The Secret of the Kometz HaMincha: The Power That Cancels All Decrees

Class No. 234 | Cassette 234 Monday, Parashas Vayakhel, the eve of 23 Adar I 5760 - Engagement at the home of the Rav Thursday, Parashas Vayakhel, the eve of 26 Adar I 5760 - Ohr HaTorah Yeshiva at the home of the Rav

The wicked Haman believed that with the histalkus (passing away) of Moshe Rabbeinu and the destruction of the Holy Temple, the Jewish people were left defenseless. However, Mordechai the Jew knew the true secret to canceling evil decrees: gathering tens of thousands of children to learn Torah with mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice), knowing that their handful of meal offering defeated all of Haman's wealth and power.

It is a terrible mistake to think that the story of the Megillah took place in the month of Adar. The true story of the Megillah began in Nissan. The decree was issued on the 13th of Nissan, and on the 14th, 15th, and 16th of Nissan, the fasts and Esther's banquet took place.

The wicked Haman believed that since Moshe Rabbeinu had passed away from the world, there was no one to protect the Jewish people. He tested all the months through a lottery, until he discovered that Moshe died in Adar, and concluded that this was the most opportune month to annihilate the Jewish people. Haman claimed before the nations of the world: "There is a certain people ('yeshno am echad') - the nation is already sleeping ('yashan')." He saw that Nebuchadnezzar had burned the Holy Temple and exiled Israel to Babylon, and he deduced from this that God no longer had the power to protect them. He did not understand that the destruction and the exile came about because of their sins, and not because Hashem is weak, Heaven forbid. Hashem is the strongest, and there is no other power besides Him in the world.

There is no despair in the world at all

Haman managed to convince all 127 provinces to agree to the decree of annihilation. The king signed the decree, and as the Megillah states:

"And that which is signed with the king's ring cannot be revoked."

In Persia, it was impossible to change a law that was signed with the king's ring. Queen Esther cried and begged, but the king told her that there was nothing to be done. Despite this, a Jew knows that there is no despair in the world at all! Even when there are all kinds of evil decrees, there is absolutely no despair. The solution that was found was the enactment of a new law, which permitted the Jews to defend themselves and strike at those who sought their lives. The great miracle was that across all 127 provinces, not even a single Jew was killed.

The Secret Weapon: The Breath of the Mouths of Schoolchildren

The true secret to canceling the decree was neither political nor military. When we learn Torah day and night, God is with us and protects us. But when one abandons the Torah and wanders the streets, the protection is removed. Yitzchak Avinu blessed Yaakov:

"The voice is the voice of Yaakov, and the hands are the hands of Esav."

The voice of the Torah is stronger than the hands of Esav. The holy Zohar explains that King Shlomo said the word "hevel" (vanity/breath) seven times in the book of Kohelet, corresponding to seven levels of holy breath. The highest and strongest level is "the breath of the mouths of schoolchildren." One child who learns Torah can cancel all the evil decrees in the world.

When Mordechai saw the terrible decree, he did not turn to political lobbying. He took 22,000 children, brought them into the largest and most magnificent hall in Shushan, and began to learn Torah with them day and night, for three days, without eating and without drinking. Mordechai knew that only with the breath of the mouths of schoolchildren is it possible to cancel any decree in the world.

The Mesirus Nefesh (Self-Sacrifice) of the Children of Israel

At that same time, Zeresh, Haman's clever wife, advised him to wake up early in the morning, stand in the king's courtyard, and ask to hang Mordechai. Haman decided to "be a Breslover" and wake up for Chatzos (midnight prayer)... Instead of waiting for eight in the morning, he woke up at twelve at night to wander around the king's courtyard and do "Hisbodedus" (secluded prayer), anticipating when he would finally merit to hang Mordechai.

Before going to the king, Haman went to visit Mordechai. He expected to see the Jews crying, confused, and filled with despair. Instead, he saw 22,000 children learning Torah with immense enthusiasm, with the voice of Torah piercing the air. Haman boiled with rage and commanded his soldiers to put handcuffs on all the children, with the intention of hanging them together with Mordechai.

The mothers of the children, who saw the iron chains and knew that tomorrow would be the end, came and begged them: "Eat something, stop the fast, look how nothing has helped you." But the children answered with heroism: "We are with Mordechai! Mordechai is not eating - we are not eating either. We do not care if they hang us, we are continuing to learn Torah!"

The Kometz HaMincha That Defeated the Ten Thousand Silver Talents

The next day, after Haman was forced to lead Mordechai on the king's horse through the city streets, he returned to the children in mourning and with his head covered. He asked them: "What are you learning right now?"

The children answered: "We are learning the laws of the Kometz HaMincha (handful of the meal offering). One takes a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixes it with oil, and from this, one takes a handful and offers it on the altar."

At that moment, Haman understood the secret of his defeat. He said to them, "I see that your small handful has pushed aside all my ten thousand talents of silver."

Haman understood that the tiny drop of Torah that young children study is what hangs all the Hamans in the world and nullifies all evil decrees.

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