jewish demonstrations of November 1938 Perversion of Youth Streicher's Use of His Authority as Gauleiter in the Service of the Conspiracy Conclusion

Through his words and his deeds Julius Streicher assumed for himself the unofficial title of "Jew-baiter Number One" of Nazi Germany. For the course of some twenty-five years, Streicher educated the German people in hatred and incited them to the persecution and to the extermination of the Jewish race. He was an accessory to murder, on a
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scale perhaps never attained before.

A. STREICHER'S CAREER AND POSITIONS.
Streicher was born in 1885. He became a school teacher in Nurnberg and formed a party of his own, which he called the German Socialist Party. The chief policy of that party was anti-semitism. In 1922 he handed over his party to Hitler, who wrote a glowing account of Streicher's generosity in Mein Kampf (M-3) The appointments which Streicher held in the Party and state were few. From 1921 until 1945, he was a member of the Nazi Party. In 1925 he was appointed Gauleiter of Franconia, and he remained until about February 1940. From the time that the Nazi government came into power in 1933 until 1945 he was a member of the Reichstag. In addition to that, he held the title of Obergruppenfuehrer in the SA (2975-PS). The propaganda which Streicher carried out throughout those years was chiefly done through the medium of his newspapers. He was the editor and publisher of "Der Stuermer' from 1922 until 1933, and thereafter the publisher and owner of the paper. In 1933 he also founded and thereafter published a daily newspaper called the "Fraenkische Tageszeitung." In addition, in later years he published several other papers, mostly local journals, from Nurnberg.

B. STREICHER'S PART IN THE REMOVAL OF OPPOSITION THROUGH ANTI-JEWISH PROPAGANDA AND INCITEMENT.
The course of Streicher's incitement and propaganda may be traced more or less in chronological order by referring to short extracts from "Der Stuermer." The extracts which follow were selected at random. They were selected with a view to showing the various methods which Streicher employed to incite the German people against the Jewish race, but his newspapers are crowded with them, week after week, day after day. It is impossible to pick up any copy without finding the same kind of invective and incitement in the headlines and in the articles. In a speech which Streicher made in 1922 in Nurnberg, after abusing the Jews in the first paragraph, he went on to say: "We know that Germany will be free when the Jew has
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been excluded from the life of the German people." (M11). In a speech in 1924 he stated: "I beg you and particularly those of you who carry the cross throughout the land to become somewhat more serious when I speak of the enemy of the German people, namely, the Jew. Not out of irresponsibility or for fun do I fight against the Jewish enemy, but because I bear within me the knowledge that the whole misfortune was brought to Germany by the Jews alone. "I ask you once more, what is at stake today? The Jew seeks domination not only among the German people but among all peoples. The communists pave the way for him. Do you not know that the God of the Old Testament orders the Jews to consume and enslave the peoples of the earth? "The government allows the Jew to do as he pleases. The people expect action to be taken. You may think about Adolf Hitler as you please, but one thing you must admit. He possessed the courage to attempt to free the German people from the Jew by a national revolution. That was action indeed." (M-12). In a speech in April 1925 Streicher declared: "You must realize that the Jew wants our people to perish. That is why you must join us and leave those who have brought you nothing but war, inflation, and discord. For thousands of years the Jew has been destroying the nations. Let us make a new beginning today so that we can annihilate the Jews." (M-13) This appears to be the earliest expression of one of the conspirators' primary objectives -- the annihilation of the Jewish race. Fourteen years later it became the official policy of the Nazi Government. In April 1932 Streicher made the following statement: "For 13 years I have fought against Jewry." *******
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"We know that the Jew whether he is baptized as a Protestant or as a Catholic, remains a Jew. Why cannot you realize, you Protestant clergymen, you Catholic priests, you who have scales before your eyes and serve the god of the Jews who is not the God of Love but the God of Hate. Why do you not listen to Christ, who said to the Jews, 'You are children of the devil'." (M-14). (1) The Ant-Jewish Boycott of 1933. When the Nazi Party came to power, they officially started their campaign against the Jews by the boycott of 1 April 1933. The boycott was agreed on and approved by the whole government, as appears from Goebbel's diary (2409-PS). Streicher vas appointed the chairman of the central committee for the organization of that boycott. He started his work on Wednesday, 29 March (2156-PS). On that same day the central committee issued a proclamation announcing that the boycott would start on Saturday at 10:00 -AM sharp: "Jewry will realize whom it has challenged." (M-7). On 30 March, two days before the boycott was due to start, an article was published under the title, "Defeat the Enemy of the World !by Julius Streicher, official leader of the central committee to combat the Jewish atrocity and boycott campaign" (2153-PS). The article stated, in part: "Jewry wanted this battle. It shall have it until it realizes that the Germany of the brown battalions is not a country of cowardice and surrender. Jewry will have to fight until we have won victory. "National Socialists! Defeat the enemy of the world. Even if the world is full of devils, we shall succeed in the end." (2153-PS) . As head of the central committee for that boycott, Streicher outlined in detail the organization of the boycott in orders which the committee published on 31 March 1933 (2154-PS). The committee stressed that no violence should be employed against the Jews during the boycott, but
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not for humanitarian reasons. The order was issued because, if no violence were employed, Jewish employers would have no grounds for discharging their employees without notice, and for refusing to pay them any wages. The Jews were also reported, apparently, to be transferring businesses to German figureheads in order to alleviate the results of this persecution; accordingly the committee declared that any property so transferred was to be considered as Jewish for the purpose of the boycott (2154-PS). It is therefore clear that early in 1933 Streicher was taking a leading part, as appointed by the Government, in the persecution against the Jews. Further extracts from Streicher's newspapers illustrate the form which his propaganda developed as the years went on. An article in the New Year's issue of a new paper founded and edited by Streicher -- a semimedical paper called "The People's Health Through Blood and Soil" -- is an example of the remarkable lengths to which he went in propagandizing against the Jews: "It is established for all eternity; alien albumen is the sperm of a man of alien race. The male sperm in cohabitation is partially or completely absorbed by the female, and thus enters her bloodstream. One single cohabitation of a Jew with an Aryan woman is sufficient to poison her blood forever. Together with the alien albumen she has absorbed the alien soul. Never again will she be able to bear purely Aryan children, even when married to an Aryan. They will all be bastards, with a dual soul and a body of a mixed breed. Their children will also be crossbreeds; that means, ugly people of unsteady character and with a tendency to illnesses. Now we know why the Jew uses every artifice of seduction in order to ravish German girls at as early an age as possible; why the Jewish doctor rapes his patients while they were under anaesthetic. He wants the German girl and the German woman to absorb the alien sperm of the Jew. She is never again to bear German children. But the blood products of all animals right down to the bacteria like the serum, lymph, extracts from internal organs etc., are all alien albumen. They have a poisonous effect if directly introduced into the blood stream either by vaccination or by injection. By these products of sick animals the blood is ravished, the Aryan is impregnated with an alien species. The author and abettor of such action is the Jew. He has been aware of the secrets of the
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race question for centuries, and therefore plans systematically the annihilation of the nations which are superior to him. Science and authorities are his instruments for the enforcing of pseudo-science and the concealment of truth." (M-20). At the beginning of 1935, the following extract, entitled "The Chosen People of the Criminals," appeared in "Der Stuermer": " *** and all the same, or, let us say, just because of this, the history book of the Jews, which is usually called the Holy Scriptures, impresses us as a horrible criminal romance, which makes the 150 penny-dreadfuls of the British Jew, Edgar Wallace, go green with envy. This 'holy' book abounds in murder, incest, fraud, theft, and indecency." (2697-PS). In a speech on 4 October 1935 (the month following the proclamation of the Nurnberg Decrees) Streicher made a speech which is reported in the Voelkischer Beobachter and is entitled in that newspaper "Safeguard of German Blood and German Honor." The report in that article reads in part: "Gauleiter Streicher speaks at a German Labor Front mass demonstration for the Nurnberg laws." ******* "We have therefore, to unmask the Jew, and that is what I have been doing for the past fifteen years." (M-54). In a leading article in "Der Stuermer" Streicher again emphasized the part which he himself had taken in this campaign: "The 'Stuermer's' 15 years of work of enlightenment has already led an army of those who know -- millions strong -- to National Socialism. The continued work of the 'Stuermer' will help to ensure that every German down to the last man will, with heart and hand, join the ranks of those whose aim it is to crush the head of the serpent PanJuda beneath their heels. He who helps to bring this about helps to eliminate the devil, and this devil is the Jew." (M6). The extraordinary length to which Streicher went in his propaganda is
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illustrated by the publication in "Der Stuermer" of a photograph of the burning hull of the airship "Hindenburg, which caught fire in June 1937 in America. The caption beneath the picture includes the comment: "The first radio picture from the United States of America shows quite clearly that a Jew stands behind the explosion of our airship Hindenburg. Nature has depicted clearly and quite correctly that devil in human guise." Although it is not clear from that photograph, the meaning of that comment is apparently that the cloud of smoke in the air is in the shape of a Jewish face. In a speech in September 1937 at the opening of the Wilhelm Gustloff bridge in Nurnberg, Streicher declared: "The man who murdered Wilhelm Gustloff had to come from the Jewish people, because the Jewish text books teach that every Jew has the right to kill a non-Jew, and, indeed, that it is pleasing to the Jewish God to kill as many non-Jews as possible. "Look at the way the Jewish people have been following for thousands of years past; everywhere murder, everywhere mass murder. Neither must we forget that behind present-day wars there stands the Jewish financier who pursues his aims and interests. The Jew always lives on the blood of other nations; he needs such murder and such victims. For us who know, the murder of Wilhelm Gustloff is the same as ritual murder." "It is our duty to tell the children at school and the bigger ones what this memorial means." ******* "The Jew no longer shows himself among us openly as he used to. But it would be wrong to say that victory is ours. Full and final victory will have been achieved only when the whole world has been rid of Jews." (M 4) Extracts from the correspondence columns of "Der Stuermer," show another method which Streicher employed in his propaganda (M-26; M27; M-28). The correspondence columns of every issue are full of purported "letters" from Germans protesting that some German has
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been buying shoes from a Jewish shop, etc., thus by printing these letters assisting in the general boycott of the Jews. (2) "Ritual Murder" Propaganda. Another form of propaganda employed by Streicher concerned the "Ritual Murder." Sometime in 1934 "Der Stuermer" began publishing accounts of Jewish ritual murder which horrified the whole world to such an extent that even the Archbishop of Canterbury, together with people from every country in the world, protested that any government should allow such matter to be published in their national newspapers. Streicher based his ritual murder propaganda on a medieval belief that during their Eastertide celebrations the Jews were in the habit of murdering Christian children. Streicher misrepresented this medieval belief to make it appear that not only was this done in the Middle Ages, but that the Jews are still doing it and still want to do it. A few passages from "Der Stuermer" together with descriptions of photographs published therein will illustrate the type of propaganda that Streicher was putting out concerning "ritual murder": "This the French front-line soldier should take with him to France: The German people have taken a new lease of life. They want peace, but if anyone tries to attack them, if anyone tries to torture them again, if anyone tries to push them back into the past, then the world would see another heroic epic; then heaven will decide where righteousness lies -- here, or where the Jew has the whiphand and where he instigates massacres, one could almost say the biggest ritual murders of all times. If the German people are to be slaughtered according to the Jewish rites, the whole world will be thus slaughtered at the same time." ******* "As you have drummed morning and evening prayers into your children's heads, so now drum this into their heads, so that the German people may gain the spiritual power to convince the rest of the world which the Jews desire to lead against us." (M-2). A photograph published in "Der Stuermer" in April 1937 purports to show three Jews ritually murdering a girl by cutting her throat, with the blood pouring out into a bucket on the ground The caption underneath
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that photograph is as follows: "Ritual murder at Polna. Ritual murder of Agnes Hruza by the Jews Hilsner, Erdmann, and Wassermann, taken from a contemporary postcard. Another article in "Der Stuermer", in April 1937, describes what is alleged to happen when ritual murder takes place, and the blood is mixed with the bread and drunk by the Jews in their feast. During the feast the head of the family is supposed to explain: "May all gentiles perish -- as the child whose blood is contained in the bread and wine." (2699-PS). An article in "Der Stuermer" for July 1938 has these further remarks to make on "ritual murder": "Whoever had the occasion to be an eye-witness during the slaughtering of animals or to see at least a truthful film on the slaughtering-will never forget this horrible experience. It is atrocious. And unwillingly, he is reminded of the crimes which the Jews have committed for centuries on men. He will be reminded of the ritual murder. History points out hundreds of cases in which non-Jewish children were tortured to death. They also were given the same incision through the throat as is found on slaughtered animals. They also were slowly bled to death while fully conscious." (2700-PS). On special occasions, or when Streicher had some particular subject matter to put before Germany, he was in the habit of issuing special editions of "Der Stuermer." "Ritual murder" was such a special subject that he issued one of these special editions dealing solely with it, in May 1939. One of the photographs published in this issue shows a child having knives stuck into its side, from which blood is spurting; and below the pedestal on which the child stands are five presumably dead children bleeding on the ground. The caption beneath that picture reads as follows: "In the year 1476 the Jews in Regensburg murdered six boys. They drew their blood and tortured them to death in an underground vault which belongs to the Jew Josfel. The judges found the body of the murdered boys; and blood stains are on an altar." Two other pictures are explained by their captions. One reads: "For the Jewish New Year celebrations in 1913, World Jewry published this picture. On the Jewish New Year and on the Day of Atonement the
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Jews slaughtered a so-called 'kapores' cock; that is to say, dead cock, whose blood and death is intended to purify the Jews. In 1913 the 'kapores' cock had the head of the Russian Czar Nicholas II. By publishing this postcard the Jews intended to say that Nicholas II would be their next purifying sacrifice. On 6 July 1918, the Czar was murdered by the Jews Jurowsky and Goloschtschekin." The other picture shows the Jews holding a similar bird: "***the 'kapores' cock which has the head of the Fuehrer. The Hebrew script says that one day Jews will kill all Hitlerites. Then the Jews will be delivered from all misfortunes, but in due course the Jews will realize that they have reckoned without an Adolf Hitler. In addition to reproductions of a number of previous articles on "ritual murder" beneath a picture of Streicher, another picture bears the caption: "At the Passover Meal. The wine and Matzoh, unleavened bread, contains non-Jewish blood. The Jew prays before the meal. He prays for death to all non-Jews." The fifth page of this same issue reproduces some of the European and American newspaper articles and letters protesting against this propaganda on "ritual murder." Among these is the "Stuermer's" answer to the letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury, written to the editor of the London Times in protest (M-10) Page 6 contains another picture of a man having his throat cut; again the usual spurt of blood falling into a basin on the floor, with the following caption: "The ritual murder of the boy Heinrich. In the year 1345 the Jews in Munich slaughtered a non-Jewish boy. The martyr was declared holy by the church." On page 8 appears another picture entitled: "The Holy Gabriel. This boy was crucified and tortured to death by the Jews in the year 1690. The blood was drawn off him." Page 11 reproduces a piece of sculpture on the wall of the Wallfahrts Chapel, representing the ritual murder of a boy named Werner. The picture shows the boy strung up by his feet and being murdered by two Jews. Page 12 reproduces another picture taken from the same place.
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The caption is: "The embalmed body of Trient who was tortured to death by the Jews." Page 13 contains another picture; somebody else having a knife stuck into him; more blood coming out into a basin. On page 14 are two pictures. One is said to show the ritual murder of the boy Andreas. The other is the picture of a tombstone, and the caption reads as follows: "The tombstone of Hilsner. This is the memorial to a Jewish ritual murderer, Leopold Hilsner. He was found guilty of two ritual murders and was condemned to death by hanging in two trials. The emperor was bribed and pardoned him. Masaryk, the friend of the Jews, liberated him from penal servitude in 1918. On his tombstone Iying Jewry calls this twofold murderer an innocent victim." The next page produces yet another picture of a woman being murdered by having her throat cut in the same way. Page 17 produces a picture of the Archbishop of Canterbury together with a picture of an old Jewish man, with a caption reading: "Dr. Lang, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest dignitary of the English Church, and his allies, a typical example of the Jewish Race." The last page contains a picture of "Holy Simon, who was tortured to death." This issue of "Der Stuermer" is nothing but an incitement to the people of Germany who read it, an incitement to murder. It is filled with pictures of murder, murder alleged to be against the German people. It is an encouragement, to all who read it to avenge themselves in the same way. In January 1938 the persecution of the Jews became more and more severe another special issue of "Der Stuermer" was published. A passage from the leading article in that issue written by Streicher, states: "*** The supreme aim and highest task of the state is therefore to conserve people, blood, and race. But if this is the supreme task, any crime against this law must be punished with the supreme penalty. 'Der Steurmer' takes
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therefore the view that there are only two punishments for the crime of polluting the race: "1. Penal servitude for life for attempted race pollution. "2. Death for committing race pollution." (M-39). The following are some of the headlines on the articles contained in that edition: "Jewish race polluters at work." ******* "Fifteen year old non-Jewess ravaged." ******* "A dangerous race polluter. He regards German women as fair game for himself." ******* "The Jewish sanatorium. A Jewish institution for the cultivation of race pollution." ******* "Rape of a feeble-minded girl." ******* "The Jewish butler. He steals from his Jewish masters and commits race pollution." (M-40). Another article appearing in "Der Stuermer," written by Streicher's editor, Karl Holz, states: "The revenge will break loose one day and will exterminate Jewry from the surface of the earth." (M-35). Again, in September 1938, "Der Stuermer" published an article describing the Jews as follows:

