Sunday, February 18, 2007

Megilla 11a - A Man and Not a King

R' Nachman B' Yitzchok opened his drasha on the megillah by citing the pasuk that praises Hashem for protecting us when a "man" stood against us - A man and not a king. Simply, the praise to Hashem is that the main antagonist of the Jews was Haman rather than Achashveirosh, so that when the tables were flipped, they were easily flippable. I thought that perhaps this can be explained based on the gemara in gittin 56a when R' Yochanan B' Zakai greeted the general sent to take siege on Yerushalaim by saying sholom aleicha malka. The general responded, first of all I am not a king, and if I am a king, why didn't you come until now. R' Yochanan says back that you must be a king (or at least will be a king), bec. if you were not a king Hashem would not give Yerushalaim into your hands. Hashem will not degrade the Jewish people by allowing a "nobody" to destroy them, rather, their enemy will always be someone of stature. Based on this R' Nachman's drasha was to praise Hashem that it was only Haman who stood up against the Jews rather than a king, bec. if it were a king then the gezeira may have been carried out, but bec. it was a man, not a king, it was impossible for the Jews to be given in his hands.

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