Haman in His Downfall Tries the Tricks of a Reform Rabbi

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Reform Rabbis in general have a left-wing agenda at the outset and then try to push a square peg into a round hole by distorting Biblical verses to fit whatever left-wing values they are trying to push.

Haman when he thought he was losing to Mordechai tried the same trick. Namely, he tried to distort a Biblical verse to gain mercy from Mordechai when the Bible demands the opposite.

The following translation is based on the Sefaria.org translation of Tractate Megilla page 16a which in the end describes Haman’s attempt to “trick” Mordechai by distorting the book of Proverbs (Mishlei) chapter 24 verse 17.

 

Haman said to him: Stand up, put on these garments and ride on this horse, for the king wants you to do so. Mordechai said to him: I cannot do so until I enter the bathhouse [bei vanei] and trim my hair, for it is not proper conduct to use the king’s garments in this state that I am in now.

 

In the meantime, Esther sent messengers and closed all the bathhouses and all the shops of the craftsmen, including the bloodletters and barbers. When Haman saw that there was nobody else to do the work, he himself took Mordechai into the bathhouse and washed him, and then he went and brought scissors [zuza] from his house and trimmed his hair. While he was trimming his hair he injured himself and sighed. Mordechai said to him: Why do you sigh? Haman said to him: The man whom the king had once regarded above all his other ministers is now made a bathhouse attendant [balanei] and a barber. Mordechai said to him: Wicked man, were you not once the barber of the village of Kartzum? If so, why do you sigh? You have merely returned to the occupation of your youth. It was taught in a baraita: Haman was the barber of the village of Kartzum for twenty-two years.

 

After Haman trimmed his hair, Haman dressed Mordechai in the royal garments. Haman then said to him: Mount the horse and ride. Mordechai said to him: I am unable, as my strength has waned from the days of fasting that I observed. Haman then stooped down before him and Mordechai ascended on him. As he was ascending the horse, Mordechai gave Haman a kick. Haman said to him: Is it not written for you: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls” (Proverbs 24:17)? Mordechai said to him: This statement applies only to Jews, but with regard to you it is written: “And you shall tread upon their high places” (Deuteronomy 33:29).

Seforno: One who is Zealous for the Honor of His Creator Will Rejoice When He Sees the Downfall of an Enemy of Israel

Seforno commenting on the Biblical verse Exodus 18:9 “And Yitro (Jethro) rejoiced over all the goodness that Hashem did for Israel that he saved the nation (lit. him) from the hand of Egypt”, informs us that Yitro’s reaction was flawed. He did not rejoice over the destruction of Egypt as is fitting for someone who is zealous for the honor of his Creator, in accordance with the concept, “Let the righteous rejoice when he sees vengeance” (Psalms 58:11) but just rejoiced over the good that came to Israel as someone who has mercy on account of the tears of the oppressed.

Indeed on the Holiday of Purim after reading from the Megilla we don’t just bless the servants of Hashem that led to our salvation, but we also make a point of cursing Haman and Zeresh and their supporters and we thank Hashem for the vengeance brought upon our adversaries.

Quote from https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/category/zemanim/05-15/

13. Taking Revenge on Haman and His Ten Sons

The execution of Haman and his ten sons is an integral part of the Megilla, for it confirms that justice was done and the wicked people who rose up against the nation of Israel were punished and put to death. Anyone who rises up against Israel, God’s nation, is in effect rebelling against God, Creator and Sustainer of the world, and – according to strict justice – deserves total annihilation. Several laws demonstrate the special significance of killing Haman and his sons.

First, the passage describing the execution of Haman’s ten sons is written in the Megilla in the format of a song. However, this format is unlike the format that appears in other biblical songs, such as the Song at the Sea, where the words and spaces are interwoven. The execution of Haman’s sons, in contrast, is written in a straight and organized fashion. On every line, one word is written on each of the two ends, with a space left in the middle. Thus, the names of the ten sons are written on the right side and the Hebrew word et, which connects the names, is written repeatedly on the left side (Megilla 16b, sa 691:3). The explanation is as follows. The purpose of all other songs is to convey the extent of the salvation that Israel experienced; therefore, they are written in a spacious and expansive format. The song describing the execution of Haman’s sons, however, expresses the joy we feel over the fact that they were utterly destroyed and that strict justice was meted out; therefore, it is written in a closed, linear style (Maharal, Or Ĥadash 9:10).

One must make an effort to read all the names in a single breath, to demonstrate that their souls departed from their bodies simultaneously. If one fails to do this, he has nonetheless fulfilled his obligation, be-di’avad. The letter vav in the name Vaizata is written higher than the other letters, to teach that Haman’s sons were all hanged together (Megilla 16b; sa 690:15, 691:4). The point is that the foundation of Israel’s faith is the existence of one God. The Amalekites oppose this belief and hate the Jews. Thus, when they are eliminated, God’s oneness is revealed to the world. Therefore, when Haman’s sons were punished, they died as one, since their deaths confirmed our belief in God’s oneness (Maharal, loc. cit.).

After the Megilla reading, one must recite, “Cursed is Haman, blessed is Mordechai; cursed is Zeresh, blessed is Esther; cursed are all the wicked people, blessed are all the righteous people; and Ĥarvona, too, is remembered for good (y. Megilla 3:7; sa 690:16).

In the time of the Rishonim, a custom began to spread among both the children and the adults, to bang on a surface when Haman’s name is read. Apparently, they wanted to express their hatred for wicked people and their joy over their downfall. Even though there is no source for this practice, Rema writes, “One should not abolish or deride any custom, for it was not established for naught” (690:17). However, some Rishonim disregard the custom, and some Aĥaronim even oppose it, because the noise is liable to prevent the listeners from fulfilling their obligation to read the Megilla (as explained above in section 10). In practice, one may continue following the custom of “beating” Haman, as long as it is assured that everyone can hear the entire Megilla properly.