Daf Yomi - Megillah 12 - HASHEM WANTS OUR TEFILLOS

It is written in the Megillah [2:5]: There was a Jewish man in Shushan the capital, whose name was Mordechai, son of Yair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, from the tribe of Binyamin. The Gemora asks: What is the significance in mentioning all these names? The Gemora cites a braisa which states that all these names are in fact referring To Mordechai. He is called the son of Yair because he brightened the eyes of the Jewish people in prayer. He is referred to as the son of Shimei because Hashem listened to his prayers. He is called the son of Kish because he knocked on the Gates of Mercy and they were opened for him.

The Shem Meshmuel asks: According to this explanation, the phrases are seemingly in reverse order. First, one knocks on the Gates of Mercy, then Hashem would listen to his prayers and afterwards he would brighten the eyes of Klal Yisroel.

Rabbi Eliezer Ginzburg in his sefer, The King’s Treasures cites an important principle that was often said by the Mirrer Mashgiach, Reb Yerucham Levovitz.

The Medrash in Parshas Beshalach (61:5) states: Why did Hashem scare the Jewish people? The Medrash answers: Because Hashem desired their prayers. The Medrash is teaching us that the primary purpose behind the Splitting of the Sea was to stir Klal Yisroel to prayer.

Chazal (Yevamos 64) tell us that Hashem desires the prayers of the righteous. The Matriarchs were barren only so that they should pray to Hashem for children. Their desire for progeny caused the Matriarchs and the Patriarchs to pray to Hashem at a level that under normal circumstances they would not have done.

This can be said in regard to the hardships that happened to the Jewish people in Shushan. It was to chase away the spiritual gloom that comes with exile and to brighten the eyes of Klal Yisroel through tefillah. The phrases are thus arranged in levels of importance.

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Daf Yomi - Megillah 11 - VAYEHI CONVEYS ANGUISH

The Gemora begins discussing various verses in the Megillah. The Megillah begins: And it was in the days of Achashverosh. Rabbi Levi and according to others Rabbi Yochanan, said: This is a tradition that has been passed down from the men of the Great Assembly, that wherever it is written vayehi, (and it was), this introduces some disaster. Regarding the Megillah, there was Haman who wanted to destroy the Jews. The Gemora cites many other examples from Scriptures proving that vayehi introduces disaster.

The Pnei Yehoshua asks that there is a distinction between here and all the other places. All the places cited have the impending disaster written immediately after the word vayehi, but Haman’s decree against the Jewish people is not written until much later?

He answers that the root cause that brought about Haman’s decree was the fact that Klal Yisroel benefited from Achashverosh’s feast and that is written immediately after vayehi.

The Megillas S’tarim answers: The Gemora Pesachim (87b) states that Hashem does a kindness to Klal Yisroel by scattering them among the nations, so that if some of the nations make decrees against us or wish to destroy us, at least those of us living under other rulers will survive and Klal Yisroel will not be completely destroyed. Here, the anguish is immediate by the fact that Achashverosh ruled over the entire world and there was no safe haven.

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