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"A parasite, an enemy, an evil-doer, a disseminator of diseases who must be destroyed in the interest of mankind."(M-36). This is no longer propaganda for the persecution of the Jews; this is propaganda for the extermination of Jews, and for the murder not of one Jew but of all Jews (see 2698-PS). A picture published in "Der Stuermer" in December 1938 shows a girl being strangled by a man whose hands are around her neck. The shadow of the man's face, which is shown against the background, has quite obvious Jewish features. The caption under that picture is as follows: "Castration for Race Polluters. Only heavy penalties will preserve our womenfolk from a tighter grip from ghastly Jewish claws. The Jews are our misfortune." (3)The Anti-Jewish demonstrations of November 1938. While his anti-Jewish propaganda was becoming constantly fiercer, Streicher took a leading part in the organized demonstrations against the Jews which took place on 9 November 1938 and 10 November 1938. In the autumn of that year, on the occasion of a meeting of press representatives in Nurnberg, Streicher organized the breaking-up of the Nurnberg synagogues. It was announced that Streicher personally would set the crane in motion with which the Jewish symbols would be torn down from the synagogues 1724- PS). The event was described as follows: " *** the synagogue is being demolished! Julius Streicher himself inaugurates the work by a speech lasting more than an hour and a half. By his order -- so to speak as a prelude of the demolition -- the tremendous Star of David came off the cupola." (2711-PS). Streicher took active part in the November demonstrations of that year, particularly in his Gau of Franconia. The Nurnberg demonstrations were reported as follows in the "Fraenksche Tageszeitung, which was Streicher's paper, on 11 November: " *** In Nurnberg and Furth it resulted in demonstrations by the crowd against the Jewish murders. These lasted until the early hours of the morning. Far too long had one watched the activities of the Jews in Germany."
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******* "After midnight the excitement of the populace reached its peak and a large crowd marched to the synagogues in Nurnberg and Furth and burned these two Jewish buildings where the murder of Germans had been preached. "The fire-brigades, which had been notified immediately, saw to it that the fire was continued to the original outbreak The windows of the Jewish shopkeepers, who still had not given up hope of selling their junk to the stupid Goims, were smashed. Thanks to the disciplined behavior of the SA men and the police, who had rushed to the scene, there was no plundering." (M-42). On 10 November, the day of the demonstrations, Streicher made a speech stating in part as follows: "From the cradle, the Jew is not being taught, like we are, such texts as, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,' or 'If you are smitten on the left cheek, offer then your right one.' No, he is told: 'With the non-Jew you can do whatever you like.' He is even taught that the slaughtering of a non-Jew is an act pleasing to God. For 20 years we have been writing about this in 'Der Stuermer'; for 20 years we have been preaching it throughout the world and we have made millions recognize the truth." "The Jew slaughtered in one night 75,000 people; when he emigrated to Egypt he killed all the first-born, i.e. a whole future generation of Egyptians. What would have happened if the Jew had succeeded in driving the nations into war against us, and if we had lost the war? The Jew protected by foreign bayonets, would have fallen on us and would have slaughtered and murdered us. Never forget what history has taught us." (M-41) After the November 1938 demonstrations, irregularities occurred in the Gau of Franconia in connection with the organized Aryanization of Jewish property. Aryanization of Jewish property was regulated by the Nazi State, which had decreed that the proceeds of the transfer of Jewish properties to Aryans were to go to the State. In Streicher's Gau of Franconia, however, a good deal of the proceeds never found their way as far as the State. -As a result Goering set up a commission to
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investigate what had taken place. The report of that commission (1757PS) describes what had been taking place in Streicher's Gau: "*** Following upon the November demonstrations the Deputy Gauleiter, Holz, took up the Jewish questions. His reasons can be given here in detail on the basis of his statement of 25 March 1939: "The 9th and 10th of November 1938. "In the night of the 9 November 1938 and 10 November 1938 and on 10 November 1938, events took place throughout Germany which I [Holz] considered to be the signal for a completely different treatment of the Jewish question in Germany. Synagogues and Jewish schools were burnt down and Jewish property was smashed both in shops and in private houses. Besides this, a large number of particular Jews were taken to concentration camps by the police. Toward midday we discussed these events in the Gauleiter's house. All of- us were of the opinion that we now faced a completely new state of affairs on the Jewish question. By the great action against the Jews, carried out in the night and morning of the 10th of November, all guiding principles and all laws on the subject had been made illusory. We were of the opinion (particularly myself) that we should now act on our own initiative in this respect. I proposed to the Gauleiter that in view -of the great existing lack of housing, the best thing would be to put the Jews into a kind of internment camp. Then the houses would become free in a twinkling, and the housing shortage would be relieved, at least in part. Besides that, we would have the Jews under control and supervision. I added 'The same thing happened to our prisoners of war and war internees.' The Gauleiter said that this suggestion was for the time being impossible to carry out. Thereupon I made a new proposal to him. I said that I considered it unthinkable that, after the Jews had had their property smashed, they -should continue to be able to own houses and land. I proposed that these houses and this land ought to be taken away from them, and declared myself ready to carry through such an action. I declared that by the Aryanization of Jewish land and houses a large sum could accrue to the Gau out of the proceeds. I named some million of marks. I stated that, in my opinion, this Aryanization could be carried out as legally as the Aryanization of shops. The Gauleiter's
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Julius Streicher

