Dvar Torah Purim Ki Sisa - Finding the Cure

In Megillas Esther, Chapter 2 describes how Esther was chosen as Queen over the entire kingdom. We then read how Mordechai foiled the plot of Bigthan and Teresh to assassinate the King. The Megillah tells us (Esther 2:23): “The matter was investigated and corroborated, and they were both hanged on a gallows. It was recorded in the book of chronicles in the King’s presence.” The very next pasuk states (Ibid. 3:1): “After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him.” Since the Megillah uses the phrase “after these things”, there must be a connection between the events involving Esther and Mordechai in Chapter 2 and the rise of Haman.

However, Haman’s rise to power appears unrelated to Esther’s ascension to the throne and Mordechai’s act of saving the king’s life. Furthermore, all these events took place at different times within a five-year span. Esther’s ascension to the monarchy took place in the king’s seventh year (Ibid. 2:16), and Haman rose to power in the king’s twelfth year (Ibid. 3:7). The failed assassination occurred sometime in between. What connection could exist between these seemingly unrelated events spread over several years?

The Gemara (Megillah 13b) addresses this question, quoting Resh Lakish who says: “The Holy One, blessed be He, does not smite Israel unless He has created for them a healing beforehand.“ Therefore, Raba says that “after these things” means after Hashem had created a healing for the blow which was about to fall. Hashem first put Esther into place as the Queen so Esther would be in a position to save the Jewish people five years later when Haman rose to power. Similarly, Haman’s plot to hang Mordechai was foiled only because the king could not sleep at night and read about Mordechai’s past loyalty just minutes before Haman sought permission to hang Mordechai (Ibid. 6:1-4). Not only was Mordechai’s life spared, but Haman’s downfall began that very night, culminating in his execution.

The concept that Hashem provides the cure before the affliction is also reflected in this week’s Parsha. Haman offered King Ahasuerus 10,000 silver talents to induce the king to sign the decree to annihilate the Jewish people (Esther 3:9). However, centuries earlier, the Torah teaches that “when you take a census of the Children of Israel according to their numbers, every man shall give Hashem an atonement for his soul.” (Shemos 30:12). The half-shekel given by 600,000 men is equivalent to the 10,000 silver talents that Haman offered Ahasuerus. (See Maharsha on Megilla 13b ד״ה ועשרת אלפים). The Gemara (Megillah 13b) understands that the merit that the Jewish people received when the entire nation gave a half-shekel counteracted Haman’s efforts centuries later.

This idea, that Hashem creates the cure before the disease, is reflected throughout the Torah and Jewish history. For example, Yosef was able to save his family from the great famine because he had been sold into Egyptian slavery decades earlier. It is a comforting idea reminding us that even in difficult times, solutions exist—we just need to seek them out.

This is true not only on a national level, but on a personal level as well. We all face personal challenges, and sometimes they seem overwhelming. It often appears that we will never find a solution to these challenges. However, Hashem is telling us that there is a solution, but we need to find it. If we know that a solution exists, that knowledge alone can encourage us to not give up.

‘Just as Mordechai and Esther triumphed in the Purim story, may we, too, merit to overcome challenges—both as individuals and as a nation. In the Purim story, the Jews went “from grief to joy and from mourning to a festive day” (Esther 8:22). May it also be for us today.