The story of Purim, the saga chronicled in the Megilas Esther, is often remembered as a clear and present highpoint along the tumultuous history of Yahadut, and for good reason. A sudden twist of fortune miraculously transforms the (seemingly) inevitable genocide of the Jewish nation into their most lopsided victory of all time. The nation acquires Achashveirosh’s trust and their enemies’ fear; soon, the masses convert (Esther 8:17) and Mordechai is appointed viceroy (10:3). What spurred such a remarkable upset? As the pasukim in Sefer Devarim teach us, our relationship with the Goyim is most prevalently dependant upon our relationship with HaKadosh Baruch Hu and our performance of His commandments:
And you shall guard and keep [Hashem’s Torah], for your adherence to all these Chukim will be your [source of] wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the Goyim, and they will say “What a wise and understanding nation these people are!”
Devarim 4:6
The pasuk describes the Mitzvos we perform as the very source of our wisdom. In essence, the Jewish Code of Law serves as a beacon of rationality and sensibility to the other nations; they see our behavior and follow our lead. But even more, the commandments we keep make sense to the Goyim, and so we earn the recognition as an intellectually superior nation, even if Hashem – and not we – is the intellectual source behind our laws.
And yet, at times, Mitzvos can function totally contrary to human rationale. In fact, the very concept of a Chok is that it be fulfilled without being understood, that it be followed for no greater reason than that Hashem commanded so! What then does the pasuk mean? Does our adherence to the Chukim serve as the source of our wisdom? The blind observance of Chukim may not in anyway undermine our potential wisdom, but they in no way enhance our intellectual prowess! How could the Goyim ever perceive our intellectual superiority through the analysis of our Chukim?!
In fact, the story of the Megilah suggests that our observance of the Chukim will strike exactly the opposite reaction! The Gemara in Meseches Megilah (13a) notes that when Haman HaRashah rose to power and forced all the King’s servants to bow to him, he placed a small idol against his chest so that each servant’s prostration would be directed not only at him, but also at his idol. Mordechai, therefore, refused to bow and thus worship Haman’s idol, a clear fulfillment of Hashem’s command, Lo Yihiyeh. But instead of Mordechai’s observance of the Mitzvah predicating Haman’s respect and reverence, his insurrection only angered and insulted Haman, much as we would expect. Granted, Mordechai’s fulfillment of the Mitzvos eventually resulted in the Jewish nation’s victory, but doesn’t the pasuk in Devarim ensure a much smoother road to greatness and respect?
Perhaps we could make more sense of this pasuk if we could come to a better understanding of the Chachmah that the other nations recognize in us. What is Chachmah?
Marbeh Yeshiva, Marbeh Chachmah, one who increases his sitting [in Torah study] increases his knowledge.
Pirkei Avos, 2:7
We often think of Chachmah as the accumulation of knowledge, or its intelligent application, both traits expressed by Shlomo HaMelech (in his judgment of the two women and their baby) the day Hashem proclaimed him the greatest Chacham ViNavon in history (see Malachim I, 3:12). Let’s see if this definition accords with Chazal’s understanding of the term. The shoresh ‘Chacham’ appears twice in the Megilah.
1) (1:13)When Queen Vashti enrages her husband Achashveirosh by refusing to parade in front of his party’s guests, Achashveirosh sends for his advisors, the Chachamim Yodei Ha’Itim. The gemara (Megilah 12b) identifies these scholars as the Rabbanan (in similar vein, the Midrash Esther Rabbah identifies them as the leaders of Shevet Yissachar). The gemara continues that Achashveirosh consulted them as to how best to deal with his wife’s insubordination, but the scholars were uncertain. They conferred, “if we tell him to kill her, then he will eventually calm down and then seek to kill us for catering to his fury. If we tell him to let her live, then we will indirectly cause the embarrassment of the king and surely be put to death!” The scholars therefore reasoned to Achashveirsoh that their powers of wisdom had ceased since the beginning of their exile, and so Achashveirosh was forced to call in the wise men of Amon and Moav instead: Karshina; Sheisar; Admasa; and so on. It is rather ironic that these Rabbanan be identified as Chachamim within the pasuk, for their very argument to the King was that they were ignorant. Indecision may have been the appropriate plan of action, but does that make it the manifestation of Chachamah?
2) (6:13) After Haman leads Mordechai around Shushan on the King’s horse, he returns home and tells his wife and friends about his recent misfortune, to which they respond “If Mordechai is from the seed of the Yihudim, then your ultimate downfall has begun, and there is no way to overcome him.” Chazal, again in the gemara (Megilah 16a), take note of the word Chachamav when Haman’s friends respond to him. In all other dialogues, the term Ohavav is used, but here the friends are termed scholars. Rabbi Yochanan explains: Anyone who says a scholarly thing – even [a scoundrel] from the other nations – is credited a Chacham. These scholars said to Haman, “if Mordechai is a descendant of either Yehuda’s or Yoseif’s, then you will surely fall to him [for each Sheivet was promised victory against their respective enemies], but if he is from another tribe, then you will ultimately prevail.”
