Welcome back to another episode of NachDaily with Esther, perek 6. Due to recent world events, there’s been a delay in getting it to you. Hopefully as things straighten out more as the weeks go on, we’ll be able to get out them out regularly. I hope you’re all doing well and staying safe. The previous perek ended with Haman building a gallows on which to hang Mordechai, but this was Hashem’s way of setting the stage for the redemption. Certainly, as we go through these times, we need to have Emunah that Hashem has also set the stage for us and the refuah is already in existence, just as it was in the times of Esther. Verse one says, “Ba’layla ha’hu nad’da shnas hamelech – That night, the King’s sleep was disturbed.” Rashi explains that Achashverosh was wondering why Esther invited Haman to the seuda. He thought that perhaps they were plotting against him. This shows just how insecure he was. He was riddled with anxiety about his position. Rebbe Nachman explains that sleep represents emunah. A person who’s able to sleep well is not filled with worry and anxiety. We find this by Yonah, who went to sleep in the bottom of the boat while the sea was storming around him. Achashverosh’s inability to sleep shows his total lack of faith in the Creator. At that point, Achashverosh asks for his Book of Chronicles to be brought to him. He thought that perhaps he hadn’t repaid someone who did him a favor. Achashverosh heard that Mordechai had saved his life. The Malbim points out that Haman had convinced Achashverosh that he had been the one to save his life, but now the King saw the truth. Achashverosh inquired if anything had been done to reward Mordechai, and was told that nothing had been done. Achashverosh heard noise, and asked who was in the courtyard. At that very moment, Haman was entering to tell the King about the gallows that he built for Mordechai. We see the hand of God orchestrating these events.

The King had Haman enter and asked, “Ma la’asos ba’ish asher hamelech chafetz bikaro – What should be done for the man whom the King wants to honor?” Naturally, Haman thought the King wanted to honor him. He advised him to parade that individual in royal clothing, with the royal crown, in a royal procession. Immediately, the King ordered Haman to do what he advised to Mordechai the Jew. Haman begrudgingly had to carry out his wishes and paraded Mordechai around the city of Shushan announcing, “This is what is done to the one whom the King wants to honor!” The Gr’a points out that Achashverosh wanted to reward Mordechai before his meeting with Esther. If Esther asked for something on behalf of Mordechai, Achashverosh would be able to say that it had already been done. The elevation of Mordechai represents and foreshadows the elevation the Jewish nation was about to experience at that time as well as the lifting up of the Jewish nation from its exile. This will take place at the end of days, when the King, Hashem, will show the entire world the truth of Am Yisrael and His Torah. After the event, Haman returned home to his wife and friends totally embarrassed and denigrated. Zeresh, Haman’s wife, warned him that once the Jews begin to rise to power, they will be hard to stop. As this was happening, the King’s guards came to take Haman to the royal banquet with Esther and Achashverosh. Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily, where Esther will plead her case to the King. Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.