HaRav Shmuel Eliahu is Chief Rabbi of Tzfat
In our time, we see the magnitukde of Iran’s hatred toward the People of Israel. They are willing to sacrifice their entire country, so long as they have the possibility “to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews," like Haman. Everyone sees the damage that has been done to them in the war “Am K’Lavi." All the economic crisis that followed their hatred of Israel. All the protests that followed. All the threat of international war.
Everyone tells them: Stop wasting your entire national wealth on war against the People of Israel. Invest it instead in the welfare of your own people. But they are captive to their hatred and unwilling to relinquish their desire to overthrow Israel.
The Self-Sacrifice of the Righteous Prevails
Thus Mordechai and Esther defeated the wicked Haman through their self-sacrifice. Mordechai would neither kneel nor bow, and Esther entered the chamber of the king and said, “If I perish, I perish." Their self-sacrifice overcame the hatred of Haman.
So too in our days - the self-sacrifice of our soldiers over many long months has overcome the crazed martyrdom of Israel’s enemies and prevailed against them.
Hamans of History Seek to Rule the World
There is another parallel between today’s Iranians and Haman. Haman ruled over the entire world, in accordance with the characteristic of Amalek, about whom it is said, “Amalek is the first among the nations."
Hitler as well sought to rule the entire world and spread his evil everywhere. So too, the Iranians continue in the path of all the descendants of Amalek, the haters of Israel in every generation, who seek to establish an Iranian caliphate over the entire globe.
War Against Our Enemies - In the Month of Adar
The Gemara teaches that whenever a Jew has a legal case against a non-Jew, he should arrange it during the month of Adar, because “the mazal of Israel is strong."
As the Gemara states: Rabbi Yehudah, son of Rabbi Shmuel bar Shilat, said in the name of Rav: “Just as when the month of Av enters, we decrease in joy, so too when the month of Adar enters, we increase in joy." Rav Pappa said: “Therefore, if a Jew has a legal case with an idolater, he should avoid him in Av, when Israel’s mazal is weak, and engage him in Adar, when Israel’s mazal is strong" (Ta’anit 29b).
Some question this counsel in light of the Rambam, who wrote: “Who is an astrologer? One who assigns times and says through astrology that a certain day is good, a certain day is bad, a certain day is fit for a certain activity, or a certain year or month is unfavorable. It is forbidden to practice astrology, even without performing an action, merely declaring these falsehoods that fools imagine to be true and wise words. Anyone who acts according to astrology and arranges his activities according to these times receives lashes, as it is said: ‘Do not practice divination’" (Avodah Zarah 11:8-9).
If so, how could the Sages say that the month of Adar is favorable for legal disputes with non-Jews?
In truth, not everyone who says that a certain date is favorable violates this prohibition. For example, a farmer who knows that it is best to plant wheat after the first winter rains is not practicing astrology. He sets the time for planting based on experience, and so he should do.
Similarly, one who plants tomatoes before Pesach is not practicing astrology for the same reason. The determination of the proper time is based on experience.
Accordingly, one who arranges legal proceedings with a non-Jew during the month of Adar is not practicing astrology, but acting based on experience, since in this month Israel’s fortune rises.
Victory Comes Through Joy
Some explain further that Adar is suited for confronting non-Jews because of the joy of Israel during this month.
King Yehoshaphat first attempted to fight the Ammonites out of fasting and sorrow, and he did not succeed. Later, he took counsel and went to war out of joy, and he achieved great success.
Therefore, the Gemara teaches that when we are in a state of joy, the Divine Presence rests upon us, and we are victorious. The meaning is that when confronting the nations with joy, victory is assured.
Proof of this is the victory of Purim when joy came to Israel before the battle of the 13th of Adar, as it is written:
“The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor" (Esther 8:16). After their joy and gathering together, they prevailed, as it is written: “The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Achashverosh, to lay hands on those who sought their harm; and no man could stand before them, for fear of them had fallen upon all the peoples" (Esther 9:2).
Why Mordechai Would Not Bow
Mordechai understood this, and therefore he did not bow to Haman. He understood that Haman’s plan was to break the spirit of Israel in order to destroy them, and submission begins with bowing.
So too in the Holocaust, the Nazis first broke the spirit of the Jews with the yellow badge. Then came the pogroms. Then they fired them from their jobs, humiliated them publicly, imprisoned them in ghettos with starvation rations and oppressive conditions. Thus they succeeded in loading them onto crowded cattle cars, breaking their spirit, and led them to the gas chambers. Mordechai understood this plan and therefore did not allow the spirit of the Jewish People to be broken.
