Remember Purim, not so long ago? We celebrated Purim back in Adar. “Don’t you love the holiday of Purim? What a great time…” Definitely a highlight of the Jewish year.
What’s that got to do with Sivan? What’s it got to do with us right now?
Actually, a lot. Let me explain.
The story of Purim happened over a 13-year period. It was in the 12th year of Achashveirosh’s reign that the main story occurred. That’s when Haman hatched his evil plan, klal Yisrael fasted, Esther invited Achashveirosh and Haman to her party, Mordechai was paraded around Shushan, the second party, and Haman being hanged.
Then, Esther and Mordechai come begging the king to annul Haman’s decree. Haman was gone, but his decree to wipe out the Jews was still in effect, to be carried out the following Adar, 11 months later. Achashveirosh didn’t give permission to change anything until the 23rd of Sivan, almost two months later. That’s when Mordechai had the second set of letters written and sent out.
What took so long between Haman’s execution and Achashveirosh’s agreement to change his decree?
The m’farshim give different reasons. The Mei’am Loeiz brings that Mordechai didn’t want to pressure the king too much. Let him calm down a bit before asking for more favors. It would also give klal Yisrael more time for t’filah and t’shuvah.
The Vilna Gaon says that Mordechai wanted to wait for the original messengers who took Haman’s letter to return, and to then send the second letters with them immediately. This way, all the various rulers would receive the new orders from the same messengers who brought the first, and be convinced, this way, that the first message was truly a mistake.
I would like to offer another reason. The Gemara (Megillah 11a) brings the pasuk from the beginning of the Megillah: “hu Achashveirosh – he is Achashveirosh.” This hints to us that he was evil from his beginning through his end. A terrible rasha. He was very calculated, conceited, extremely suspicious of anyone he thought was against him, and was a proud member of the anti-Semite club. His underlying plot for the parties was to show off, and to lead the Jews to sin and be deserving of destruction. As soon as Haman made his offer to destroy klal Yisrael and pay for it, too, Achashveirosh rejected the money! He was thrilled to let Haman do the dirty work. The huge amount of money didn’t even appeal to him. The only reason Achashveirosh executed Haman, was because he suspected Haman of plotting to kill him!
As soon as that threat was removed, Achashveirosh was willing to ignore Esther’s Jewishness, and to have Mordechai the Jew be his loyal advisor. (Mordechai’s loyalty was proven a long time ago from the incident with Bigsan and Teresh.) However, to change Haman’s decree, for that he had no interest. As he explained to Mordechai and Esther, a royal Persian decree can’t be rescinded by Persian law, so sorry. He did not want to back down at all.
That is why he only allowed them to send out new letters on the 23rd of Sivan. It took that long to get him to agree. It took that much begging on Esther’s part, and that much t’filah and t’shuvah on klal Yisrael’s part to bring the change! For the anti-Semitic Achashveirosh to allow new letters to be sent, explaining that the first letters were simply an inaccurate and misunderstood error, and that these new letters were the true and accurate decree, this was nothing less than a major miracle! An even bigger neis than Haman’s execution.
Just to illustrate, it would be as if Hitler ym”sh would have executed Himmler or Eichmann and placed Rav Elchonon Wasserman Hy”d as the second-in-command of the Third Reich! And then allowing Rav Elchonon to pass any law he desired!
The 23rd of Sivan was the day of the neis, when Hashem’s great love for us was revealed! When we focus on this, it should bring an immense feeling of simchah! Hashem loves us and saves us at the darkest times with (seemingly natural) miracles!
Sefer M’kor Chayim (a grandson of the Maharal) says, to remember the Purim miracle and increase our simchah on this day, the 23rd of Sivan. There are even opinions to skip Tachanun on this day. (We do say it – ask your LOR).
Recognizing all the good that Hashem has done for us increases the power and potency of our prayers!
This year, the 23rd of Sivan is on Shabbos, Parshas Sh’lach. May the k’dushah of Shabbos and the great simchah of the Purim miracle, combined with our t’filos, be a time of salvation for all of klal Yisrael!
By Dovi Chaitovsky