answer was something to this effect: 'If you think you can carry this out, do so. The sum gained will then be used to build a Gau school.' " ******* "The Aryanization was accomplished by the alienation of properties, the surrender of claims, especially mortgage claims, and reductions in buying price. "The payment allowed the Jews was basically 10% of the nominal value or nominal sum of the claim. As a justification for these low prices, Holz claimed at the Berlin meeting of 6 February 1939, that the Jews had mostly bought their property during the inflation period for a tenth of its value. As has been shown by investigating a large number of individual cases selected at random, this claim is not true." (1757-PS) The second part of this report, which contains the findings of the commission, reads in part as follows: "*** Gauleiter Streicher likes to beat people with a riding whip but only if he is in the company of several persons assisting him. Usually the beatings are carried out with sadistic brutality. "The best known case is that of Steinruck, whom he beat bloodily in the prison cell, together with Deputy Gauleiter Holz and SA Brigadier General Koenig. After returning from this scene to the Deutscher Hof he said: 'Now I am relieved. I needed that again!' Later he also stated several times that he needed another Steinruck case in order to 'relieve' himself. "In August 1938, he beat Editor Burker at the District House together with District Office Leader Schoeller and his Adjutant Koenig. "On 2 December 1938 he asked to have three youthful criminals (15 to 17 years old) who had been arrested for robbery brought to the room of the director of the Criminal Police Office in Nurnberg-Furth. Streicher who was accompanied by his son, Lothar, had the youths brought in singly and question them about their sex life
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Julius Streicher

and in particular, through clear and detailed questioning, he laid stress on determining whether and since when they masturbated. *** "*** The last one of these three boys he beat with his riding whip, with blows on the head and on the rest of the body." (1757-PS) A later passage shows the authority and power which Streicher held in his Gau: "According to reports of reliable witnesses Gauleiter Streicher is in the habit of pointing out on the most varied occasions that he alone gives orders in the district of Franconia. For instance, at a meeting in the Colosseum in Nurnberg in 1935 he said that nobody could remove him from office. In a meeting at Herkules Hall, where he described how he had beaten Professor Steinruck, he emphasized that he would not let himself be beaten by anybody, not even by an Adolf Hitler. "For, this also must be stated here, in Franconia the Gau acts first and then orders the absolutely powerless authorities to approve." (1757-PS) That report shows the kind of treatment and persecution which the Jews were receiving in the Gau over which Streicher ruled. It further shows the absolute authority with which Streicher acted in his district. As a result either of that investigation or of some other matter, Streicher was relieved of his position as Gauleiter in February 1940, but he did not cease from propaganda or from control of his newspaper. In an article written in "Der Stuermer," on 4 November 1943, Streicher declared: "It is really the truth that the Jews, so to speak, have disappeared from Europe and that the Jewish reservoir of the East, from which the Jewish plague has for centuries beset the peoples of Europe, has ceased to exist. However, the Fuehrer of the German people at the beginning of the war prophesied what has now come to pass." (1965-PS). That article, signed by Streicher, shows that he had knowledge of the Jewish exterminations which were going on in the East. Streicher's
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Julius Streicher

article was written in November 1943. In April 1943 the Warsaw ghetto was destroyed. Between April 1942 and April 1944 more than 1,700,000 Jews were killed in Auschwitz and Dachau. It seems clear from this article that Streicher knew what was happening, perhaps not the details, but the fact that Jews were being exterminated. (4) Perversion of Youth. Streicher paid particular attention to the instruction and perversion of the children and youth of Germany. He was not content with inciting the German population. He started to poison the minds of the children at school at the earliest possible date. He continually emphasized the need for teaching children antisemitism. In a speech as early as June 1925 Streicher said: "I repeat, we demand the transformation of the school into a national German institution of education. If we let German children be taught by German teachers, then we shall have laid the foundations for the national German school. This national German school must teach racial doctrine." ******* "We demand, therefore, the introduction of racial doctrine into the school." (M-30) The "Fraenkische Tageszeitung" of 19 March 1934 reports Streicher's address at a girls' school at Preisslerstrasse: "Then Julius Streicher spoke about his life and told them about a girl who at one time went to his school and who fell for a Jew and was finished for the rest of her life." (M43) Every summer in Nurnberg a youth celebration was held. At this pagan rite the youth of Nurnberg were rallied, organized, and incited, encouraged by Streicher. Streicher's speech to the Hitler Youth on the "Holy Mountain" near Nurnberg on 22 June 1935 contained the following statements: "Boys and girls, look back to a little more than 10 years ago. A great war -- the World War -- had whirled over the peoples of the earth and had left in the end a heap of ruins. Only one people remained victorious in this
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dreadful war, a people of whom Christ said its father is the devil. That people had ruined the German nation in body and soul. Then Adolf Hitler, unknown to anybody, arose from among the people and became the voice which called to a holy war and battle. He cried to the people for everybody to take courage again and to rise and get a helping hand to take the devil from the German people, so that the human race might be free again from these people that have wandered about the world for centuries and millennia, marked with the sign of Cain. "Boys and girls, even if they say that the Jews were once the chosen people, do not believe it, but believe us when we say that the Jews are not a chosen people. Because it cannot be that a chosen people should act among the peoples as the Jews do today." (M-1). A report of Streicher's address to 2,000 children at Nurnberg at Christmas-time, 1936, states: "'Do you know who the Devil is,' he asked his breathlessly listening audience. 'The Jew, the Jew,' resounded from a thousand children's voices."(M-44). Streicher was not content with writing and talking. He issued a book for teachers, written by one Fink and published from the "Der Stuermer" offices, called "The Jewish Question and School Instruction." This book emphasizes the necessity of anti-semitic teaching in schools, and suggests ways in which the subject can be introduced and handled. The preface, written by Streicher, reads in part as follows:

"The National Socialist state brought fundamental changes into all spheres of life of the German people. "It has also presented the German teacher with some new tasks. The National Socialist state demands that its teachers instruct German children in social questions. As far as the German people is concerned the racial question is a Jewish question. Those who want to teach the child all about the Jew must themselves have a thorough knowledge of the subject. "Those who take to heart all that has been written with such feeling by Fritz Fink, who for many years has been
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greatly concerned about the German people, will be grateful for the creator of this outwardly insignificant publication." (M-46). The preface is signed by Julius Streicher, City of the Reich Party Rallies, Nurnberg, in the year 1937. The introduction to this book reads as follows: "Racial and Jewish questions are the fundamental problems of the National Socialist ideology. The solution of these problems will secure the existence of National Socialism and with this the existence of our nation for all time. The enormous significance of the racial question is recognized almost without exception today by all the German people. In order to attain this recognition our people had to travel through a long road of suffering. "No one should be allowed to grow up in the midst of our people without this knowledge of the monstrous character and dangerousness of the Jew." (M-46). A later passage in the book contains this statement: "One who has reached this stage of understanding will inevitably remain an enemy of the Jews all his life and will instill this hatred into his own children." (M- 46). "Der Stuermer" also published some children's books. Although Streicher himself did not write the books, they were published from his publishing business, and they are on the same line of everything else published and issued from that business. Among these books was one entitled "Don't trust the Fox in the green meadow nor the Jew on his oath." It is a picture book for children. The pictures all depict Jews in an offensive light. And Opposite each picture there is a little story. For instance, opposite one picture, which portrays an unpleasant-looking Jewish butcher cutting up meat, there appears the following "The Jewish butcher: he sells half refuse instead of meat. A piece of meat lies on the floor; the cat claws another. This doesn't worry the Jew butcher since the meat increases in weight. Besides one mustn't forget he won't have to eat it himself." (M-32). The story opposite another picture reads as follows: "Jesus Christ says 'The Jew is a murderer through and
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through'. And when Christ had to die the Lord didn't know any other people who would have tortured Him to death so he chose the Jews. That is why the Jews pride themselves on being the chosen people." (M-32). Other pictures in this book portray: a girl being led away by an evilappearing Jew; Streicher smiling benignly at a children's party, greeting the little children; children looking at copies of "Der Stuermer" posted on a wall; Jewish children being taken away from an Aryan school by an unpleasant-looking father, with all the Aryan children shouting and dancing and enjoying the fun very much (M-32). Another book, called "The Poisonous Fungus," is very similar in character and appearance, and likewise calculated to poison the minds of readers. One of the pictures in this book shows a girl sitting in a Jewish doctor's waiting room. The story that goes with this picture is not a very pleasant story, but it is only by adverting to these matters that it becomes possible to believe the kind of education which German children received from Streicher. The story reads as follows: "Inge sits in the reception room of the Jew doctor. She has to wait a long time. She looks through the journals which are on the table. But she is much too nervous to read even a few sentences. Again and again she remembers the talk with her mother. And again and again her mind reflects on the warnings of her leader of the League of German Girls: 'A German must not consult a Jew doctor. And particularly not a German girl. Many a girl that went to a Jew doctor to be cured, found disease and disgrace!' "When Inge had entered the waiting room, she experienced an extraordinary incident. From the doctor's consulting room she could hear the sound of crying. She heard the voice of a young girl: 'Doctor, doctor, leave me alone!' "Then she heard the scornful laughing of a man. And then, all of a sudden, it became absolutely silent. Inge had listened breathlessly. "'What may be the meaning of all this?' she asked herself and her heart was pounding. And again she thought of the
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Julius Streicher

warning of her leader in the League of German Girls. "Inge was already waiting for an hour. Again she takes the journals in an endeavor to read. Then the door opens. Inge looks up. The Jew appears. She screams. In terror she drops the paper. Horrified she jumps up. Her eyes stare into the face of the Jewish doctor. And this face is the face of the devil. In the middle of this devil's face is a huge crooked nose. Behind the spectacles two criminal eyes. And the thick lips are grinning, a grinning that expresses: 'Now I got you at last, you little German girl!' "And then the Jew approaches her. His fleshy fingers stretch out after her. But now Inge has composed herself. Before the Jew can grab hold of her, she smacks the fat face of the Jew doctor with her hand. One jump to the door. Breathlessly Inge runs down the stairs. Breathlessly she escapes the Jew house." (1778-PS). Another photograph shows youthful admirers standing around looking at Streicher's picture, with the following commentary: "'Without a solution of the Jewish question there will be no salvation for mankind.' That is what he shouted to us. All of us could understand him. And when, at the end, he shouted 'Sieg Heil' for the Fuehrer, we all acclaimed him with tremendous enthusiasm. For two hours Streicher spoke at that occasion. To us it appeared to have been but a few minutes." (1778-PS). The effect of all this propaganda is evident from the columns of "Der Stuermer" itself. In April 1936 there was published a letter, which is typical of many others that appear in other copies from children of all ages. The third paragraph of this letter, signed by the boys and girls of the National Socialist Youth Hostel at Grossmuellen, reads: "*** Today we saw a play on how the devil persuades the Jew to shoot a conscientious National Socialist. In the course of the play the Jew did it too. We all heard the shot. We would have all liked to jump up and arrest the Jew. But then the policeman came and after a short struggle took the Jew along. You can imagine, dear Stuermer, that we heartily cheered the policeman. In the whole play not one name was mentioned, but we all knew that this play represented the murder by the Jew

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Julius Streicher

Frankfurter. We were very sick when we went to bed that night. None felt like talking to the others. This play made it clear to us how the Jew sets to work." (M-25).

