Dvar Torah on Purim "Significance of the Tree upon which Haman was hanged"
Today, Purim Koton, is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shimon Schwab zt"l, (b. 1908 - d. 1995). Following the daily halachos is a short Dvar Torah on Purim by Rav Schwab, in honor of his Yahrtzeit. May the neshama of Rav Shimon ben Hachover R' Yehudah a"h have an aliyah .
On Purim in "Al Hanisim" we mention regarding Haman and his sons "They hanged him and his sons on a tree". According to the Megillah only Haman died by hanging, while his sons were all killed by sword the following year on the 13th of Adar, and as instructed by Esther their bodies were hanged from the tree together with Haman's body. What is the significance of this tree?
Rav Schwab a"h suggests that it has it's origin in the statement by the Gemara in Chullin 139b "Haman min Hatorah minayin?", Where does Haman appear in the Torah? The answer given is that after Adam ate from the forbidden fruit of the Eitz Hada'as Hashem asked him "Hamin Ha'eitz?", Did you eat from the tree which I commanded you not to eat? Taken simply the word Hamin is made up of the letters Hey, Mem and Nun, which also spell Haman.
However, the deeper meaning is this; The most heinous crime imaginable is genocide, the murder of an entire race of people. The most egregious form of this crime is when it is directed against Klal Yisroel, the chosen nation, as was attempted by Haman. On the other hand, the smallest aveirah, which one could argue is no sin at all, is that which Adam and Chavah did by eating of the Eitz Hada'as. Inasmuch as their motivation was to "become like G-d", and to raise themselves toward the level of Hashem, we may conclude that this was the most exalted form of sin ever committed. Nevertheless, they committed the first aveirah and all other sins of the human race are as a result of this first sin.
The desire for the most idealistic aveirah escalated in their offspring, step by step, until it eventually reached the worst of all sins, that which was contemplated by Haman; "To destroy, to slay, and to exterminate all the Jews". The worst aveirah has it's origin in the slightest aveirah. This is what the Gemara means when it says: "Haman min Hatorah minayin? - Hamin Ha'eitz". Therefore, the hanging of Haman and his ten sons on the tree symbolically conveys the idea that the wickedness of Haman and his sons is attributable to the "tree".
Rav Schwab on Prayer pg 526
Dvar Torah - Purim; "A hidden miracle"
The Megillah (2:21) tells the story of Bigsan and Seresh who plotted to assassinate King Achashverosh, and were overheard by Mordechai, and subsequently put to death. Several years later Achashverosh awoke one night and asked to have the royal historian read back this incident to him. (Megillah 6:2) The possuk says: "And it was found to be written that Mordechai told on Bigsana and Seresh". Upon hearing this, Achashverosh determined to give Mordechai a great reward and honor for saving his life. Two questions; Why does the Megillah call Bigsan "Bigsana"? Secondly, why did Achashverosh not reward Mordechai for saving his life at the time of the incident?
The Midrash Talpiyos (Os 1) answers that in fact when the incident first occurred, Mordechai overheard Bigsan and Seresh plotting. However, he was unable to discern which of the two was the instigator. Acashverosh truly only wanted to put the instigator to death, but out of doubt killed them both. Therefore, at the time, Mordechai was the cause of one of them being put to death unnecessarily, and was unworthy of honor and reward in the eyes of Achashverosh. The royal scribe recorded the plotter as being "Bigsan oy Seresh" - with the word "oy" (meaning "or") between their names.
Years later, at the appropriate time, Hashem made a miracle and the two letters of the word "oy", Aleph and Vav, split apart, with the Aleph attaching itself to the end of Bigsan, becoming Bigsana, and the Vav attaching itself to the beginning of Seresh, becoming V'Seresh, meaning "and Seresh". When the royal scribe read back the incident to Achashverosh, it read that both Bigsan and Seresh had equally plotted and instigated the attempted murder, thereby entitling Mordechai to honor and reward. Inasmuch as he had not been rewarded at the time of the incident, Achashverosh determined to grant him the honor now.
This also explains the wording of the possuk: "It was found to be written", as it was not originally written as later read back. It was only found this way by the hidden miracle of Hashem.