Again it seems odd that Rabbi Yochanan (and the Megilah for that matter) identify this as a statement of Chachmah, for here we see a great deal of uncertainty within Haman’s friends’ prediction. We also see a gap in their knowledge, for they do not know Mordechai’s lineage. And yet this is their wisest advice, and not Zeresh’s suggestion to build a gallows for Mordechai (5:14), which The Targum identifies as a most complex and detailed proposal:
“You can’t kill Mordechai with a sword, for [Moshe] already survived Paroh’s executioner. And King Menashe once survived a fatal snakebite. And stoning won’t work, for that’s how Dovid killed Golias. And Daniel survived the lion’s pit, and Chananya Misha’el and Azaria all survived the furnace. And you can’t exile Mordecahi to the desert, since the Bnei Yisrael thrived there en route to Eretz Yisrael. And Yoseif survived jail. And Yitzchak survived the knife [at the Akeidah]. What else can we do but hang him... Tomorrow, inform the King that Mordechai refuses to bow down to you, as Achashveirosh himself commanded (see 3:2), and therefore Mordechai is deserving of death for disobeying the King’s orders.”
Targum, Megilas Esther 5:14
Zeresh shows a superior command of Jewish history, a firm grasp of the methods of execution, and even a working knowledge of politics. How could this not be categorized Chachmah?!
All things considered, Zeresh’s advise is so sharp and so well contrived, it’s hard to believe how badly it backfired! Why was Haman ultimately hanged and not Mordechai? Haman may have plotted behind the King’s back and even ‘fallen’ on top of the Queen, but he never directly violated the law of the land; Mordechai, on the other hand, blatantly subverted the King’s decree to bow to Haman!
The Malbim provides a satisfying explanation. Haman too defied a royal edict, and the Malbim appropriately draws the proof from Charvona’s quip (7:9), the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. All the while Haman was riding Mordechai around Shushan, proclaiming “So shall be done to the man in the King’s liking,” there was a gallows erected with Mordechai’s name on it. Everyone who would see the gallows would know Mordechai was slated for hanging later that afternoon, and Mordechai wouldn’t look so great in the populous’ eyes, contrary to Achashveriosh’s wishes. Therefore, Haman’s construction of the gallows undermined the very orders the King handed him, and so he too was guilty of subverting a royal decree.
One might expect Charvona’s mention of the tree to remind Achashverosh that even Mordechai was, in truth, deserving of death. But instead, it only reminded Achashveirosh of Haman’s upstart attitude, his tendency to act on a whim without first consulting the higher authorities.
“VaYomeir Memuchan.” (1:16) Rav Kehana says: From here we see that upstart underlings [since Haman’s nickname, Memuchan, came last in the list of Paroh’s advisors] impatiently jump to the head [for Memuchan was the first to offer advice].
Meseches Megilah, 12b
The gemara asks, “why was Haman nicknamed Memuchan?” and answers, “because he was Muchan LiPuraniyos, prepared for woe.” From Haman’s very outset, the Megilah paints him a sloppy, haphazard, and assuming officer, always eager to act without conferring or consulting. Just as he jumps to deal with Achashveirosh’s marital and political issues, he later builds the gallows and then goes to inform the King of Mordechai’s disobedience. It is his presumptuous and arrogant tendencies that ultimately do him in, and it was Zeresh’s proposal to first make the tree (overnight) and then go inform the King (in the morning) so that he could arrive at Esther’s party at mental ease, instead of troubling himself to construct Mordechai’s gallows. Amazingly, the fatal flaw in Zeresh’s advice was her lack of uncertainty.
The more and more we analyze the scenarios of the Megilah, the more and more apparent it becomes that Chachmah is dependant not on one’s breadth of knowledge, but rather upon one’s recognition of what he doesn’t know.
But we still haven’t addressed any of our most pertinent questions. We can pretend to identify Chukim as the source of Chachmah, for we follow Chukim despite not understanding their benefits, and we thereby come to recognition of what we don’t know. But why should such behavior earn us respect in the Goyim’s eyes? And if Mordechai did possess this level of Chachmah, for he ultimately earns the respect of all the nations, then why didn’t he gain Haman’s respect too?
Looking again at the subtleties within Charvona’s appeal, we find a peculiar description of Mordechai. He is, again according to the Malbim, Asher Dibeir Tov Al HaMelech, the one who speaks good regarding the King (as opposed to the GR”A’s understanding of these words, that they refer to Haman’s intent to speak good, to pass the idea across to the King that morning). In other words, the Malbim clarifies, Mordechai should be favored because of his success as the King’s guardian. A few years back, Mordechai saved Achashveirosh from assassination at the hands of Bigsan and Seresh. Therefore, Achashveirosh can interpret Moerdechai’s refusal to stand and bow to Haman as an expression of his concern for the King’s life. Mordechai’s job, his orders from the King, was to guard the palace, to be Yosheiv BiSha’ar HaMelech, and so he couldn’t be expected to fulfill both ends of contradictory orders. Moreso, Mordechai chose well to put the King’s life in higher priority than Haman’s Kavod. All in all Mordechai’s actions, from Achashveirosh’s perspective, retain a notable level of consistency, and for that Mordechai is not only spared, but respected.
