For One and For All
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Fascinating Insights—The Sefer (in English)
For One and For All
Why did Haman want to kill
all the Jews if only Mordechai didn’t bow to him?[1]
A leader includes all the
people and as the Midrash says ראש הדור הוא ככל
הדור.[2]
Consequently, the word מלך is composed of the same letters as כלם since he includes everyone. This is just as the Rambam[3]
states that a king is לב כל קהל ישראל.[4]
We see this with our leader
Moshe who was also a king.[5]
R’ Chaim Volozhiner[6]
teaches us that Moshe includes all 600,000 נשמות
ישראל.
Indeed, משה forms an acronym for מקור של הנשמות. Therefore, Moshe brings Torah of 600,000
letters as each letter corresponds to a Jew and he includes all Jews.[7]
This is alluded to in משה עבד
י-ה-ו-ה[8], Moshe servant of
Hashem, as it is the initials עמי. Similarly, this is the
meaning in Rashi who states Moshe was שקול כנגד
כל ישראל.[9]
For this reason, ממכון שבתו השגיח[10], from his dwelling place
he oversees, contain the initials משה as he includes everyone.
In light of the above we have a novel explanation in שש מאות אלף רגלי העם אשר אנכי בקרבו[11] as Moshe is in each of
the 600,000.
Our original question is now
answered as Mordechai not bowing is just a manifestation of the rest of Klal
Yisrael since he is the leader thereby including everyone.[12]
Rabbi Alt merited to learn under the tutelage of R’ Mordechai Friedlander
Ztz”l for close to five years. He received Semicha from R’ Zalman Nechemia
Goldberg. Rabbi Alt has written on numerous topics for various websites and
publications. He lives with his wife and family in a suburb of Yerushalayim
where he studies, writes and teaches. The author is passionate about teaching
Jews of all levels of observance.
[1] Kav Hayashar, 98.
[2] Tanchuma in Chukas 23. See
Bamidbar 21:21, Rashi, Taamai Haminhagim, p. 282.
[3] Hilchos Melachim 3:6. See
Eruchin 17a on the Machlokes of whether the generation parallels its leader or
the leader to his generation. The greater the leader, the greater the people
could be (Shaarei Orah, Vol 1 Nisayon HaMann).
[4] In a similar vein, the
letters of מלך are in
the middle of the Alef-Beis since he is the one that connects the nation.
[5] Zevachim 102a. See Yisro
18:1, Rashi.
[6] Likutai Maamarim printed at
the end of Nefesh Hachaim 15. After R’ Chaim
Volozhin passed away, his student, R’ Dovid Tevel, author of the Nachalas
Dovid, wrote about his Rebbe the following: R’ Chaim once needed to find a
source for a certain Halacha so he reviewed the entire Shas in three days. Shas
Bavli, Yerushalmi, Sifri, Sifra, Tosefta, Mechilta, Zohar and Kisvei Arizal
were all carved out in his head, all his Torah was established on his lips—יכנו יחדו על שפתיך (Mishlei 22:18).
[7] In fact, ישראל are the first letters יש ששים רבוי אותיות
לתורה.
[8] Yehoshua 12:6, 22:2.
[9] The Midrash (Shir Hashirim
Rabba 1:64) says שקול משה כישראל וישראל כמשה.
[10] Tehillim 33:14. When one is
walking down a staircase, the head follows the body in its descent. Similarly,
the leader is the head and the nation is the body. Accordingly, if the nation
sins, the leader also takes a step down. This is just as we see in our Parsha that
when the sin of the Eigel was committed, Hashem told Mosheלך רד to which Rashi says רד מגדולתך, go down from your
greatness (See also R’ Tzadok Hkohen in Divrei Sofrim 24).
[11] Bamidbar 11:21.
[12] This is the deeper meaning
in (Esther 3:6) עם מרדכי—everyone
is included in Mordechai.
