Introduction: The Power of Haman’s Speech
The Rabbi opens by citing the Gemara in Megillat Esther (13b), stating that no one knew how to speak Lashon Hara (slander) as effectively as Haman. The sermon analyzes the dialogue between Haman and King Ahasuerus. Haman identifies a spiritual weakness in the Jewish people ("they are sleeping from the Mitzvot") and offers the King an astronomical sum—10,000 silver talents—to destroy them.
The Gemara (Resh Lakish) teaches that God foresaw Haman weighing out silver to destroy Israel, and therefore, He preemptively commanded Israel to bring their Shekels (the Half-Shekel donation for the Temple) to counter Haman’s money. The central question of the sermon is: What is the intrinsic connection between Haman’s money and the Mitzvah of the Half-Shekel? How does a small donation save the nation from a decree of annihilation?
1. Haman and Ahasuerus: The Market of Nations
The Rabbi explains that Haman and Ahasuerus represent the ultimate realization of the "Kingdom" (Malchut) as an economic power.
The Transaction: The Midrash describes Haman as the "Head of Buyers" and Ahasuerus as the "Head of Sellers." They treated the Jewish people not as human beings or a spiritual entity, but as a commodity to be traded.
The Concept of Money: The Rabbi delves into a philosophical definition of money. Individuals naturally trade in barter (goods for goods) based on immediate need. However, "Money" (Kesef) is a creation of the Kingdom/State. It is an abstract representation of value that allows for commerce beyond need.
The Danger: In a barter economy, one stops acquiring when needs are met. In a monetary economy, the desire is for Me'od (excess/more). There is no limit to the accumulation of money. Haman represents a worldview where everything—even a people—has a price tag and can be liquidated.
2. The Decree: Israel as a Commodity
The verse in Esther states, "For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed." The Rabbi notes that the decree of annihilation was framed as a business transaction. From the perspective of the nations of the world (represented by Haman), Israel is just another distinct group of individuals that can be bought, sold, or discarded if the price is right. The sale "took hold" (Chala) in the geopolitical reality because Israel had essentially allowed themselves to be viewed as disparate individuals rather than a unified whole.
3. The Counter-Weight: The Secret of the Half-Shekel
God’s cure for Haman’s "10,000 talents" was the Mitzvah of Machatzit HaShekel (The Half-Shekel).
Why Half? The Torah commands that the rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less. Everyone gives exactly half.
The Message: The coin symbolizes that the individual Jew is never complete on his own. He is only a "half." He only achieves validity and wholeness when joined with another, and ultimately, when joined with the entire Tzibbur (Collective/Community).
The Spiritual Economics: Haman tried to buy Israel as a collection of individuals (commodities). The Half-Shekel demonstrates that Israel cannot be bought or counted as individuals. Their value exists only in their unity. When Israel creates a Tzibbur—a collective entity—they move to a spiritual plane where Haman’s money has no value and cannot touch them.
4. Esau vs. Jacob: "Plenty" vs. "All"
The Rabbi traces this conflict back to the forefathers:
Esau (Edom/Haman): Says "Yesh Li Rav" ("I have plenty"). This represents quantity, multiplicity, and the accumulation of distinct items/assets. It is the philosophy of the separate individual amassing power.
Jacob (Israel): Says "Yesh Li Kol" ("I have everything/all"). This represents wholeness and unity. Jacob does not seek an accumulation of parts, but a unified completeness.
5. Conclusion: The Definition of a "Great Nation"
The sermon concludes by explaining the verse: "For who is a great nation that has a God so close to it, as the Lord our God is whenever we call to Him?"
The Contradiction: The Gemara asks why the verse implies God is close "whenever" we call, while elsewhere it says God is found only at specific times ("Seek God when He is found").
The Resolution: God is accessible to the individual only at specific times. However, for the Great Nation (the collective Tzibbur), God is accessible whenever we call.
The Lesson:
Haman’s decree was based on the premise that the Jews were scattered and distinct individuals (and thus purchasable). The salvation of Purim comes from the realization of the Half-Shekel: that no Jew is an island. By negating the ego and merging into the collective of Klal Yisrael, the people become a singular entity that cannot be "bought" or destroyed by any worldly power. The unity of the collective is the ultimate defense against the "Kingdom of Edom."