C. STREICHER'S USE OF HIS AUTHORITY AS GAULEITER IN THE SERVICE OF THE CONSPIRACY
Streicher's authority as a Gauleiter was extensive. The Organization Book of the NSDAP for 1938 describes the duties and authority of Gauleiters as follows: "The Gauleiter bears over-all responsibility for the Fuehrer for the sector of sovereignty entrusted to him. The rights, duties and jurisdiction of the Gauleiter result primarily from the mission assigned by the Fuehrer and, apart from that, from detailed direction." (1814-PS) Streicher's association with the Fuehrer and other Nazi conspirators may also be seen from the newspapers. On the occasion of Streicher's 50th birthday, Hitler paid a visit to Nurnberg to congratulate him. The account of that meeting is published in the "Voelkischer Beobachter" of 13 February 1934 as follows: "Adolf Hitler spoke to his old comrades in battle and to his followers in words which went straight to their hearts. By way of introduction he remarked that it was a special pleasure to be present for a short while in Nurnberg, the town of the National Socialist community which had been steeled in battle, at this day of honor of Julius Streicher, and to be within the circle of the standard bearers of the National Socialist idea during many years. "Just as they, all of them, had during the years of oppression unshakeably believed in the victory of the movement, so his friend and comrade in the battle, Streicher, had stood faithfully at his side at all times. It had been this unshakeable belief that had moved mountains. "For Streicher it would surely be a solemn thought, that this 50th anniversary meant not only the halfway point of a century, but also of a thousand years of German history to him. He had in Streicher a companion of whom he could say that here in Nurnberg was a man who would never waver for a single second and who would
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unflinchingly stand behind him in every situation." (M-8). A letter from Himmler, published in "Der Stuermer" of April 1937, declared: "If in future years the history of the reawakening of the German people is written, and if already the next generation will be unable to understand that the German people was once friendly to the Jews, it will be stated that Julius Streicher and his weekly paper 'Der Stuermer' have contributed a great deal towards the enlightenment regarding the enemy of humanity. "(Signed) For the Reichsfuehrer SS, Himmler." Finally a letter from von Schirach, the Reich Youth Leader, published in "Der Stuermer" of January 1938, had this to say: "It is the historical merit of 'Der Stuermer' to have enlightened the broad masses of our people in a popular way as to the Jewish world danger. 'Der Stuermer' is right in refusing to fulfill its task in the tone of the aesthetic drawing room. Jewry has shown no regard for the German people. We have, therefore, no cause to be considerate and to spare our worst enemy. What we fail to do today our youngsters of tomorrow will have to suffer for bitterly." (M-45).

D. CONCLUSION.
It may be that Streicher is less directly involved in the physical commission of the crimes against Jews than some of his coconspirators. The submission of the Prosecution is that his crime is no less worse for that reason. No government in the world, before the Nazis came to power, could have embarked upon and it; into effect a policy of mass Jewish extermination in the way in which they did, without having a people who would back them and support them, and without having a large number of people who were prepared to carry out the murder themselves. (See Chapter XII on Persecution of the Jews.) It was to the task of educating and poisoning the people with hate, and of producing murderers, that Streicher set himself. For 25 years he continued unrelentingly the perversion of the people and youth of Germany. He went on and on, as he saw the results of his work bearing fruit.

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Julius Streicher

In the early days he was preaching persecution. As persecution took place he preached extermination and annihilation and, as millions of Jews were exterminated and annihilated, in the Ghettos of the East, he cried out for more and more. The crime of Streicher is that he made these crimes possible, which they would never have been had it not been for him and for those like him. Without Streicher and his propaganda, the Kaltenbrunners, the Himmlers, the General Stroops would have had nobody to do their In its extent Streicher's crime is probably greater and more far-reaching than that of any of the other defendants. The misery which they caused ceased with their capture. The effects of this man's crime, of the poison that he has put into the minds of millions of young boys and girls goes on, for he concentrated upon the youth and childhood of Germany. He leaves behind him a legacy of almost a whole people poisoned with hate, sadism, and murder, and perverted by him. That people remain a problem and perhaps a menace to the rest of civilization for generations to come. [Streicher was sentenced to death by hanging at the Nuremberg Trial. On October 16, 1946, Streicher was executed. When he went up to the scaffolding, he spat at the hangman and said, "The Bolsheviks will hang you one day!" Just before he fell to his death, he shouted, "Purim Festival, 1946!" apparently referring to the Jewish celebration commemorating the deliverance of the Jews from Haman, who had advocated their extermination, but had instead himself been hanged.*]

Source: Nizkor. Nazi Conspiracy & Aggression, Volume II, Chapter XVI, pp. 690-709. *Conot, Robert. Justice At Nuremberg. NY: Carroll & Graf, 1984.

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Der Stürmer
Deutsches Wochenblatt zum Kampfe um die Wahrheit
Herausgeber: Julius Streicher http://www.humanist.de/kriminalmuseum/st-t3411.htm

Alle Hervorhebungen im Original.
März 1934 Nr.11, Titel:

"Die Mordnacht"
Das Geheimnis des jüdischen Purimfestes ist enthüllt

Ein seltsamer Brauch
Alljährlich im März feiern die Juden ein seltsames Fest. Es sind die Tage des Purim. Die Juden feiern es auf ebenso seltsame Art. Sie sind nicht harmlos fröhlich dabei und vergnügt, wie dies bei den Nichtjuden Brauch ist. Sie widmen das Fest nicht der Menschenliebe, wie etwa wir unser Weihnachtsfest. Oder der Auferstehung und dem Erwachen aus dem Schlaf des Todes, wie unser Osterfest. Das Fest der Juden hat den gegenteiligen Sinn. Es ist dem Haß und dem Mord gewidmet. Und dem Fressen und dem Saufen und dem Huren. Wahrlich, seltsam verhalten sich die Juden, besonders die orthodoxen, dabei. Sie kommen zusammen nur unter sich und dann wird gesotten und gebacken und gebraten und gekocht. Ein Festmahl wird gehalten und es wird gegessen und getrunken, daß einer den anderen nicht mehr kennt. Juden, die sonst keinen Schluck Alkohol trinken, saufen an diesem Tage was sie können. Und dabei gebärden sie sich merkwürdig und unheimlich. Sie stoßen Flüche und Verwünschungen gegen die Nichtjuden aus. Dort, wo sie sich sicher und unbeobachtet glauben, stellen sie lebensgroße Puppen auf. Diese sollen Haman darstellen, der einst in Persien der Führer der antijüdischen Partei war. Unter grauenvollen Schimpfwörtern stürzen sich die Juden auf diese Puppe. Sie durchlöchern sie mit unzähligen Stichen und hängen sie am Schlusse unter Gejohle und Gelächter auf. Vor zwei Jahren brachte der "Stürmer" einen Bericht über ein Purimfest, das die "Adas Jisrael - Juden in Breslau gefeiert hatten. Dort hatten sie der Puppe den Namen "Haman-Hitler" gegeben und sie mit den Rufen "Nieder mit Hitler!" "Mordet Hitler!" unter wilden Wut- und Haßausbrüchen zerstochen.

Talmudgesetze
Die Juden feiern dieses Fest in der ganzen Welt. Sie feiern es einheitlich und nach bestimmten Richtlinien. Diese sind im Talmud niedergelegt. Dort steht geschrieben:

"Der Jude ist verpflichtet, am Purimfest sich so zu betrinken, daß er die fünf Finger an der Hand nicht mehr zählen und Mann und Weib nicht mehr unterscheiden kann." (Orach cajjim 695, 2, Talmud, Megilla 7 b). Und weiter steht geschrieben (in Orach cajjim 690, 16): "Der Jude muß am Purimfeste sagen: Verflucht sei Haman, gesegnet Mardochai. Verflucht sei Zereß, gesegnet Esther. Verflucht seien alle Nichtjuden, gesegnet alle Juden. Wer in diesen Tagen in den Synagogen und Judenschulen, besonders aber in den geheimen Zusammenkünften der Juden mithorchen könnte, der würde die Wände widerhallen hören von den Flüchen und Verwünschungen der Juden gegen die "Gojim". Und er würde einen leisen Begriff bekommen von dem ungeheuren, wahnsinnigen und wutschäumenden Haß, der die Juden gegen die Nichtjuden (besonders aber gegen die Deutschen) erfüllt.

Der große Haman
Dem Purimfest liegt ein geschichtliches Ereignis zu Grunde, das ebenso voll ist von Blut und Mord und Fressen und Saufen und Huren, wie dieses sogenannte "Fest" selbst. Es handelt sich um die Niedermetzelung der Antisemiten im Perserreich zur Zeit des Königs Xerxes. Der Jude hat diese "Nacht der langen Messer" und ihre Vorgeschichte fein säuberlich niedergeschrieben. Sie ist nachzulesen im Buch Esther 2. bis 9. Kapitel. König Xerxes war der gewaltige Herrscher des Perserreiches, das von Indien bis nach Afrika reichte. Er hatte einen Minister, der ihn hervorragend beriet und den er zum obersten Kanzler seines Reiches machte. Dieser hieß Haman. Seine Frau hieß Zereß, er hatte zehn Söhne. Hundertsiebenundzwanzig Länder, so heißt es im Buch Esther, seien dem König Xerxes untertan gewesen. Völker und Völkerstämme mögen es noch mehr gewesen sein. Mit großartigem und scharfem Blick hatte Minister Haman bald unter diesen vielen Völkern eines als das gefährlichste und schädlichste herausgefunden. Es war nicht ein Volk, das wie die anderen im eigenen Lande lebte. Es war das Volk der Juden. Minister Haman hatte erkannt, daß dieses Volk seine eigenen Talmudgesetze hatte. Daß es die Nichtjuden betrog und bewucherte und ausraubte. Daß es überall emporstieg und mächtig wurde und seine Macht ebenso verderblich ausnützte, wie es die Juden in Deutschland nach dem Kriege taten. Und ebenso, wie in Deutschland Warner entstanden und den Juden den Kampf ansagten, ebenso war es ehedem im Perserreich. Das alte Testament berichtet über den großen Haman: "Und Haman sprach zum König Ahasveros (= Xerxes): es ist ein Volk zerstreuet und teilet sich in allen Ländern und unter alle Völker Deines Königreiches. Ihr Gesetz ist anders denn das aller Völker. Sie tun nicht nach des Königs Gesetzen. Es ziemt dem Könige nicht, dies also zu lassen. Gefällt es dem Könige, so lasse er schreiben, daß man sie umbringe..... Und der König sprach zu Haman: Das Volk sei Dir gegeben, daß Du damit tust, was dir gefällt.... Und ward geschrieben, wie Haman befahl.... Und die Briefe wurden gesandt durch die Läufer in alle Länder des Königs zu vertilgen, zu erwürgen und umzubringen alle Juden."

Die geile Esther
Die Juden aber hatten des großen Judengegners Haman Absicht schon seit langem erkannt. Sie wußten, daß Haman unbestechlich war und daß ihn nichts von seinem großen Ziele abhalten konnte. Da machten sie sich an den alternden König Xerxes heran. Seine Leidenschaften peitschten sie auf. Sie verführten ihn zum Trunke und zur Ausschweifung. Die schönsten Jungfrauen holten sie zusammen, darunter eine geile und schamlose Jüdin. Sie hieß Esther und war die Nichte eines jüdischen hohen Beamten. Dieser hatte den Namen Mardochai. Er war der Gegenspieler des großen Judengegners Haman. Das alte Testament berichtet: "Und der König gewann Esther lieb über alle Weiber. Und er setzte die königliche Krone auf ihr Haupt und machte sie zur Königin." Damit hatten die Juden erreicht was sie wollten. Der König hatte das eigene Volk und Blut verraten, er hatte sich in die Schlingen der Jüdin Esther begeben. Diese umstrickte den Gottvergessenen [sic] mit allen Mitteln der Raffiniertheit. Sie lud ihn ein zu Gelagen und brachte ihn mit Speisen und Trank und Tanz vollständig von Sinnen.

