Sunday's Pre-Purim Treat

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Daniel Glatstein in a shiur on Torah Anytime (https://torahanytime.com/lectures/433051) on Purim last week. This is not a literal transcription but just a summary of some of the shiur that I found meaningful. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Glatstein.

The Megillah states in Esther 1:4 בְּהַרְאֹת֗וֹ אֶת־עֹ֨שֶׁר֙ כְּב֣וֹד מַלְכוּת֔וֹ וְאֶ֨ת־יְקָ֔ר תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת גְּדוּלָּת֑וֹ יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים שְׁמוֹנִ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת יֽוֹם. The Gemara states that Achasveros wore the clothing of the Kohain Gadol. But why would he need to wear the Kohain Gadol's clothing at his party?

The Megillah has more descriptions of what occurred at the party as it states in Esther 1:6 -ח֣וּר כַּרְפַּ֣ס וּתְכֵ֗לֶת אָחוּז֙ בְּחַבְלֵי־ב֣וּץ וְאַרְגָּמָ֔ן עַל־גְּלִ֥ילֵי כֶ֖סֶף וְעַמּ֣וּדֵי שֵׁ֑שׁ מִטּ֣וֹת | זָהָ֣ב וָכֶ֗סֶף עַ֛ל רִֽצְפַ֥ת בַּֽהַט־וָשֵׁ֖שׁ וְדַ֥ר וְסֹחָֽרֶת. These are thirteen fine items which are identified in detail. But why do we need to know these items?

The Megillah also mentions the drinking in Esther 1: 8 -וְהַשְּׁתִיָּ֥ה כַדָּ֖ת אֵ֣ין אֹנֵ֑ס which the Yalkut Shemoni explains that the banquet followed the laws of Jewish meals - that you should eat more than you drink. This applies to sacrifices as well. Why did Achasveros care about the rules of Jewish meals? R' Glatstein said that this question was asked by R' Mordechai Kaminetsky in his sefer.

R' Glatstein had an additional question -  the Megillah states at Esther 1:14 the names of the seven advisors - וְהַקָּרֹ֣ב אֵלָ֗יו כַּרְשְׁנָ֤א שֵׁתָר֙ אַדְמָ֣תָא תַרְשִׁ֔ישׁ מֶ֥רֶס מַרְסְנָ֖א מְמוּכָ֑ן שִׁבְעַ֞ת שָׂרֵ֣י פָּרַ֣ס וּמָדַ֗י. R' Glatstein noted that the Gemara teaches that each of these seven names were raised by the angels to Hashem as they were emblematic of sacrifices brought by the Jews.

R' Glatstein noted that Achasveros on multiple occasions offered Esther up to half of his kingdom, but not all of his kingdom. The Gemara explains that this meant to exclude the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash. But why would he even think that she cared about it or was connected to it? [R' Glatstein quipped - for all he knew, Esther was from North Korea]. And since the party was based on his calculation that the prophecy was wrong as 70 yrs expired and the Beis HaMikdash was not rebuilt, why was this even something that he was thinking about?

R' Glatstein quoted the Nesivos HaMishpat who noted that when Migdal Bavel was built, it was meant to challenge Kedusha. If there is a city or a place that has holiness, there must be an equal and opposite force of Tumah. That was also the plan of Achasveros. He knew that once the Beis HaMikdash was built he would lose all import. This is why when the Megillah begins, it states וַיְהִ֖י בִּימֵ֣י אֲחַשְׁוֵר֑וֹשׁ . He is not called King, he is just called by his first name, because he was worried that the Beis HaMikdash would be rebuilt. So he comes up with a plan - I will make Shushan HaBirah which will counteract the Beis HaMikdash which was called HaBirah.

This was the reason for his great banquet - he wanted to mimic the Beis HaMikdash with Tumah. He wore the garments of the Kohain Gadol and utilized thirteen ingredients as listed in Esther 1:6. The Torah in Parshas Terumah also quotes 13 items that were used in the creation of the Mishkan. R' Eliyahu HaKohain of Izmir states that Achasveros was trying to mimic the Beis Hamikdash. And this is why he used the protocol of sacrifices that the food needed to exceed drink by Jewish law.

R' Eliyahu HaKohain M'Izmir said that this is why the angels mentioned to Hashem the seven aspects of the Karbanos. They were saying to Hashem, there is no way that Achasveros can counter the acts of the Jews.

This is also why he counted 70 years and did not want to celebrate until he had calculated that the time had expired. Because every night he had nightmares that the Beis HaMikdash would be rebuilt and that he would just be Achasveros and not the king.

R' Glatstein then asked - why is it that Achasveros wanted the party to last 180 days? Was it ten times chai because he saw the donations to the local shuls? And then even after the 180 days were up he added another 7 days - as if someone had donated 187 to a yeshiva? And at the end of these seven days he asked Vashti to come out, but she refused. So what did he do when he had a problem with his wife? He went to לַֽחֲכָמִ֖ים יֹֽדְעֵ֣י הָֽעִתִּ֑ים. Why did he go to star gazers? Because he wanted to make sure that his calculations were correct. In fact he had concerns that maybe the 70 years should be from Nissan, so he added another 180 days from Rosh Hashana to get him to Nissan. And then the party started in earnest, but even then Vashti did not come out to him and then he had concerns - maybe it was a leap year and it was not Nissan [R' Glatstein quoted R' Yonasan Aibshetz for this].

This explains Achasveros' fascination or fixation on all things related to the Beis HaMikdash. He wore the clothing of the Kohain Gadol and used the implements of the Beis HaMikdash. Its no coincidence that during the weeks leading up to Purim we learn about the construction of the Mishkan and the clothing of the Kohanim, because learning about them is like we built them. This is also why we give our Shekalim before Haman's. But why do we care about his Shekalim? The Nesivos explains that Haman too was trying to counteract our Kedusha with Tumah.

This is based on the principle that everything that Tumah tries to counteract everything that has Kedusha. But is also means that every item of Tumah can have a level of Kedusha which opposes it.

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