Revealing Hashem's glory through Amalek's downfall

בפסוק ישנו עם אחד כו'.

On the pasuk: "There is one nation [scattered and dispersed]," etc. (Esther 3:8).

Haman's accusation against Bnei Yisrael becomes the starting point for the Sefas Emes to uncover a deeper meaning hidden in the word "yeshno" (there is).

דאיתא בס"י עשה אינו ישנו.

For it is taught in the Sefer Yetzirah: "He made what is not into what is."

Creation is the act of bringing "yesh" (substantive existence) out of "ayin" (nothingness) — drawing tangible reality out of the hidden Source.

פי' הגם כי הקב"ה הוא נעלם ולית בי' תפיסא כלל מ"מ הוא כל יכול.

That is to say: although the Holy One is hidden and there is no grasp of Him at all, nevertheless He is all-capable.

Hashem is utterly beyond comprehension, yet His infinite power means concealment is no limitation upon Him.

וברא העולם באופן שיהי' גילוי כבוד מלכותו ית' מלא כל הארץ כבודו שיהי' בבחי' יש.

And He created the world in such a way that there should be a revelation of the glory of His kingship — "the whole earth is full of His glory" (Yeshayahu 6:3) — that it should be in the aspect of "yesh" (revealed existence).

The purpose of creation is that Hashem's hidden glory become openly manifest within tangible reality, not only in the concealed realm.

ובאמת זה תלוי בעבודת בנ"י אשר על זה כתיב להנחיל אוהבי יש.

And in truth this depends on the avodah of Bnei Yisrael, concerning which it is written: "To bequeath to those who love Me yesh (substance)" (Mishlei 8:21).

It is the labor of Bnei Yisrael that turns concealment into revelation — they are the ones who inherit this "yesh," the disclosure of Hashem within the world.

וכמ"ש בספרי קודש שזה נרמז בשם ישראל י"ש רל"א שהכל נכלל בצירוף רל"א אתוון.

And as the holy seforim write, this is hinted in the name Yisrael — "yesh" (ש"י = 310) and 231 — for everything is included in the combination of the 231 letter-pairings.

The very name Yisrael encodes this mission: the 231 "gates" (combinations of the alef-beis through which the world was created) are all gathered into Bnei Yisrael, who reveal the divine "yesh" in creation.

וזה הרשע המן ימח שמו הי' כל כוונתו לאבד את היהודים כדי שלא יתגלה כבוד שמו ית' בעולם.

And this rasha Haman, may his name be erased, his whole intent was to destroy the Yidden so that the glory of His Name should not be revealed in the world.

Haman's war was not merely against a people but against the very revelation of Hashem's kingship that Bnei Yisrael bring into the world.

ולא לחנם נשבע הקב"ה שאין כסאו שלם עד שימחה שמו של עמלק.

And not for nothing did the Holy One swear that His throne is not complete until the name of Amalek is erased.

Amalek's existence directly blocks the full revelation of Hashem's malchus — His "throne," His kingship in the world — and so His reign remains incomplete while Amalek endures.

ולכן כאשר היה לו מפלה נעשה גילוי כבודו ית' בעולם הזה.

Therefore, when he suffered his downfall, a revelation of His glory came about in this world.

Because Amalek was the obstruction, the moment Haman fell, Hashem's glory was openly disclosed in olam hazeh.

ולכן נק' מגלה כמ"ש בס' קדושת לוי שזה שנשתנה יו"ט דפורים מכל המועדות שבתורה.

And therefore it is called "Megillah" (a revealing), as the Kedushas Levi writes — for this is what distinguishes the Yom Tov of Purim from all the festivals in the Torah.

"Megillah" shares the root of "giluy" (revelation). Purim's uniqueness is that its essence is the open uncovering of the divine glory specifically within this world.

ולכן אמרו חז"ל שאין קורין הלל על נס שבחוץ לארץ ואמרו נמי קריאתה זו הלולא.

And therefore Chazal said that one does not recite Hallel over a miracle that occurred outside Eretz Yisrael — yet they also said: "the reading of it [the Megillah] is its Hallel."

