By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld
In GemaraMegillah 11b recounts that Achashveirosh took out the klei haMikdash and used it during his meal. The Satan came and danced among them and killed Vashti. The question arises why when Balshetzar took out the keilim of the Bais haMikdash he himself was killed that night, whereas Achashveirosh when he used the keilim of the Bais haMikdash he did not die but rather his wife died?
The first answer we could say is that since Balshetzar was the first to do this terrible thing. It was his chutzpah that he used the keilim of the Bais haMikdash that caused Achashveirosh to follow suit. That is the reason why Balshetzar got a bigger punishment that he himself died. The Ben Ish Chai in his Sefer Ben Yehoyodo adds that since Ahashveirosh only did the Aveirah because of Balshetzar therefore Balshetzar became a partner in that Aveirah. As we find if someone digs a hole or opens a hole, and an animal falls in, the person who left the pit open is responsible. Therefore, Balshetzar was responsible hereby causing the death of his only daughter Vashti. This caused Balshetzar to not have any offspring and was a punishment to Achashveirosh as we know we have the rule of ishto ke’gufo. We find this concept in the sefer Minchas Aryeh that says the one who is the mechutzaf and does the Aveira first is a much bigger sinner than all those that follow him and do the Aveirah. That is why Amalek is going to be erased because they jumped in and fought with the Jews and thereby made it easier for any other nation to fight them in the future. It is comparable to a hot sauna where everyone is scared to enter into it because it is so hot. Comes along one person and jumps in and cools it off for everyone else. In the Sefer Einei Shmuel in Berachos 7a the Gemara asks, that in one passuk it says, “that Hashem remembers to punish from father to son.” In another passuk it says, “that everyone dies for their own sins.” These pesukim seem to contradict each other. The Gemara answers that the only way the children are punished for their father’s sins is when they continue sinning. Achashveirosh made this meal seventy years after he thought the Jews would no longer be redeemed. He was happy that the Bais haMikdash would not be rebuilt. Vashti who also threw a party incurred the punishment of her grandfather Nevuchadnezzar who destroyed the Bais haMikdash. The Gemara in Sanhedrin 22a says that when a person loses his first wife it hurts as much as the destruction of the Bais haMikdash that would be the mida k’negged midda that Vashti died.
The Sefer Minchas Aryeh says a different tirutz. The Gemara in Megillah 12a says that just like in the Torah we find that in a meal there is more food than drink so too by the seuda of Achashveirosh there was more food than drink. The Maharsha says from this we see that Achashveirosh did not know that Balshetzer died from using the keilim of the Bais haMikdash but rather because he became too drunk, so Achashveirosh corrected that by serving more food than drink. Had Achashveirosh known the true reason why Balshetzer was killed he would never have used the keilim of the Bais haMikdash.
A third tirutz based on the Maharsha could be that Balshetzer who used the kailim and got drunk with them caused a greater Chillul Hashem than Achashveirosh who used the keilim but did not get drunk with them that is why he was punished that his wife died and not him.
A fourth answer is based on the Maharal that says once Balshetzer used the keilim of the Bais haMikdash they became Chullin therefore Achashveirosh did not deserve such a punishment like Balshetzer.
A fifth answer is based on the Birchas Avraham that says the reason Vashti was killed and not Achashveirosh is that this caused the sprouting of the geula. Esther became the queen and thereby saved the Jews from Haman. It was also very important that Achashveirosh not die as then Haman would have risen to become king.
The sixth and final answer is in the Sefer Pirsumei Nisa based on the Even Ezra that says that initially when Achashveirosh became king he commanded them to rebuild the Bais haMikdash. It was only after he accepted the hatred from his advisors that he regretted his original decision. The Yalkut Shimoni explains why Mordechai saved Achashveirosh’s life from Bigsan and Seresh. Mordechai said,” it is better that he should live as he originally gave permission for the Bais haMikdash to be rebuilt. This was the reason why Achashveirosh was not punished for using the kailim as we know that Hashem does not withhold the reward from anybody and as a reward for initially giving permission to build the Bais haMikdash that saved his life. As a matter of fact, later when he keeps on saying “ad chatzi hamalchus” which was saying he will not rebuild the Bais haMikdash that was as a diret result of Vashti who convinced him to revoke his permission that is why she died!
We see the great Hashgach Pratis in the Megillah and in our day-to-day life. May we be zocheh to see the final geulah!
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