Esther learned from him. She clothed herself in royalty and came to command the king to attend the banquet with Haman. From Mordechai and Ester, the Jewish People learned courage. They gathered together, stood for their lives, and achieved victory.
So It Will Be in the Future
The Gemara teaches that if Israel does not repent, the Holy One, blessed be He, will appoint over them a king as harsh as Haman, and they will repent (Sanhedrin 97b).
It appears that this repentance also includes their gathering together to stand for their lives, and their hearts being uplifted in the ways of Hashem. Concerning this, the Sfat Emet says:
“And it is possible that such a miracle will occur again in the future before the Redemption, as our Sages said: ‘He will appoint over them a king like Haman.’ This miracle will serve as preparation for the Redemption."
In this spirit, the Shem M’Shmuel writes that evil must be eradicated from the world before the complete Redemption: “For it is stated in the writings of the Arizal that Haman and his wicked followers sensed that the building of the Second Temple was approaching. Therefore, they devised schemes to prevent it."
Haman plotted to destroy the Jews. But the Jews united and erased Amalek, and through this gained the strength to build the Temple.
“Through Haman’s schemes to disrupt the building, and his cunning decree, this very act became the cause for Israel to unite and overcome Amalek, and thus the Temple was built" (Shem M’Shmuel, Tetzaveh, 5672 [1912]).
The Shem M’Shmuel continues and teaches that the unity and triumph of Israel will also precede the building of the Third Temple:
“And apparently, so it will be in the future, speedily in our days. If, Heaven forbid, their merit is insufficient, our Sages said (Sanhedrin 97b) that the Holy One, blessed be He, will appoint over them a king whose decrees are as harsh as Haman’s, until Israel repents with all their heart. Through this, they will unite and overcome Amalek, and the Third Temple will be built. And what was, shall be."
Gather All the Jews - The Secret of Victory in Our Generation as Well
Many people ask how they can help bring about the downfall of Iran which continues in the path of the wicked Haman. In truth, the matter is explained explicitly in the Megillah. Haman declares that Israel is scattered and divided, whereas Esther gathers them all together in prayer and afterward in war. For this war and the unity in the days of Esther are the very foundation of the Revelation at Mount Sinai, when the Jews stood “as one man with one heart." They saw all parts of the nation as different limbs of a single body, and not, Heaven forbid, as separate factions that hate one another.
So it was in Israel’s recent war against the Hamans of today. When the Israelite Nation was scattered and divided one against the other, the agents of Haman succeeded in harming us on Simchat Torah. But when the People of Israel united and set aside all their disputes, they defeated the agents of Haman and struck them down decisively. So too, as the war against Iran continues, we must all unite and regard each person as our brother, fulfilling the commandment, “You shall love your fellow as yourself." One must cast aside all grievances and all disputes. In this way, we will be saved and overcome our great enemy, just as our forefathers overcame him in the days of Mordechai and Esther, bringing salvation to the Jews.
Receiving the Torah
When Israel left Egypt they encountered Amalek several days before the Giving of the Torah. Amalek came on the 28th of Iyar, and Israel defeated him, and then entered Mount Sinai on the 1st of Sivan to receive the Torah. The Sfat Emet explains:
“Just as there was a war with Amalek before the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, so too in every place where the wicked fall, the power of Torah is afterward awakened. The Children of Israel understood and knew that this was the essential purpose. Therefore it is written, ‘The Jews had light’ -this refers to Torah" (Sfat Emet, Shemot-Purim, 5647 [1887]).
It is likewise written, “The Jews fulfilled and accepted [the Torah] with joy." This represents a receiving of the Torah at an even higher level than the Revelation at Mount Sinai.
Sanctification of God’s Name - The Essence of the Torah
The Sfat Emet continues and explains that the Giving of the Torah is the sanctification of God’s Name throughout the world: “For it is truly the revelation of the Torah, for the entire Torah is the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He."
This sanctification of God’s Name also occurs when Amalek is defeated:
“The ultimate purpose of the fall of Amalek and the wicked Haman was to sanctify His blessed Name in the world. As our Sages said: ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, swore that His Name will not be complete until the name of Amalek is erased.’ Therefore, whenever Amalek suffers defeat, His blessed Name is magnified."
So too now-when the Amalek of our generation is struck down, the Name of Hashem will be sanctified. This itself is the preparation for the Giving of the Torah in our generation, and for receiving the Torah anew.
With an exalted spirit of unity, joy, the willingness for further self-sacrifice, a national return to Torah, and the blessing of Hashem, a great victory and Kiddush Hashem await us, climaxed by the building of the Third Temple, may it be soon.