Such respect would be hard to earn from Haman, for Haman knew exactly why Mordechai refused to bow. Ki Higid LaHem Asher Hu Yihudi, Mordechai refused for religious reasons, out of an unwillingness to bow to Haman’s idol. However, only one generation back, when Nevuchadnetzar unveiled an idol of his own, all the Jews bowed to it, and so Haman became very frustrated at not only the attitude of Mordechai, but also the inconsistent practices of the Jewish nation as a whole. As the pasuk (3:6) states, it was not enough for Haman to harm Mordechai, for the servants had informed Haman of Mordechai’s nationality, and so Haman sought to destroy Mordechai’s entire nation.
The students of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai once asked [their teacher], “Why did all the Jews deserve destruction?” He replied, “You tell me,” to which they proposed, “Because they attended Achashveirosh’s party?” Rabbi Shmon responded, “But then only the Jews in Shushan should have been slated for annihilation?” to which the Talmidim exclaimed, “so you tell us.” Rabbi Shimon answered, “Because they all bowed down to [Nevuchadnetzar’s] idol.”
Meseches Megilah, 12a
At the very root of Chachmah lies consistency. Mordechai’s persistence to sit at his post – even though he was led around town on the King’s horse, once the reward ended he returned to the gates – earned him the respect of the King. He himself was consistent in his actions, and so there was no opening to indict him. And within his persistence and consistency is the wherewithal to never impulsively react to another’s emotions.
It gives new meaning to the concept Marbeh BiYishiva Marbeh BiChachmah, especially considering Mordechai was Yosheiv BiSha’ar HaMelech.
In retrospect, this is the very midah of Chachmah that Shlomo HaMelech so professionally exhibits. Two mothers apprach with heartfelt pleas, yet Shlomo remains calm enough to use their own emotions against them, instead of letting his own emotions get the better of him.
True Chachmah, unlike the advice of Zeresh, is divorced from the emotions that complement one’s perception of the law. We can keep a Chok because we don’t ask ourselves whether it makes sense. When our emotions determine our system of laws, we become estranged from the Chukim, and we also become inconsistent and hypocritical as our emotions and reactions vary from day to day. The Chukim, therefore, are our Chachmah and Binah, the anchor that makes us appear straight, steadfast, and consistent, in the eyes of the Goyim.
In contrast, there are other times when it is proper not to sit, proper to take action. When Mordechai discovers Haman’s plans to destroy Klal Yisrael, he immediately instructs Esther to entreat the King on behalf of her people (4:8). When Esther hesitates, Mordechai lashes, “U’Mi Yodei’ah Im LaEis KaZos HiGa’at LiMalchus, who knows whether it was for an opportunity like this that you ascended to royalty.” Mordechai seems certain that the proper plan of action is for Esther to get up and approach the King, even though she will be risking her life, even though he is uncertain himself whether this is Esther’s destiny. How then does Mordechai choose when to sit idly by and when to get up and take proactive force?
There is a clear distinction to be made between the impulsive reactions of a fool and those of a Tzadik like Mordechai HaYihudi. When Mordechai reacts, he acts in accordance with what he believes the Ratzon of Hashem to be. It was Haman’s desire that Mordechai bow, but Hashem’s desire that Mordechai not bow, and so Mordechai easily chose not to bow. But when Esther was sent to speak to the King, Mordechai was acting in hopes of fulfilling Hashem’s Ratzon, in hopes of preserving his nation’s existence and eradicating Amaleik from existence. Therefore, it was proper to react, for his reaction was not in accordance with another person’s desires, but rather in accordance with the Torah he fought so stalwartly to maintain.
And so when we keep our Torah, when we observe the Chukim as steadfastly as we legislate the Mishpatim, we establish a closer connection to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, thus furthering our spiritual growth, and bringing ourselves closer to our ultimate Geula. Even the Goyim recognize this incredible potential
Achashveirsoh sent for the sages of the Umos HaOlam, and they all came to him. He said to them: Should I eradicate this nation [the Jews] from the world? They immediately responded: How could you do so?!... [A]ll the other nations of the world are called Nochrim, foreigners, in front of Hashem, but Yisrael are called Krovim, relatives, as the pasuk (Tehilim 148:14) says “LiBnei Yisrael Am K’rovo…”
…[A]nd not only that, but no nation is closer to Hashem than Yisrael, as the pasuk (Devarim 4:7) says “Ki Mi Goi Gadol Asher Lo Elohim Kerovim Ailav KaHashem Elokeinu BiChol Kori’einu Ailav,” what other nation has a G-d as close to them as Hashem is to us when we call out to Him.”
Midrash Esther Rabbah, 7:13
Karov Hashem LiChol Kori’av LiChol Asher Yikrau’hu BiEmes
Tehilim, 145:18