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Thought for the Day: Purim -- Using Happenstance to Reveal Hashgacha

I highly, highly recommend that before hearing M'gilas Esther this year, you learn these two ma'amarim in Michtvav mei'Eliyahu, vol 2, pps 128-130; v'ne'hapoch hu (and it's reversed) and inyan hipuch (on the topic of reversal).  They will stand you on your head!

R' Dessler notes several examples of the extreme precision with which Haman's plans are not merely thwarted, they are reversed (with extreme prejudice).  Haman plans to have all the Jews destroyed; BANG -- on that very day, the Jews, in fact, destroy all their enemies.  Haman plans to hang Mordechai; BANG -- on that very day Haman is forced to honor Mordechai.  Haman prepares the gallows on which Mordechai is to be hung; BANG -- Haman is hung on that very gallows.

The Maharal explains that it had to be that way.  Haman was attempting the destroy Klal Yisrael, the Am Nitzchi (the eternal nation), the nation whose existence is guaranteed and ensured by the Creator of the Universe Himself.  Throw a projectile at an impenetrable and invincible barrier, that projectile will reverse direction and come directly back at you with the the same force with which it was launched.  (That's known as Newton's Third Law to nerds of the west.)  HaShem wanted Klal Yisrael to have absolute clarity on their mission and destiny, so he created a very powerful enemy and let him loose... specifically so the whole world could see his plans -- all of his plans -- reverse back on himself.  Hang on, though, we're just warming up.

Not only did Haman's plans come back against him -- he was the one who turned them around!  Haman (who was also known as M'muchan) suggested the plan to depose Vashti and which led to Esther becoming queen.  Haman himself told the king how to honor one whom the king wishes to honor.  Haman himself prepared the gallows on which he would be hung.  When Haman sent his servants, the medrash to find a plank 50 amos long, they opined that there was only one such plank in the whole land... it was the main support beam of Haman's palace! (Yalkut Esther 1059)  Haman ordered that his palace be dismantled and, just to be 100% sure, he measured it length with his own body to confirm it was the correct length to hang its intended victim.  At that point the archangel Gavriel exclaimed, "Golly gee willikers!  So that's why we needed a 50 amah plank to be ready since the six days of creation!"

See?  You really need to learn that ma'amar.  The punch line?  Haman was hung on the 16th of Nissan.  The representative of the the nation who denies any deviation from nature, and is mossar nefesh to defend that belief, was killed on the day when puts everything aside to bring the korbon omer -- two quarts of freshly cut (even on Shabbos) barley -- to celebrate that there is no such thing as nature.

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