“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayikra-Zachor
12 Adar II 5784/ March 22, 2024
OFF
HIS HIGH HORSE
A friend who is a dentist gives mishloach manos full
of huge cavity-inducing candies… and a business card.
In truth, there is more of a connection between
rotted teeth and Purim than you may realize.
One of the beloved parts of the Purim
story is when Haman paraded Mordechai upon the king’s horse through the streets
of Shushan. As the procession passed Haman’s home, Haman’s daughter, confident
that her father was atop the horse with Mordechai being forced to lead it, cast
the family chamber-pot upon her father’s head. When Haman looked up to see who
had so shamed him, she recognized that it was her father, and she jumped to her
death.
If Haman was repeatedly calling out
“Such shall be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor”, how did his
daughter not recognize her father’s voice?
Earlier in the story, after Haman
conveyed to Achashveirosh his idea for how the king should bestow honor upon a
worthy dignitary, Achashveirosh instructed Haman to implement his own plan by
bestowing that honor upon Mordechai. Achashveirosh told him, “Take the royal
clothing and the royal horse as you have spoken, and do so to Mordechai the Jew
who sits at the king’s gate. Do not leave out anything from all that you have
spoken.”
What was added with the final words of
instruction not to leave out “anything from all that you have spoken”?
The Ben Ish Chai explains that Haman
had suggested to the king that the dignitary whom the king wishes to honor
should be honored in three ways – by wearing royal clothes, riding the royal
steed, and having another dignitary proclaim before him, “Such shall be done to
the man whom the king wishes to honor”.
Achashveirosh did not want Haman to be
like the vendors in the shuq (marketplace) who periodically call out
their products to inform every new wave of passersbys of what they are selling.
Rather, he wanted Haman to keep repeating the refrain over and over. As soon as
Haman completed saying it, he was to begin again. In this way, Mordechai would
be honored in all three ways throughout the entire procession.
This is why Achashveirosh added, “Do
not leave out anything from all that you have spoken”? If Haman would only call
out the refrain periodically, during lapses, Mordechai would not be receiving
the full tripartite honor that Haman had suggested.
Shushan was a large city with many
streets. If Haman was forced to keep repeating the same refrain loudly without
stopping, with time his voice invariably became strained. When the parade
neared Haman’s home, his daughter indeed did not recognize the tired, strained
voice of the person leading the horse. That was how she unwittingly dumped the
family refuse upon her father’s head.
So,
it turns out that Haman was thrown off his metaphoric high horse to lead an
actual royal horse before he himself became a little hoarse.
The Ben Ish Chai offers an additional
explanation as to why Achashveirosh added the final words of instruction, “Do
not leave out anything from all that you have spoken”.
Haman was an old man. [In Ta’ama
d’Kra, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, notes that Haman and Mordechai were both 95 years
old.] At that age, he was undoubtedly missing many or most of his teeth.
Without teeth, it’s challenging to enunciate certain letters, particularly the
letters ז, ס, ש,
ר,צ.
Achashveirosh understood that when
Haman would call out the words “Such shall be done to the man whom the king
wishes to honor” being that he lacked teeth, it would sound slurred and
unclear. No doubt that Haman would make sure to make it sound even more unclear
by purposely mumbling the words.[1]
There is one way to ensure that the
words will be clear, even without teeth. If one says the words slowly and
loudly, the words will be clear and understood.
Achashveirosh, therefore, warned Haman
to make sure that the words, literally, did not fall out of his mouth. Rather,
he should ensure to say each word slowly and clearly so everyone will
understand exactly what he is saying.
So Haman was not only smelly like a
horse and a little hoarse (or perhaps very hoarse), he was also toothless.
Perhaps it’s in commemoration of
Haman’s rotting teeth that children the world over have adopted the custom to
eat endless amounts of candy and sugar on Purim.
Still, we should remind our children
that as soon as Purim is over, they should make sure to brush their teeth.
After all, they definitely don’t want to end up as the wicked son at the Seder
whose teeth get blunted.
Shabbat Shalom
& Good Shabbos
Purim Sameiach
& Freilichen Purim,
R’ Dani
and Chani Staum
stamtorah@gmail.com
[1] I
have said this thought over at the Purim seudah. It is a lot of fun to demonstrate
this idea by covering your teeth with your lips and calling out “Such shall be
done to the man whom the king wishes to honor.” It’s especially fun after a few
cups of wine.