{"id":5920,"date":"2010-02-15T13:00:13","date_gmt":"2010-02-15T11:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=5920"},"modified":"2018-02-26T09:52:30","modified_gmt":"2018-02-26T07:52:30","slug":"05-15-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-15-13\/","title":{"rendered":"13. Taking Revenge on Haman and His Ten Sons"},"content":{"rendered":"

The execution of Haman and his ten sons is an integral part of the Megilla<\/em>, 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\u2019s nation, is in effect rebelling against God, Creator and Sustainer of the world, and \u2013 according to strict justice \u2013 deserves total annihilation. Several laws demonstrate the special significance of killing Haman and his sons.<\/p>\n

First, the passage describing the execution of Haman\u2019s ten sons is written in the Megilla <\/em>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\u2019s 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<\/em>, which connects the names, is written repeatedly on the left side (Megilla<\/em> 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\u2019s 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 \u0124adash<\/em> 9:10).<\/p>\n

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\u2019avad<\/em>. The letter vav<\/em> in the name Vaizata is written higher than the other letters, to teach that Haman\u2019s sons were all hanged together (Megilla<\/em> 16b; sa 690:15, 691:4). The point is that the foundation of Israel\u2019s faith is the existence of one God. The Amalekites oppose this belief and hate the Jews. Thus, when they are eliminated, God\u2019s oneness is revealed to the world. Therefore, when Haman\u2019s sons were punished, they died as one, since their deaths confirmed our belief in God\u2019s oneness (Maharal, loc<\/em>. cit.<\/em>).<\/p>\n

After the Megilla<\/em> reading, one must recite, \u201cCursed is Haman, blessed is Mordechai; cursed is Zeresh, blessed is Esther; cursed are all the wicked people, blessed are all the righteous people; and \u0124arvona, too, is remembered for good (y. Megilla<\/em> 3:7; sa 690:16).<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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, \u201cOne should not abolish or deride any custom, for it was not established for naught\u201d (690:17). However, some Rishonim disregard the custom, and some A\u0125aronim even oppose it, because the noise is liable to prevent the listeners from fulfilling their obligation to read the Megilla<\/em> (as explained above in section 10). In practice, one may continue following the custom of \u201cbeating\u201d Haman, as long as it is assured that everyone can hear the entire Megilla<\/em> properly.[18]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n[18]<\/a>. This custom is more prevalent in Ashkenazic communities. However, Maharil did not follow it. In our community of Har Bracha, we conduct two minyanim<\/em> on Purim night. In the main minyan<\/em>, the congregants stomp once with their feet each time \u201cHaman\u201d is read, causing almost no delays. At the yeshiva, the students \u201cbeat\u201d Haman extensively. During the day, the entire community reads the Megilla<\/em> together with the yeshiva students, and people bang minimally. (See above, n. 5, where we cited authorities who maintain that the requirement to read the Megilla<\/em> in front of a multitude of people applies primarily to the daytime reading.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s nation, is in effect rebelling against God, Creator […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-05-15"],"yoast_head":"\n13. 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