Haman's fall opens the path to Oral Torah

חז"ל דרשו ואתה על במותימו תדרוך על מרדכי שדרך על המן.

Chazal expounded the verse "and you shall tread upon their high places (al bamosaymo tidroch)" as referring to Mordechai, who "trod" upon Haman.

The Sages applied the verse about "treading on the high places" of the enemy to Mordechai's triumph, in which he "stepped upon" the wicked Haman.

והרמז דריכה מלשון דריכת ענבים שהוציא בלעו מפיו.

And the hint: "treading (derichah)" is from the language of "treading grapes (drichas anavim)," for he brought out what [Haman] had swallowed from his mouth.

"Treading" evokes the crushing of grapes in a winepress. Just as pressing grapes squeezes out their juice, Mordechai pressed out of Haman everything the forces of evil had "swallowed" — the holiness they had stolen from Israel.

והנ"ק שהי' נבלע הוציא ממנו מרדכי.

The holy point (nekudah kedoshah) that had been swallowed up — Mordechai extracted it from him.

Embedded within Haman's power was a stolen "holy point" — sparks of kedushah taken from Israel. Mordechai's victory drew that holy point back out of the realm of evil.

כמ"ש מו"ז ז"ל כי כל כח סט"א מה שגונבין מבנ"י ע"י החטאים.

As my grandfather, of blessed memory, said: that all the power of the sitra achra (the "other side") is what they steal from Bnei Yisrael through the sins.

The Sefas Emes cites the Chiddushei HaRim: the forces of evil have no power of their own; whatever strength they possess is only what they have stolen from Israel by means of our sins. Defeating evil means reclaiming that stolen kedushah.

וגם פי' תדרוך מלשון דרך כפשוטו.

And also "tidroch (you shall tread)" can be explained from the word "derech (path)," in its plain sense.

The Sefas Emes now offers a second reading of "tidroch," connecting it to "derech," a path or way.

שנעשה עתה דרך חדש לקבלת התורה בכח מפלת הרשע.

That now a new path (derech) was made for receiving the Torah, through the power of the downfall of the wicked one.

Haman's defeat opened up a new "way" toward kabbalas haTorah — the renewed acceptance of Torah that occurred in the days of Purim ("kiyemu v'kiblu").

לפי שעמלק עמד על הדרך לבטל בנ"י מקבלת התורה.

Because Amalek stood on the path to prevent Bnei Yisrael from receiving the Torah.

Amalek (Haman's ancestor) had positioned himself precisely on the road to block Israel from accepting the Torah; so his downfall reopens that very path.

כמ"ש אשר קרך בדרך.

As it is written: "who happened upon you on the way (asher karcha ba'derech)."

The Torah's description of Amalek's attack "on the way" hints that Amalek's whole aim was to obstruct Israel's "derech" — their path toward Torah.

כדאיתא בגמ' תורה נקראת דרך.

As it is taught in the Gemara: the Torah is called "derech (a way)."

The Gemara teaches that Torah itself is referred to as a "way" — so Amalek standing "on the way" is, on a deeper level, standing in opposition to the Torah.

הדרך אשר ילכו בה.

"The way in which they shall walk (ha'derech asher yelchu vah)."

The verse instructing the people in "the way they shall walk" is understood as referring to the path of Torah and mitzvos.

לכן עתה אחר מפלת המן נעשה דרך חדש אל התורה.

Therefore now, after the downfall of Haman, a new path (derech) to the Torah was made.

With Amalek's obstruction removed by Haman's fall, a fresh "derech" toward Torah opened up — and this new path has a specific character.

והוא בחי' תורה שבע"פ.

And it is the aspect of Torah she'b'al peh (the Oral Torah).

This newly opened path is specifically that of the Oral Torah — a renewed, deeper acceptance of Torah that Purim inaugurates.

כמ"ש במ"א כי מגילת אסתר היא התחלה לתורה שבע"פ.

As is written elsewhere, that Megillas Esther is the beginning of the Oral Torah.

The Sefas Emes references his teaching that the Megillah marks the inception of the Torah she'b'al peh era.

כמ"ש סוף הנסים שנתנו לכתוב.

As it says, [it is] the last of the miracles that were permitted to be written down.

Chazal teach that Esther's miracle was the final one designated to be recorded in Scripture, marking the close of the era of the Written Torah and the dawn of the Oral Torah period.

ונקראת ספר ונקראת אגרת.

And it is called a "sefer (book)" and it is called an "iggeres (letter)."

The Megillah has a dual designation — both a "book" (like Written Torah) and a "letter" (a more fluid, oral-style communication) — reflecting its bridging character.

שכלול מן תורה שבכתב ותורה שבע"פ.

For it is composed of both the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.

This dual title shows that Megillas Esther blends both Torahs — it is the hinge between the Written and the Oral, partaking of each.

ולכן נחלקו בה אי מטמא את הידים כו'.

Therefore they disputed regarding it whether it renders the hands impure (metamei es ha'yadayim).

Because the Megillah straddles both Torahs, the Sages debated whether it has the full status of sacred Scripture (which makes the hands ritually impure) — its in-between nature is exactly what generated the question.

ומן אז ולהלן התחיל סדר תורה שבע"פ.

And from then onward the order of the Oral Torah began.

From the time of the Purim miracle and onward, the whole structured development of the Oral Torah commenced.

[וזה ג"כ ליהודים היתה אורה בעצמותם בחי' תורה שבע"פ כמ"ש אשר נטע בתוכינו דייקא]:

[And this too is the meaning of "the Jews had light (orah)" — within their very essence, the aspect of Torah she'b'al peh, as it says specifically "which He planted within us (asher nata b'socheinu)."]

"Orah" (light), which Chazal explain as Torah, here refers specifically to the Oral Torah that became internalized within Israel's very being. The phrase "which He planted within us" emphasizes that the Oral Torah is not external but planted inside the Jewish soul — the inner, internalized Torah revealed through the Purim miracle.

Summary: Mordechai's "treading" upon Haman is read like the treading of grapes — pressing out the "holy point" that the sitra achra had swallowed, since all the power of evil is merely what it steals from Israel through sin. "Tidroch" also evokes "derech": Amalek had stood on the path to block Israel from receiving the Torah, so Haman's downfall opened a new path to Torah — specifically the Oral Torah. Megillas Esther, called both a "book" and a "letter," bridges the Written and Oral Torahs and marks the beginning of the Oral Torah era, the inner "light" planted within Israel.