by Moshe Dovid Berkovits

The Miracles of Purim 

The Midrash says Achashverosh was unable to fall asleep, as he had dreamt Haman was standing over him with a drawn sword intending to kill him. He interpreted this to mean that Haman wanted to become king. However, even though he was suspicious, he found it hard to believe. The Iben Ezra says that Achashverosh called for the record books, as he thought maybe he was suffering as a punishment for not keeping an oath he pledged to someone, so he wanted to double check.

The Malbim raises two interesting points here in the Pasuk. First of all, he asks why in one verse we read Bigtana Va’Teresh, yet in another verse we read, Bigtan Va’Teresh? He then says there were two separate Royal books, the Sefer HaZichronot and Divrei HaYamim, which was the official chronicle of the nation’s history kept by the viceroy. The Sefer HaZichronot was the king’s personal diary and only he had access to it. Hashem put into him the idea that he might sleep if both records were brought and read to him. The Malbim continues that many years passed since the plot, and all Achashverosh remembered was what Esther had told him, and since Haman was responsible for him getting such a wife, he must be very loyal, so he became viceroy as a reward. Achashverosh also reasoned that Haman made the plot originally and informed Esther and this indirectly saved his life. As soon as Haman came to power, he re-wrote the whole Divrei Hayamim in his name, including this incident, to secure his favor in the king’s eyes (despite the fact that it was a complete forgery of course). When the king heard what Haman had done and written his mind began to cast doubts whether Haman was loyal or traitorous. As he began to put his dream together with his new information, he began to think Haman wanted to overthrow him, and just then Haman came in. Achashverosh wanted Mordechai honored, but didn’t say so, he wanted to hear what Haman would say. When he said, “Let the man wear the crown”… his idea of Haman being a possible traitor became a serious possibility. When it came to the feast of Esther the next day, Achashverosh became willing to accept Esther’s claim not as farfetched, but as a true reality, and when he found out about the gallows, Haman was found guilty and hanged.  

After all we have learnt, we now can answer the supposedly difficult question, about the different spellings of Bitan and Teresh. When the Megillah writes Bigtan Va’Teresh, one can assume it’s because it’s from Haman’s forged version of the Divrei Hayamim. When we say Bigtana Va’Teresh this is the true account written in the Sefer HaZichrono. We learn here of Hashem’s interaction in the precise time. When Haman had built the gallows intending to kill Mordechai Hashem immediately gave Achashverosh the dream which shook his faith in Haman. When he heard what Mordechai did for him, Mordechai became the king’s favorite, and Haman’s decline to eventual disgrace and death followed swiftly. This was the crucial moment in the Megillah.