Hamans Tod
In diesem Zustande der Besoffenheit und der sinnlosen Gier hetzte sie ihn gegen Haman auf: Es sprach der König zu Esther, da er Wein getrunken hatte: Was bittest Du, Königin Esther, daß mans [sic] Dir gebe. Du kannst das halbe Königreich fordern, es soll geschehen. Esther, die Königin, antwortete: Hab ich Gnade vor Dir gefunden, o König, so gib mir mein Leben und das meines Volkes. Denn wir sollen umgebracht werden.... Da sprach der König: Wer ist der, der solches sinnt? Esther sprach: Der Feind und Widersacher ist der böse Haman." (Altes Testament: Buch Esther.) Die Jüdin Esther forderte von dem König, daß er den Judengegner Haman aufhänge. Der König tats. [sic] Das alte Testament berichtet: Und Harbona, der Kämmerer (ein Judenknecht und Bolschewist. [sic] D. Schr. d. St.) sprach: Siehe, es stehet ein Baum im Hause Hamans, fünfzig Ellen hoch, den er für Mardochai gemacht hatte. Der König sprach: Laßt den Haman daran hängen. Also hängte man Haman an den Baum." Da forderte die Mordjüdin auch die zehn Söhne des Haman: "Esther sprach: Gefällts dem Könige, so lasse er auch morgen die Juden tun nach dem heutigen Gebot und die zehn Söhne Hamans soll man an den Baum hängen.... Und die zehn Söhne Hamans wurden gehängt. Und die Juden versammelten sich und erwürgeten dreihundert Mann." (Altes Testament, Buch Esther.) In derselben Nacht aber brach in ganz Persien der jüdisch-bolschewistische [sic] Aufstand aus. Bezahltes Großstadtgesindel erhob sich unter Führung der Juden. Sie metzelten alle Judengegner nieder. Es war die "Nacht der langen Messer". Es war eine Nacht, wie sie der Jude Bela Kuhn in Ungarn und wie sie die Juden Trotzky und Sinowjew unzähligemale in Rußland durchführen ließen. Das alte Testament schreibt über diese Nacht: "Aber die anderen Juden in den Ländern des Königs kamen zusammen. Sie schafften Ruhe vor ihren Feinden und erwürgeten ihrer fünfundsiebzigtausend."

Das Fest
Der nächste Tag war ein Freudentag. Die Juden fraßen, soffen und hurten und feierten den gelungenen Massenmord. Das alte Testament schreibt: "Und die Juden ruheten am vierzehnten Tag des Monats. Den machte man zum Tag des Wohllebens und der Freude und es sandte einer dem anderen Geschenke. Und sie nannten diese Tage Purim nach dem Namen des Loses. Und diese Tage sind nicht zu vergessen, sondern zu halten bei Kindeskindern bei allen Geschlechtern in allen Ländern und Städten. Es sind die Tage Purim, welche nicht sollen übergangen werden unter den Juden." Die Juden übergehen die "Tage des Purim" nicht. Sie feiern sie "bei allen Geschlechtern, in allen Ländern und Städten". Sie feiern das Purimfest in der ganzen Welt. Und sie werden dieses Jahr mehr denn je unter Drohungen und Verwünschungen nach den Puppen mit den Messern stoßen. Nur werden sie diese Puppen nicht mehr "Haman", sondern "Hitler" oder "Streicher" heißen. Und sie werden auch in diesem, wie in jedem Jahre wirkliche Menschenopfer suchen und finden. Denn das sei gesagt: der Nichtjude, der da glaubt, die Juden würden an diesem Tage nur symbolisch handeln, ist lächerlich naiv. Es gibt Juden, die schlachten heute noch ihre Opfer genau so ab, wie dies ihre Vorfahren in der Purimnacht taten. Dr. Martin Luther hatte die Juden völlig durchschaut, als er schrieb: "All ihres Herzens ängstlich Seufzen und Sehnen gehet dahin, daß sie möchten mit uns Heiden umgehen, wie sie zur Zeit Esther in Persia mit den Heiden umgingen." (Erlanger Ausgabe, Bd. 32.) Die Juden seufzen nicht nur danach, sie handeln auch. Mancher geheimnisvolle Mord, der nicht aufgedeckt werden konnte, ist nichts anderes als ein Opfermord für das Purimfest. Im März des Jahres 1929 (zur Zeit des Purimfestes) wurde in Gladbeck der Primaner Helmut Daube, ein prächtiger blonder Junge, durch Schächtschnitt getötet. Seine Leiche fand man vor dem Hause der Eltern. Und im März des Jahres 1932 (ebenfalls zur Zeit des Purimfestes) wurde die Dienstmagd Kaspar in Paderborn durch die Juden Meyer (Vater und Sohn) ebenfalls geschächtet und in kleine pfundgroße Fleischstücke zerschnitten. Beide Morde waren PurimfestOpfermorde. Und tausende und abertausende von Morden könnte man diesen anfügen. Und wir wissen, der eine große Purimmord, nach dem das ganze Weltjudentum lechzt, ist der Mord an dem Führer und an seinen Kampfgenossen. Vor zwei Jahren brachte der "Zionist Record" (eine afrikanische Judenzeitung) einen Artikel "Haman - Hitler". Die Juden drückten darin die Zuversicht und den Wunsch aus, daß es Hitler einmal wie Haman ergehen möge. Die Juden werden sich täuschen. Die große Weltenwende ist gekommen. Die Weltenwende, in der nicht mehr der Jude, sondern der Arier siegen wird. Dieser Sieg aber, das wissen wir und das ahnt Alljuda: dieser Sieg bedeutet des jüdischen Weltfeinds Untergang. Karl Holz.

Ganza Megillah
by Rabbi Shraga Simmons

http://www.aish.com/purimbasics/purimbasicsdefault/Ganza_Megillah.asp

A detailed summary of the Purim story - the next best thing to reading the whole megillah by yourself. Megillat Esther takes place over a nine-year span, during the period of Jewish exile from Israel following the destruction of the First Temple (about 2,500 years ago). The Jewish People were saved from genocide -- at the last moment -- through a miraculous chain of events. Only after this Divinely ordained "jigsaw puzzle" came together was it apparent to the Jews of the time that, despite all their tribulations, God had been manipulating events all along for their good. This is in fact the central theme of Purim: Though God seems hidden from the world, He is always behind the scenes, running it all to our best long-term advantage. The key players in our drama are: MORDECHAI - the Chief Rabbi of Shushan and member of the Jewish Supreme Court, the Sanhedrin. ESTHER - Mordechai's cousin and wife, and newly-selected queen to Achashverosh. HAMAN - the wicked descendent of Amalek who seeks to annihilate the Jews. KING ACHASHVEROSH - a grubby man who picks his wife through a beauty contest and accepts bribe money for the destruction of the Jews. VASHTI - the deposed queen whom Esther replaces. As we go through the Purim story, pay close attention to how the building blocks of Jewish survival are laid in advance, and how seemingly unrelated links fly together in the end to form a chain of events in which the Jews are suddenly saved from annihilation.

CHAPTER 1
King Achashverosh of Persia, who conquered Babylonia from Nebuchadnezzer, rules an enormous empire that spans the entire civilized world -- 127 provinces, from India to Ethiopia (1:1).

King Achashverosh holds an elaborate six-month feast for all his officers and subjects in the capital city, Shushan (1:5). Why the celebration? Because the prophet Jeremiah had reported in God's name that following the destruction of the First Temple, the Jews would stay in exile for 70 years (Jeremiah 29:10). According to Achashverosh's calculations, the 70 years had expired, meaning that the Jews -- and God Almighty Himself -- had suffered a permanent, irretractable defeat. (It turns out that Achashverosh had miscalculated the 70 years. He thought that it began with the exile of the first Jews from the Land of Israel. In reality, Jeremiah's prophecy was figured from the time of the destruction of the Temple -- some 11 years later. Ultimately, the exile did in fact end as prophesied -- after 70 years!) At the feast, Achashverosh demonstrated his disdain for God and the Jews by actually wearing the special clothes of the Jewish High Priest (Kohen Gadol), and by displaying the Temple vessels (see 1:14). The entire purpose of this feast was thumbing his nose at Jewish holy objects and, in effect, celebrating the end of the Jewish people. To add insult to injury, Achashverosh invited the Jews to the feast as well. He told them: "Torah is proven false, so give up your hope and join us." Unfortunately, many Jews succumbed to this challenge of faith and attended the party. The commentators point out that many Jews, though they attended the feast, did so as only an exterior display of support for the king. They didn't really endorse the "feast of Jewish defeat," they just gave the appearance. That is why -- as a measure-for-measure punishment -- God gave the Jews a tremendous scare through Haman's plot. God "didn't really mean it," He just gave the appearance. (This is one of the reasons we wear masks and costumes on Purim -- in keeping with the theme of "external appearance.") At the feast, Achashverosh asks Queen Vashti to parade "wearing the royal crown" (1:11). The Midrash derives from here that Vashti was to appear wearing only the crown -- i.e. naked. When Vashti refuses the king's request (1:12), Haman (referred to here as Memuchan) says this is intolerable: If she goes unpunished, then other women will also start disobeying their husbands (1:17). The king takes the easy way out and has Vashti killed. Piece of the Puzzle: Vashti's death clears the way for Esther's selection as queen, thus giving the Jews an advocate close to the king.

CHAPTER 2
Achashverosh selects Esther in a royal beauty contest to be the new queen (2:17). Rather than a cause for celebration amongst the Jews, this is a national tragedy. People at the time are terribly bothered as to why God would allow Esther -- a righteous Jewish woman -- the terrible fate of being forced to marry a grubby king. As the events transpire, Mordechai reserves judgement. Being a great sage, he lived constantly with the awareness that God is really the One power behind everything that happens and there really are no accidents. What did he think when -- out of thousands of the most beautiful women in the empire -- his beloved Esther is suddenly chosen to become queen? He believed God must be causing this for a reason.

Meanwhile, Esther keeps her Jewishness secret in order to avoid the risk of forced conversion or other anti-Semitism (2:20). In this way, Esther is an even more potent weapon for the future Jewish redemption because she's a secret weapon. Then one day, while Mordechai is sitting at the palace gate, he overhears two guards discussing a plot to assassinate Achashverosh (2:21). The Talmud says that as a member of the Sanhedrin, Mordechai knew 70 languages, and was therefore able to understand the guards' Persian dialect. Mordechai reports the plot to Esther, and the guards are apprehended. Mordechai's patriotic act is recorded in the royal chronicles (2:23) - yet King Achashverosh remains temporarily unaware of the deed. Piece of the Puzzle: This incident sets the stage for the king to eventually bestow honor upon Mordechai. The fact that the king is still unaware, means that the "favor" can be saved up for a later time, when it will be most needed.

CHAPTER 3
Haman becomes King Achashverosh's second-in-command (3:1). Fastening an idol to his chest, Haman decrees that everyone must bow to him -- and thus to the idol at the same time. Mordechai is the only Jew who refuses to bow to the idol (3:3). Idolatry is the antitheses of Judaism. As a man-made system, idolatry implies that humans have ultimate control over events. Haman is enraged by Mordechai's obstinence (3:5). Mordechai is unfazed. He knows that God is running the show, and you can't get hurt by doing the right thing. When Haman finds out that Mordechai is a Jew, he is so incensed that he seeks to destroy the entire Jewish people. Haman casts a "Pur" (literally "lots"), and the 13th of Adar emerges as the most auspicious day for Jewish annihilation (3:7). An enraged Haman complains to King Achashverosh: "The Jews are different, they won't eat our food, they keep Shabbat, they won't marry our daughters" (3:8). Throughout history, Jews have been castigated for either being too separatist or too assimilationist. Haman chose the former approach. As a descendent of Amalek, Haman is the prototype rabid anti-Semite who is driven to hatred of the Jews even at great cost to himself. Haman willingly offers Achashverosh 10,000 bricks of silver (amounting to 750 tons) for the right to decimate the Jews (3:9). Achashverosh, on the other hand, is the "silent anti-Semite" who agrees to the decree without investigating the validity of the charges. As long as Haman is willing to cover the lost tax revenues, Achashverosh has no objections (3:11).

