The Secret of the Fall of Babylon: The Night History Changed

Lesson No. 237 | Cassette 237, Thursday, Parashas Pekudei, 2 Adar II 5760 - Lesson for the Shadarim Kollel of Bat Yam, at the home of the Rav within the Walls

On one fateful night, at the height of Belshazzar's feast, a mysterious inscription appeared on the wall that sealed the fate of the Babylonian Empire. How did the faith of Darius and Cyrus in the words of the prophet lead to a governmental revolution, and how, out of this upheaval, was Vashti saved, paving the way for the miracle of Purim?

King Belshazzar stood helpless and terrified before the frightening detached hand that wrote a mysterious message on the wall of his palace. None of his necromancers knew what to tell him or how to decipher the dreadful writing. The queen, who was wiser than Belshazzar, entered and told him, "There is one man in this kingdom for whom 'no secret is hidden'—his name is Daniel." Daniel's Babylonian name was also Belshazzar, named after the Babylonian idol "Bel," which was the most important name in Babylon. The queen reminded the king that his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, would always consult only with him, the chief of the magicians and astrologers, and she warned Belshazzar that his failure to consult with him would lead to his demise.

The Inscription on the Wall and Daniel's Rebuke

Daniel was brought before the king. Even though all the ministers and necromancers despised him for being from the exiles, he alone knew how to decipher the handwriting. Belshazzar promised him that if he succeeded in solving the mystery, he would be clothed in purple, a golden chain would be placed around his neck, and he would receive the authority to rule over a third of the kingdom.

Before solving the dream, Daniel began with a harsh rebuke to the king: "Your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar was turned into an animal for seven years because he did not listen to the voice of Hashem, and you, his grandson, have not humbled your heart! You dared to take out the vessels of the Holy Temple, you offended the honor of the King of Kings, and you wanted to show that you control the Temple vessels and that, as it were, the Holy Temple will never be rebuilt. Through this, you have angered the Creator of the world with an unforgivable wrath. You gave honor to gods of silver, gold, wood, and stone, and you forgot the God who created you and gave you the authority to rule the world."

Afterward, Daniel interpreted the inscription that emerged from Heaven:

"Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin"

"Mene" – Hashem has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. "Tekel" – You have been weighed in the balances and found completely lacking, devoid of any merit. "Upharsin" – Tonight your kingdom is divided, and it will be given to the kings of Media and Persia.

The Assassination Under the Cover of Darkness

Belshazzar, out of fear, immediately commanded that his promise be fulfilled and that Daniel be clothed in purple. He hoped that if he could just make it through this night safely, perhaps the vision would be nullified and he would not be killed. However, he did not know that his bodyguards, the security men standing by his side, were Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian.

The moment they heard Daniel's prophecy, they understood everything. Cyrus hinted to Darius and said, "This is the moment! Here the prophet stands before us and prophesies that today we are receiving the kingdom." Immediately, they threw a stone at the chandelier in the hall. The light went out, and under the cover of the ensuing darkness, they struck Belshazzar on the head with a dagger and killed him.

The Faith of the Kings of Media and Persia in the Prophet

After they relit the lamp, a noble argument developed between Darius and Cyrus—who would sit on the royal throne and be crowned first? Darius said to Cyrus, "Isaiah the prophet prophesied about you: 'Thus says Hashem to His anointed, to Cyrus'; therefore, I want you to be the first king."

But Cyrus, out of common decency and mutual respect, refused and said, "The prophet Daniel just said: 'And given to Media and Persia.' He placed Media before Persia, and according to the words of the prophet, you should sit on the throne." Thus, they had a simple and strong faith in every word of a prophet. Darius accepted the verdict, wrapped himself in the cloak of the slain Belshazzar, placed the crown on his head, and sat upon the royal throne.

The Rescue of Vashti and the Beginning of the Megillah Story

Immediately upon ascending to power, Darius gave an order to his soldiers and bodyguards to begin eliminating all the Chaldeans and Babylonians who were in the hall. Amidst the chaos and the massacre, Vashti, who was then a young girl, the daughter of Belshazzar, began to run in panic. She did not understand what was happening around her.

In the ensuing confusion, she saw Darius sitting on the royal throne and thought it was her father, as she did not know they had already managed to kill him in the darkness. She leaped into Darius's arms. Darius decided to save her, hid her under his cloak, and later arranged a shidduch (marriage match) and married her off to Ahasuerus, who was also present there at that event. Thus, out of the destruction of the Babylonian Empire, the threads of Divine Providence began to weave together, leading to the miracle of Purim.

Part 1 of 2 — Lesson No. 237

Next Part ←

All parts: Part 1 (current) | Part 2