What is the significance

miami85

Wed, Mar 01 2023, 9:16 pm

b.chadash wrote:

Listen to the shiur called PurimFest1946 by Rabbi Glatstein.

I don't think he is the originator of it, it is a classic Discovery seminar, though his father worked for Discovery/Aish HaTorah so he probably has the same sources.

But yes, I heard it at a Discovery seminar and had the same question and was blown away by the shiur.

The basic idea is you read the 10 sons of Haman and then "The King" asks Esther "What do you want" and she says "hang the ten sons of Haman"--and the p'shat is that Esther asked for these corpses to remain hanging, but it does seem like a strange request. If you notice carefully it says "Hamelech" and not "Achashverosh" so really what seems to be happening is that Esther is davening for the Jewish people in the future. The small letters end up being the year that "Purimfest" or the Eichmann trials took place--or even more specifically the sentencing. The Big Vav at the beginning of one of the words corresponds to WHICH "Taf, shin, zayin" in history and there were 10 men hanged as part of that trial. There was an 11th man who also died which corresponds to Haman's daughter, and he was allegedly found to be a transvestite.

watergirl

Wed, Mar 01 2023, 9:17 pm

It’s a nevuah. It’s the year 1946. It says in the megillah the names of Haman’s sons who were hanged and then Esther asks for them to be hanged again in the future. This seemingly doesn't make sense…. But - the small letters are the year 1946 - ie it corresponds to the year of the Nuremberg trials. His sons were hanged again in Germany.

Read this.
https://www.thetorah.com/artic.....haman

ETA - I see I cross posted with a few others!

Last edited by watergirl on Wed, Mar 01 2023, 9:27 pm; edited 1 time in total

b.chadash

Wed, Mar 01 2023, 9:21 pm

miami85 wrote:

Rabbi Michiel Ber Weissmandel was the one who "discovered" the code.
I remembering reading about this as a kid.
Rabbi Glatstien takes it much further.

b.chadash

Wed, Mar 01 2023, 9:23 pm

It makes one wonder...how did all the Rabbis deal with the small letters prior to the year 1946? They probably didn't. And yet, this tradition was faithfully passes down through the ages. It's really remarkable.