CHAPTER 4
Upon hearing of this decree, what would we expect the Jews to do? Run? Fight? Instead, Mordechai dons sackcloth, fasts, prays, weeps and mourns (4:1). Jews have never seen their suffering as empty and without meaning. Rather, pain and suffering are a message

and a test from God. Furthermore, Mordechai knows that God never sends a problem without first creating the potential solution. Mordechai informs Esther of the impending genocide (which is still 11 months away), and urges her to plead to the king for mercy (4:8). Esther fears approaching the king uninvited, because she hasn't been called in 30 days, and it is well known that one can be killed for such presumptuousness (4:11). Then Mordechai drops the bomb: "It is certain that the Jewish people will be saved one way or another -- because God promised to Abraham so long ago that we will never be destroyed. So really the only issue here is you, Esther. You have to 'save' yourself -- i.e. fulfill your potential and role in this world. I now see clearly why you were chosen as the queen: God placed you in this situation because the redemption is destined to come through your hand. All your talents and skills -- use them today, Esther. This is your big moment, the reason for which you were born" (4:13-14). The argument was convincing. Esther agrees to risk her life and approach the king without an official invitation. On the 13th of Nissan, Esther communicates to Mordechai one request: Please have the Jewish people fast and do teshuva for three days in order that we may be worthy of Divine help (4:16).

CHAPTER 5
Esther is received favorably by the king, who agrees to grant her any request, as long as it won't interfere with the stability of the kingdom (5:3). An accusation against Haman certainly would destabilize the kingdom, so Esther merely invites them both to attend a banquet. At the banquet, Achashverosh again agrees to grant Esther a request. She asks that they attend second banquet (5:8). Given the opportunity to ask for anything she wants, why does Esther seemingly "waste" it on a dinner invitation? The Talmud says: "If your enemy is hungry and thirsty, give him bread and wine." The best thing that Esther can do is to disarm Haman, to get him to relax and let his guard down. The plan works: The invitations to these exclusive royal banquets makes Haman so overconfident that he builds a special gallows 25 meters high -- as part of his plot to hang Mordechai (5:14). Haman is flying high. Yet as the Sages say: "Before the downfall, there is pride."

CHAPTER 6
The third day of Esther's fast was the 15th of Nissan -- the night of the Passover Seder (Rashi 5:1). Because of the dire situation, the regular Seder could be forfeited. Still, Esther kept as much as she could and served matzah at the banquets. Additionally, the banquets are called "mishteh ha-yayin" -- a wine feast (5:6, 7:2, 7:7) -- alluding to the four cups of wine drunk at the seder.

That night, following the first banquet, the King is unable to sleep (6:1). Perhaps the Passover food, particularly the matzah and excess wine, caused him heartburn. Achashverosh figures that since Esther spent the whole evening telling of the Jewish national history (the Haggadah), it is a good time to review the history of his kingdom as well. So Achashverosh reviews his "royal chronicles," and for the first time becomes aware that Mordechai had saved the king's life (6:2). At that moment, Haman comes by to get permission from the king to hang Mordechai. But before he can speak, the king asks Haman: "What should I do in order to give someone great honor?" (6:6) Assuming the king means him, Haman suggests an elaborate ceremony: dress the person up in royal clothes, put him on a white horse, and have someone else lead him in a parade throughout the city (6:7-10). Achashverosh says: "Terrific idea! OK, Haman, put Mordechai on the horse and you lead him through the city! (6:10) In a flash, Haman's vision of Mordechai being hanged is replaced by the reality of Mordechai in favor with the king. In perhaps the most famous scene of the entire Megillah, Mordechai is paraded on horseback through the streets of Shushan, wearing the royal robes -- with Haman leading the way. After this incident, Haman returns home "with his head covered" (6:12). The Midrash explains the meaning of this phrase: When the parade route passed by Haman's house, his daughter saw them coming and had a great idea: She would take a toilet bowl up to the second floor window, and pour its contents on Mordechai's head! The only problem is that the girl assumed it was her wonderful father being honored on horseback, with that lowly Jew Mordechai pulling him along. So when the parade passed by, she timed it perfectly and -- splash! The one pulling the horse got it right in the face. The Midrash says that when the girl saw how she'd dumped toilet waste all over her father, she was so despondent that she jumped out of the window to her death. And Haman returned home... "with his head covered." To make matters worse, Haman found little encouragement at home. His wife Zeresh tells him: "If this is how things are going, you're going to lose your fight against the Jewish people!" (6:13) Little did she know that Esther is planning a royal ambush -- drawing Haman to a banquet at which he is to be the main course. More Pieces of the Puzzle: Mordechai is in royal favor, at the exact moment that Haman has begun to openly threaten him. Having been flattered and pampered by two banquets, the King is also feeling kindly toward Esther.

CHAPTER 7
At this second banquet, held the second night of the Passover seder, the king is feeling jolly and asks Esther, "What is your request? It shall be granted to you" (7:1). Esther now recounts the story of Passover in the first person -- including herself as part of the Exodus from Egypt, as we are commanded to do. Esther's words allude to the Passover story: "The Jews were sold to be destroyed, slain, and exterminated" (7:4). Esther now reveals that she is Jewish and that genocide is planned against her people.

Outraged, the king demands to know who would dare threaten the queen and her relatives (7:5). Esther stands up and points across the table to Haman! Haman is aghast. He pleads with Esther for mercy, and accidentally falls on "the couch upon which Esther was" (7:8). (This hints to the custom to lean during the seder rather than sit.) Seeing this, the King is shocked to think that Haman would make advances toward his wife. Immediately he calls for the executioner (7:8). But where should they perform the hanging? "Oh," says Charbonah, one of the guards, "Look, there's a 25-meter gallows already prepared!" (7:9) In the song, "Shoshanos Yaakov" that we sing after the Megillah reading, the final line reads, "And Charbonah shall be remembered for good." He was in the right place at the right time, he contributed to the defeat of evil in the world, and he is immortalized in our Purim celebration! With poetic justice, Haman is hanged on the same gallows he'd prepared for Mordechai (7:10). Piece of the Puzzle: The salvation is in full swing; the 180-degree reversal is complete. All the links in the chain of events leading to Jewish triumph come together. Mordechai and Esther reach their peak of royal favor just as Haman plots his final move against Mordechai.

CHAPTER 8
With Haman hanged and out of harm's way, the Jews are able to re-assert themselves in Persian society. Achashverosh appoints Mordechai to replace Haman -- and the "reversal of fortune" is symbolized by the transfer of the signet ring (8:2). However, since Haman's original decree to annihilate the Jews was sealed by the king, it technically cannot be annulled. Instead, the king must issue a new decree, giving the Jews the right to defend themselves on the 13th of the month of Adar, the day of the planned attack (8:8). The Jews rejoice, and their enemies cower in terror of the new Jewish power. In retrospect, Haman's decree turns out to the Jews' advantage -- for if his decree had never been issued, the Jews may never have gotten the chance to eliminate the anti-Semites! The Megillah further reports: "The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor" (8:15). The Talmud says that light refers to Torah, gladness refers to holiday, joy refers to circumcision, and honor refers to Tefillin. The Jews were finally able to resume the study of Torah and performance of mitzvot without any hindrance!

CHAPTER 9
A full 11 months later, the fateful day of Adar 13 comes around. In one corner are Haman's men with their decree; in the other corner are the Jews with theirs. The result: The Jews in Shushan kill 500 men, including Haman's 10 sons -- who, like their father before them, are hung on the gallows (9:6). Throughout the kingdom, it takes the Jews only one day to defeat their enemies. In Shushan, the fighting takes an extra day, carrying over into Adar 14 (9:15).

The day following the fighting is one of great celebration (9:18). Mordechai enacts an annual holiday, with feasting, giving gifts to the poor, and food to friends (9:22). The holiday is called "Purim," literally meaning "lots that are cast," in memory of how Haman had cast lots to determine the most propitious day for attacking the Jews. Because the battle lasted an extra day in Shushan, Jews in the smaller unwalled towns henceforth celebrate on the 14th and those in walled cities celebrate on the 15th. All told, the Jews kill 75,000 of their enemies (9:16). The Malbim in his commentary explains that the miracle was not only that the Jews won the battle, but also that in the days following, the rest of the non-Jewish world stood by and didn't take revenge. The Megillah says that the Jews "confirmed and undertook" -- "Kimu v'Kiblu" (9:27). The Talmud explains that when the Jewish people originally received the Torah at Mount Sinai, they were to some degree "forced" by God into accepting His law. That initial acceptance was motivated in part by "fear." But following the events of Purim, the Jewish people accepted the Torah anew, this time out of love to God for having orchestrated the miraculous series of events. In other words, the Jews "confirmed and undertook" the Torah from a new perspective. The name "Purim" bears an ironic twist. While the name "Purim" (i.e. "lots that are cast") sounds like something connoting impersonal "fate," the joke is that the message of the holiday is the exact opposite: There is no such thing as "chance" or "fate." Everything that occurs is God's will. God is always here, actively participating in the world, even though we may not see clear evidence of His presence. The commentators point out that Megillat Esther is the only book in the entire Bible where God's name is not mentioned even once. Yet nonetheless, God's hand is always -- in the end - clear and distinguished.

CHAPTER 10
All's well that ends well for the Jews. Mordechai is second in command to the King, and the Jews enjoy years of peace and prosperity (10:3). At least for the time being...

Author Biography: Rabbi Shraga Simmons spent his childhood trekking through snow in Buffalo, New York. He has worked in the fields of journalism and public relations, and is now the Co-editor of Aish.com in Jerusalem.

La Meghillat Ester: lo svelamento del nascosto
di Rav Roberto Della Rocca Direttore del Dipartimento Educazione e Cultura dell'UCEI http://www.torah.it/ester.htm Articolo pubblicato su "Hebraica" Miscellanea di studi in onore di Sergio Sierra per il suo 75° compleanno – Torino 5759-1998 " .....questi giorni di Purim non cadranno in disuso tra gli ebrei ed il loro ricordo non cessi in mezzo alla loro discendenza..." (Libro di Estèr, 9;28). Nella sua grande opera di giurisprudenza ebraica, il Mishnèh Toràh, Maimonide (11351204) sostiene che nell'era messianica tutti i libri della Bibbia cadranno in disuso tranne il Rotolo di Estèr essendo questo duraturo come i cinque libri della Toràh, l'esistenza della quale è eterna.....e, continua, "...anche se dovesse scomparire il ricordo di tutte le nostre sofferenze, quello di Purim non sarà mai cancellato". Ma perché proprio il Libro di Estèr e con esso il ricordo di Purim dovrebbero sopravvivere a tutti gli altri? La Meghillàh (termine che deriva dalla radice ghimel ghimel lamed, che significa arrotolare, avvolgere, e che indica la lettura su un rotolo di pergamena come il Sefer Toràh) è un libro che narra di una comunità completamente assimilata, sradicata dalla sua terra d'origine, lontana, materialmente e spiritualmente, dalla Terra di Israele, di cui, in tutto il racconto, non si fa alcun cenno, né come ricordo né, tantomeno, come mèta di aspirazione. Siamo nel pieno della golàh, dell'esilio, quindi, al punto che gli ebrei temono addirittura di rivelare la loro identità. Un altro segno sorprendente è che, contrariamente a quanto si fa durante la festa di Chanukkàh, a Purim non si legge l'Hallel (lett.lode; è il nome dato ai Salmi 113-118), riservato solo ai miracoli avvenuti in Terra di Israele. Ciononostante, Estèr ottiene quello che ai valorosi fratelli Maccabei non è stato concesso: non solo il suo libro viene incluso nel canone biblico, ma questo ha dato anche il nome ad un trattato talmudico, chiamato appunto " Meghillàh". Ciò che però più sorprende, nel libro di Estèr, è che in tutto il testo non viene mai citato il Nome di Dio, né alcuno dei Suoi attributi. Questa peculiarità della Meghillàh, cioè di essere l'unico libro della Bibbia non solo privo della parola e dell'azione di Dio, ma anche di qualsiasi riferimento a Lui, ha fatto discutere molto i Maestri, prima che si arrivasse alla decisione di inserire anche questo testo nel canone biblico.