The Gemara raises two statements that seem to stand in tension: no Hallel for a miracle in chutz la'aretz, yet the Megillah reading itself serves as Purim's Hallel.

ולכאורה הם תרתי דסתרי.

And on the face of it these are two contradictory statements.

If Purim's miracle happened in the diaspora, how can the Megillah function as its Hallel?

אך הענין הוא כי הלל ניתקן כשנפתחין שערים הפנימיים כענין שנאמר שער החצר הפנימית כו' ביום השבת יפתח.

But the matter is thus: Hallel was instituted for when the inner gates are opened, as it says: "The gate of the inner courtyard… shall be opened on the day of Shabbos" (Yechezkel 46:1).

Hallel belongs to moments when the penimiyus — the inner gates of holiness — are opened, as on Shabbos and Yom Tov when an inner light shines down.

ומועדות נק' שבת.

And the festivals are called "Shabbos."

The Yamim Tovim share this quality of Shabbos — the opening of the inner gates — and so Hallel is fitting for them.

וע"ז כתיב פתחו לי שערי צדק כו' אודה.

And concerning this it is written: "Open for me the gates of righteousness… I will give thanks" (Tehillim 118:19).

When these inner gates of holiness are opened, the natural response is praise and thanksgiving — Hallel.

ולכן יש הלל.

And therefore there is Hallel.

On the festivals, where the inner gates open, full Hallel is recited.

אבל בפורים היה הנס בגילוי הקדושה בעוה"ז וזה נס שבחוץ לארץ.

But on Purim the miracle was a revelation of holiness within this world — and that is a "miracle outside the Land."

Purim's miracle was not an opening of the upper inner gates but a disclosure of kedushah down here in the lower, "outer" world — hence "a miracle of chutz la'aretz."

אכן ע"י קריאת המגילה נגלה זו ההארה בעוה"ז דייקא.

However, through the reading of the Megillah, this illumination is revealed specifically in this world.

The mitzvah of reading the Megillah is itself the vehicle that brings this revelation of holiness down precisely into olam hazeh.

וזה ההלל שייך עתה.

And this is the Hallel that applies now.

Because the Megillah reading accomplishes the revelation in this world, the reading itself is the appropriate form of praise — "its reading is its Hallel."

וענין אמרם עד דלא ידע בין ארור המן לברוך מרדכי.

And as for their statement: "until one does not know the difference between 'cursed is Haman' and 'blessed is Mordechai.'"

The Sefas Emes now turns to explain Chazal's puzzling directive about Purim, reading it on the level of remez (hint).

יש לומר ע"ד הרמז כי הנה יש ב' דרכים בהתגלות הקדושה בהתרוממת קרן הצדיקים ובמפלת הרשעים.

One may say, by way of hint, that there are two paths in the revelation of holiness: through the raising up of the horn of the tzaddikim, and through the downfall of the resha'im.

Hashem's glory can be revealed in two ways — through the exaltation of the righteous ("blessed is Mordechai") or through the destruction of the wicked ("cursed is Haman").

כענין שכתבו חז"ל כשם שקילוסו ית' עולה מפי הצדיקים בג"ע כן עולה מפי הרשעים בגיהנם.

As Chazal wrote: just as His praise ascends from the mouths of the tzaddikim in Gan Eden, so it ascends from the mouths of the resha'im in Gehinnom.

Hashem is glorified both ways — the righteous praise Him from their reward, and the wicked, through their punishment, equally testify to His justice.

אך הקב"ה חפץ בקילוסן של צדיקים יותר כדאיתא במד' בראשית וירא כו' את האור כי טוב ע"ש.

But the Holy One desires the praise of the tzaddikim more, as is taught in the Midrash on Bereishis, "And He saw… the light, that it was good," see there.

Although both modes glorify Hashem, He prefers the praise that rises through the good — through the light of the righteous rather than through the punishment of the wicked.

ולכן גדלה מעלת ברוך מרדכי מארור המן.

Therefore the virtue of "blessed is Mordechai" is greater than that of "cursed is Haman."