La stessa storia di Estèr, sembra essere un concatenarsi di eventi del tutto casuali: ad esempio, il grande banchetto del re Assuero, la decisione di chiamare la regina Vashtì, il rifiuto di questa di presentarsi, la scelta di Estèr, il tentativo del colpo di Stato scoperto casualmente da Mordekhài, l'insonnia del re, l'arrivo di Hamàn e di Assuero proprio in quella notte. Il destino del popolo ebraico sembra completamente abbandonato al caso e alla fatalità. Il termine Purim, dal persiano pur, designa le sorti che si gettano per fissare una data o per regolare il destino altrui secondo il decreto del solo caso. L'esistenza degli ebrei sembra legata a una partita a dadi e il popolo stesso appare impotente in un mondo mosso dalla sorte, abbandonato a un destino cieco, in un mondo da cui Dio sembra assente o, quantomeno, cosi' ben nascosto che tutto accade come se Egli non esistesse. I Maestri del Talmùd, ricorrendo ai più originali espedienti interpretativi, si domandano "..dove si parla di Estèr nella Toràh?.." (Talmùd babilonese; Haghigàh 5,b). I Maestri fingono di non sapere che tra la Toràh ed Estèr trascorrono almeno sette, otto secoli. Per capire il senso della loro domanda bisogna interpretare il testo come segue: in quale punto della Toràh si trova un'allusione alla storia di Estèr? Nella Toràh, dove è compresa la storia passata, presente e futura del popolo ebraico, deve pur esserci un qualche riferimento al tipo di miracolo che caratterizza Purim e molta parte della storia ebraica. I Maestri leggono quindi nel verso del Deuteronomio, 31;18: "..ed Io continuero' a nascondere il Mio volto in quel giorno..", un preciso riferimento a Estèr e a Purim. Il Talmùd, quindi, scorge uno stretto rapporto tra il tema del Dio nascosto, che si eclissa, e l'etimologia del nome Estèr, che significa appunto nascosta. La salvezza del popolo di Estèr e di Mordekhài avviene in modo nascosto e discreto, diversamente da quanto accade per altri miracoli, nei quali Dio si manifesta e opera in forma palese, come, ad esempio, nella liberazione degli Ebrei dall'Egitto. Ecco perché qualche commentatore ha tentato di trovare un'allusione al Nome di Dio nel verso in cui Mordekhài, spazientito dalle esitazioni di Estèr a presentarsi al re ed intercedere per la salvezza del popolo, dichiara: ".. se tu in questo momento taci, liberazione e salvezza sorgeranno da un altro luogo.." ( Ester, 4; 14). Il termine Maqom, Luogo, designerebbe la stessa residenza divina, conformemente a quanto sostiene la letteratura rabbinica: " Egli è il Luogo del Suo mondo, ma il Suo mondo non è il Suo Luogo", nel senso che Dio è onnipresente anche quando Egli è nascosto. La parola ebraica che indica il mondo è olam e deriva dalla radice alum, nascosto, forse per significare che l'esistenza di Dio in questo mondo è nascosta e lo scopo dell'olam, cioè del mondo nascosto, è la ricerca di quella verità, emèt, che secondo il Midràsh al momento

della creazione Dio ha gettato a terra, affinché l'uomo la facesse germogliare con i suoi propri strumenti. Compito dell'uomo quindi, è quello di cogliere l'intervento di Dio non tanto nelle dieci piaghe o nell'aprirsi del mare, quanto piuttosto negli eventi di ogni giorno, poiché un'eccessiva enfasi sull'attività miracolosa di Dio può farci dimenticare che la Sua presenza è in ogni luogo. Benché altri quattro libri biblici portino il nome di Meghillàh, quello di Estèr è considerato il Rotolo per antonomasia. Durante il suo srotolamento ci viene gradatamente rivelato ciò che è avvolto e nascosto. Dio si rivela una guida così silenziosa e invisibile, che la Sua reale partecipazione agli eventi dell'uomo può anche essere messa in discussione. L'abilità, la forza di Israele consiste nel saper srotolare il rotolo, dipanare la matassa: potremmo dire nel saper "meghillare estèr", cioè svelare il nascosto, sollevare il velo dell'ascondimento, saper leggere dietro la maschera dell'apparenza e restituire un significato autentico al volto della maschera, che di umano ha solo la parvenza. E' detto nel Talmùd che nel pasto del giorno di Purim è consuetudine bere tanto vino fino al punto di non saper piu' distinguere la destra dalla sinistra, di non saper piu' riconoscere la differenza tra "maledetto Hamàn e benedetto Mordekhài". (E' notevole tra l'altro che le due espressioni, arur Hamàn e baruch Mordekhài, abbiano lo stesso valore numerico secondo la Ghematrià (502), regola interpretativa che si basa sul valore numerico delle lettere). In un universo, quindi, dominato dalla confusione, dove non si discerne il giusto dall'ingiusto, dove la fatalità sembra reggere i due estremi della catena della storia e il mondo rischia di trasformarsi in una gigantesca mascherata, e in una sbornia generale, i Maestri invitano a mantenere quel discernimento che permette di decifrare il senso del trucco universale. In ebraico la differenza tra golàh, esilio, e gheullàh, redenzione, è data da una sola lettera la a Alef, la prima lettera dell'alfabeto ebraico, la lettera con cui iniziano fra l'altro diversi nomi di Dio, la parola Adàm, uomo, i Dieci Comandamenti, la lettera con cui doveva avere inizio la Toràh, ma che ha dovuto lasciare il posto alla Bet, la seconda lettera dell'alfabeto, forse per insegnare al mondo, simboleggiato dalla dualità della Bet, di tendere alla ricerca dell'Uno. Se la gheullàh è la condizione ideale a cui deve aspirare il popolo ebraico, ed essa sarà raggiunta con la celebrazione di quel Seder, quell'ordine di tutta l'umanità, la golàh del libro di Estèr, è la condizione reale del mondo, dove tutto è confuso, distorto, disordinato.

Tuttavia la golàh e la gheullàh non sono cosi' distanti fra loro come potrebbe sembrare; infatti negli anni embolismici, quando si aggiunge un tredicesimo mese, Adar Sheni', si celebra Purim nel secondo Adar, per avvicinare il più possibile questa ricorrenza alla festa di Pesach. Purim, infatti è la preparazione a Pesach, una preparazione per la completa gheullàh. Purim, le sorti del popolo ebraico, sono legate alla ricerca e alla riconquista dell'Alef, dell'unicità, dell'identità individuale e collettiva, di quella particella dell'Unico che è in ognuno di noi e in virtù della quale Gli somigliamo. E' proprio l'assenza dell'Alef che consente agli Hamàn di ogni tempo di giocare a dadi le sorti del popolo ebraico. La disunione e le scissioni all'interno del popolo ebraico scatenano le forze di Amalek, antenato di Hamàn, prototipo dell'antigiudaismo irrazionale e gratuito di tutte le generazioni destinato a minacciare l'esistenza di Israele in tutti i tempi della storia. La salvezza nella storia di Purim, giunge viceversa solo quando Estèr rivela ciò che ha tenuto celato: la sua identità, la sua Alef, adempiendo cosi' all'imperativo della Toràh " ...Ricorda ciò che fece a te Amalek..!" ( Deuteronomio, 25;17 ). Il digiuno istituito da Estèr per invocare l'aiuto divino contro il decreto di Hamàn diventa, quindi, una premessa a un radicale capovolgimento della situazione. La Teshuvàh, il pentimento, il ritorno, attraverso il digiuno rappresenta l'occasione per scrutare dentro di sé, per riprendere in mano le sorti del proprio destino e per liberarsi da un esilio che non ha una valenza esclusivamente geografica. La condizione necessaria per passare oltre la golàh e raggiungere la gheullàh è, dunque, l'esperienza della Teshuvàh, cosi' come è detto nel Talmùd " ..grande è la Teshuvàh perchè avvicina la gheullàh.." ( Jomà 86, b). Forse questo è il senso di cio' che è sostenuto dalla letteratura rabbinica: la parola Purim, sorti, è contenuta dalla parola Kippurim, espiazioni. Le sorti sono dentro le espiazioni, nel senso letterale dell'affermazione, ma si può anche leggere: le sorti sono nella Teshuvàh. Solo con la Teshuvàh l'ebreo riprende quindi in mano, responsabilmente e coscientemente, le proprie sorti, non consentendo più che il caso decida per lui. Purim-Kippurim, (in questo caso la k Kaf iniziale potrebbe avere la funzione di "come") Purim come il giorno del grande digiuno! La vita dell'uomo oscilla tra queste due dimensioni, cosi' diverse, ma al contempo cosi' legate tra loro. Il mascherarsi e lo smascherarsi completamente!

Il digiuno, in fondo, è la necessaria conseguenza di un grande banchetto, e l'introspezione è l'inevitabile reazione a una rumorosa baldoria; talvolta è proprio una sbornia e il travalicamento dei limiti a stimolare un sincero esame di coscienza. Nella concezione ebraica, il corpo non è scisso dall'anima: la nostra esistenza fisica nel mondo, messa in pericolo a Purim e, quindi, esaltata attraverso un banchetto, è inscindibile dalla nostra esistenza spirituale celebrata nello Jom Ha-Kippurim. Non c'è un Kippurim senza un Purim che lo determini e lo motivi, e non c'è un Purim senza un Kippurim che lo contenga e gli dia senso. La prima volta che figura la parola Estèr nella Toràh è in Genesi, 4; 14: " ..saro' rimosso dal tuo cospetto..". E' Caino che parla: egli teme di essere abbandonato da Dio e non essere considerato più come uomo. Caino, uccidendo suo fratello, tende a restaurare il caos originario dell'universo. Eppure la sua condanna non è la pena capitale, ma l'esilio: il primo assassino gode di una strana immunità, nessuno ha il diritto di imitarlo, grazie a un marchio che Dio incide su di lui. Il primo segno che il Signore pone nel mondo. Secondo un midràsh Adamo incontrando Caino rimane stupito nel trovarlo vivo, tanto da chiedergli:" non hai forse ucciso tuo fratello Abele?" Caino gli risponde: "Io ho fatto Teshuvàh padre e sono stato perdonato!" nascondendo il volto fra le mani, Adamo, allora, esclama:" tanto grande è il potere della Teshuvàh?...non lo sapevo!". Caino, l'uomo del crimine brutale, rappresenta la prova vivente che il perdono è possibile e che la forza della Teshuvàh può far risplendere la luce velata dall'oscurarsi del volto di Dio: la Hastaràt Panim. "..Se si legge la Meghillat Estèr a ritroso non si è compiuto il proprio obbligo.." (Mishnàh, Meghillàh, 2; 1) Quale è il senso di questa norma? Chi legge la Meghillat Estèr pensando che gli eventi in essa narrati appartengano solo al passato, "a ritroso", e il miracolo non è rilevante per il presente, non ha compiuto il suo obbligo. Molti eventi della storia ebraica, anche quelli più recenti sembrano farci rivivere la storia del libro di Estèr, dove Dio sembra essere completamente assente. Per questo motivo i Maestri hanno visto nella storia di Purim, la condizione paradigmatica del popolo ebraico, indicando che sta all'uomo cercare la presenza divina nella storia, anche quando l'oscurità dell'esilio è divenuta più fitta, o quando la disumanità della maschera rischia di trasfigurare il volto umano. Non dimentichiamoci, infatti, che nella lingua ebraica, l'etimo g-l-h significa " esiliare" e "rivelare" nello stesso tempo.