Normally the revelation through the tzaddik's elevation is the higher and preferred path.

אכן עתה בימי הפורים נראה כי כל ההצלה היה בכח מפלת הרשע.

However, now in the days of Purim it appears that the entire salvation came through the power of the downfall of the rasha.

Uniquely on Purim, the deliverance flowed specifically through Haman's destruction rather than through Mordechai's merit alone.

כי כן הוא מדותיו של הקב"ה.

For such are the ways of the Holy One.

This reflects a particular mode of Hashem's hashgachah, which the Sefas Emes now explains.

כשרואין בשמים שאין לבנ"י זכות כדאיתא שהי' הגזירה להרע לבנ"י.

When it is seen in Heaven that Bnei Yisrael lack merit — as is taught, that the decree was to bring harm upon Bnei Yisrael —

At the time of Purim, Bnei Yisrael themselves did not have sufficient zechus to be saved by their own righteousness, and a harsh decree hung over them.

לכן סיבב הקב"ה שיהי' נעשה ע"י זרע עמלק.

Therefore the Holy One arranged that it [the salvation] should come about through the seed of Amalek.

Since their own merit was wanting, Hashem brought the redemption instead through the fall of Amalek's descendant, Haman.

וכדכתיב לולי כעס אויב כו' פן ינכרו צרימו כו'.

And as it is written: "Were it not for the anger of the enemy… lest their adversaries misjudge" (Devarim 32:27).

Sometimes Hashem acts to save His people specifically so that the enemy not boast — turning the enemy's own arrogance into the means of redemption.

ולכן נפדו בנ"י וניתן הוא כפרם כדכתיב ואתן חדום תחתיך.

And therefore Bnei Yisrael were redeemed, and he was given as their atonement, as it is written: "And I gave Edom in your place" (cf. Yeshayahu 43:3-4).

Haman became, as it were, the "ransom" for Bnei Yisrael — his destruction stood in place of the decree that had hung over them.

ולכן עתה נתעלו בנ"י ונתגלה הקדושה בכח ארור המן כמו בכח ברוך מרדכי.

And therefore now Bnei Yisrael were elevated, and holiness was revealed through the power of "cursed is Haman" just as through the power of "blessed is Mordechai."

On Purim, exceptionally, both modes of revelation carried equal weight — the curse of Haman and the blessing of Mordechai accomplished the same elevation of holiness.

ובאמת זה אינו נוהג בכל הרשעים רק בזרע עמלק שהן שנואים בשמים כדכ' מלחמה לה' בעמלק.

And in truth this does not apply to all resha'im, only to the seed of Amalek, who are hated in Heaven, as it is written: "Hashem has a war with Amalek" (Shemos 17:16).

This equivalence of the two paths is unique to Amalek, against whom Hashem Himself wages eternal war — only their downfall reveals holiness as powerfully as the tzaddik's rise.

וידוע כי שם ה' הוא מדה"ר רק שהרשעים מהפכין מדה"ר למדה"ד ועל רשעים אלו דעמלק והמן נאמר באבוד רשעים רנה:

And it is known that the Name Havayah is the attribute of mercy; it is only the resha'im who turn the attribute of mercy into the attribute of strict justice. And concerning these resha'im of Amalek and Haman it is said: "When the wicked perish, there is song" (Mishlei 11:10).

Hashem's essence is rachamim (mercy), but Amalek inverts it into din (judgment). Hence with their destruction the world rejoices, for their removal restores the open revelation of Hashem's mercy.

Summary: The purpose of creation is to reveal Hashem's hidden glory as "yesh" within this world, a task entrusted to Bnei Yisrael. Amalek and Haman exist to block that revelation, so Hashem's throne is incomplete until Amalek is erased. Purim is unique: its miracle revealed holiness within olam hazeh through the Megillah reading (its Hallel), and uniquely the deliverance came through the rasha's downfall — "cursed is Haman" achieving as much as "blessed is Mordechai" — because Amalek, who inverts Hashem's mercy into judgment, must be destroyed for that mercy to shine forth, so that "when the wicked perish, there is song."