Fechas para Purim
http://serjudio.com/rap3251a3300/rap3273.htm Acontecimiento Iehoiakim es rey en Yehudá Nebujadnetzar asciende al trono de Babilonia, subyuga al reino judío y lo avasalla, toma al rey y los nobles como prisioneros de guerra. Iejaniá es rey de Yehuda. Nebujadnetzar lo exila. Nebujadnetzar destruye el Templo, destierra al rey Tzidkiau y a casi la totalidad de la población judía del país Nebujadnetzar fallece y su hijo Evil Merodaj le sucede Belshazar es rey de Babilonia Belshazar asume que la profecía de Irmiau de los setenta años se cuenta desde el comienzo del imperio babilónico. Al comprobar que pasó la fecha sin incidentes hace una fiesta. En ese momento Darío I de Persia ataca, lo mata y conquista Babilonia. Vashti, hija de Belshazar tiene doce años Darío muere y Ciro es el emperador Medo-Persa. Él ordena la reconstrucción del Templo, setenta años exactamente luego de la conquista por parte de Nebujadnetzar y el exilio de Iehoiakim y sus nobles Ajashverosh asciende al trono de Persia y detiene la reconstrucción del Templo Ajashverosh hace una fiesta de 180 días, los judíos no son redimidos del exilio Esther es llevada al palacio de Ajashverosh y convertida en reina Amán echa suertes sobre los judíos Nace Darío II, hijo de Esther y Ajashverosh Primer edicto de Amán para aniquilar, diezmar y expoliar a los judíos Tres días de ayuno ordenados por Esther Caída y ejecución de Amán Segundo edicto, opuesto al primero de Amán La desgracia se transforma en gozo. Los diez hijos de Amán fueron ejecutados. Purim es celebrado en todo el imperio, excepto en Shushan Purim es celebrado en Shushan Se registra la Meguilá y es instituida la festividad de Purim para todas las generaciones. Muere Ajashverosh y es sucedido por su hijo Darío II. Esther es la regente de Persia Darío II (los regentes) ordena la reconstrucción del segundo Templo, setenta años luego de que fuera destruido Año desde la Creación 3315 3319 3327 3338 3364 3387

3389

3390

3392 3395 Tevet, 3399 Nisan, 3404 3400 Nisan 13, 3404 Nisan 14-16, 3404 Nisan 17, 3404 Siván 23, 3404 Adar 13, 3405 Adar 14, 3405 Adar 15, 3405

3406 3408

Purim Timeline
by Rabbi Mordechai Becher
http://ohr.edu/yhiy/article.php/1492

3338 (422 BCE)

• • • • •

Destruction of 1st Temple - Tisha B'Av Nebuchadnezar Jeremiah, Ezekiel Prophecies of destruction and exile, Prophecies of return Babylonian Exile, Daniel and Ezra

3387 (373 BCE) 3389 (371 BCE) 3390 (370 BCE) 3391 (369 BCE) 3395 (365 BCE) 3401 (359 BCE) 3408 (352 BCE)

• • •

Proclamation of Cyrus, Return to Israel Persian Empire Minority returns with Nehemiah in Nissan

• •

Foundations laid for Second Temple Medes Empire

•

Achashverosh (or Cambys, Cyrus's son) stops construction

•

Banquet in Shushan using vessels of Temple

•

Cyrus dies, Ahashverosh becomes sole ruler

•

Renewal of settlement in Israel, including Golan and East Bank

• • • • •

Purim - Mordechai and Esther Second Temple completed 70 years after destruction The Great Assembly, Shimon HaTzadik Alexander of Macedon Establishment of Prayers, End of Prophecy

Parshat Tzav

‫פרש תצו‬

(25th Parsha of the Torah ) By Avraham David (Libni, Netanel (Carey) & Jack David) grandson of Strettyner Rebbe Numerical Interpretation of Torah with aid of Gematria. Questions/Comments 1-908-907-0953. online at www.codeoftheheart.com ©2005 Dvar Torah 5765
http://www.codeoftheheart.com/old/Wekly%20Parsha.htm

The Urgency of the Matter
This past week (3/24-25/05) we just celebrated the holiday of Purim, when the Jewish people celebrated their rescue from destruction from the evil Haman the Amalekite over 2500 years ago in the land of Persia. The key players were ‫ ,מרדכי‬Mordechai and ‫ ,אסתר‬Esther, whose Gematria are 274 and 661 respectively. In the rules of Mispar Kattan code, if you add 2+7+4 + 6+6+1= 26. The number 26 is the name of the Tetragrammatron and it represents the attribute of G-d in his infinite mercy. This teaches us that although G-d's name was not mentioned in the story , the behind scenes was really dictated by G-d. The same is in our lives, although we may not see G-d, it is G-d that really runs the show. Unfortunately, we do not have the privilege of a Holy Temple where G-d’s Divine Presence can be manifest. It is interesting to note that we can find some connections between the Parsha of the week, Tsav, and the story of Purim. In this Parsha, G-d commands Aharon and his sons regarding the laws of sacrifices. Some Rabbis have commented that they see an urgency to this matter. Likewise, in the story of Purim, Mordechai urges Esther to act on behalf of her people before the wicked plot of Haman would materialize. Moreover, we read how the High Priest is clothed in his special garments including the Tunic, the Sash, the Robe, the Ephod, the belt of the Ephod, the Breastplate, and the Golden Headplate. Likewise, we learn that Mordechai is clothed in royal attire and a royal crown upon his head. In this week’s Parsha, we learn that the High Priest, was anointed with the anointing oil. We learn some insights from the Hebrew text. The Torah says, ‫“ , ויצק משמן המשחה על ראש אהרן‬He poured from the oil of anointment upon the head of Aharon”(Leviticus 8:12). If we take the acronym of the encircled letters, it spells the term , ‫ , נקה‬nakeh, meaning to cleanse. This is one of the 13 attributes of G-d as noted in Parshas Ki Sisah. Hence, we see that one who is anointed is cleansed and purified in the eyes of

G-d. With aid of another code, we see another function of the anointed one which also ties into the holiday of Purim. If we take the hidden letters of the term , ‫ ,משיח‬we have the following, (‫ . מ)מ( ש)ן( י)וד( ח)ת‬If we take the acronym of the encircled letters (rearrange) it spells ‫ , מנות ד‬manos daled, or delicacies to the poor. In fact , the commandments of Purim include & ‫שלח מנות‬ ‫ מתנות לאביונים‬sending delicacies and gifts to the poor (Esther 9:22). Hence we see that one of the Purposes of the Messiah is to give delicacies to the poor. He must take care of his fellow man. This teaches us universal love. Indeed , in the holiday of Purim we see a hint to the love of G-d to his people right from the start of the reading of the Megillah. It says the following, ‫ויהי בימי‬ ‫“ , אחשורוש הוא אחשורוש‬And it came to pass in the days Ahasuerus, he is Ahasuerus” (Esther 1:1) If we take the acronym of the encircled letters, it spells the term, ‫ ,אוהב‬ohev, meaning love. We say this word in our prayers when we say ‫… , אוהב עמו ישראל‬blessed be G-d who loves his nation Israel. With aid of Gematria, we see the nature of King Ahasuerus. His Gematria is 821. Another term with the same Gematria can be found in Genesis where it says, ‫“ , ודבק באשתו‬he will become attached to his wife” (Genesis 2:24). Hence we see that the King’s love of his wife was greater than the money that Haman offered him in his sinister plot. Hence, we see that Haman did not study Gematria. May G-d always confound our enemies and block their evil plots. It is not only the battle against evil people, the struggle is against the evil forces as well. The battle is not an easy one as the letter makeup of Satan, equals the same Gematria as ‫ דם‬dam , blood. In Hebrew the ‫שטן‬ Satan (I Kings 5:18) is comprised of the ‫ ,ש‬which is the 21s letter of the Hebrew Alphabet , the ‫ ,ט‬the 9th letter and the ‫ ,נ‬which is the 14th letter. If we add it up, it equals 44, which also equals Blood. What is more important, if we analyze the letter makeup of the Tetragrammatron it also equals 44. G-d’s Holy name is comprised of the ‫ י‬Yod, ‫ , ה‬Hey, ‫,ו‬Vov, ‫ ה‬Hey. The standard Gematria or Mispar Hachrechi is 26. If we break it down further, the Hey is comprised of the ‫ ,י‬yod and the ‫ ,ד‬daled. If we add up the letters it equals 44. Hence we see that the Divine spirit flows in our blood as well. The key player in the battle is the ‫ ,לב‬lev, heart. It is not enough to simply talk about G-d . You have to let G-d in. As it says in the Torah, “G-d will circumcise your heart… so that you will love G-d, so that you shall live”(Deuteronomy 30:6). If we write out the hidden and revealed letters of the ‫ ,ל‬lamed ,‫ ,ב‬beis of the heart, we have ‫,למד בית‬ meaning a house of study. By studying the Torah we will come to love G-d with all of our hearts. As stated previously , the Parsha of the week controls and influences current events. The top story of the week was the sad situation of Terry Schiavo, the hospice patient whose feeding tube was removed based

on the wishes of her husband. According to my cousin Josh, this is simply the result of the “system.” From a moral standpoint, the lady is being tortured. Indeed, her name seals her fate. The Gematria of ‫ , תרי סביאבו‬Terry Schiavo is 709. There is only one phrase in Tanach with the same Gematria and it can be found in Job, where it says the following, A trap will seize him by the heel, bloodthirsty men will overpower him… His offspring will go hungry.” (Job 18:9,12). The only ones suffering are her parents and brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, the way the system is set up, they do not have any rights over her fate. It is her husband who controls her fate. As noted in the beginning of the Parsha, we talked about the urgency of the matter. Likewise, we see how the Schiavo family is urgently filing motions with the different courthouses, so that an injunction would be issued to reinstate the feeding tube. The Schiavo family is also appealing to the General Public but there is really nothing that the GP can do. It is a strange thought but although the President of the United States can declare war, he still cannot order the feeding tube reinserted. Perhaps in a kingdom it would be different as the king has the ultimate authority. Such is the system. I can very well relate to this story as my father is on a feeding tube and respirator for past 3 years. After my father had the stroke , the doctors asked me if I would want a DNR order (do not resuscitate) and I said no. I told them to keep my father alive at all costs. Today it is almost four years since that time and I can say with the bottom of my heart that I made the right decision. In my opinion, as long as there is life, there is hope. Every minute, every hour, every day, there are medical advances being made at breath taking speed across the world. Unfortunately, there is no clear consensus from the medical community as per the exact state of mind of Ms. Schiavo. In my opinion, I will follow the Torah, that says chose life. May G-d give everyone the strength to carry on with this difficult situation.

Shabbat Shalom