It's always bothered me that at the end of the Megillah we read about Achashverosh levying taxes on his countries (and even the small islands, too, don’t forget them!).
Why do we have to hear about that? Did we hear about how Achashverosh built sewer systems or what he ate for breakfast? (Probably bacon and eggs.)
I mean, right after the taxes thing the Megillah tells you to go read about the rest of Achashverosh’s deeds in the history books of Persia. Why not put the taxes thing in the history books and save the Megillah reader and all of the hungry listeners from having to wait longer to finish the Megillah?!
The answer has a lot to do with the last blog that I blogged.
Last blog I mentioned that Achashverosh was a Yisod leader. He wanted everyone to be happy and speak his own language and live in a multicultural world where everything goes. We also mentioned that this Yisod multiculturalism was a sort of openness that opened the door for Haman (boo!) to come in and cause trouble.
I think that we hear about these Achashverosh's taxes because after Achashverosh saw what a terrible man Haman was he realized that he needed to clamp down on his kingdom a little bit. He realized that being too open and not showing his kingly power can be very detrimental. The taxes were a way for him to assert himself over his people through a normal type of royal edict.
This one small line in the Megillah is also a powerful lesson us. We must let our children and our students know that not everything goes. Yes we must help them be themselves and grow and find their own identity the same way that Yisod people allow others to be themselves. But it’s good for children and students to know that not everything goes. They should know that there is someone above them and that they can’t be selfish or overly aggressive or power hungry like Haman. A little bit of Malchus in our lives is good for us.
Ultimately, Malchus that is manifest in this world is a minute representation of the Malchus of Hashem that is Above. Purim is a time to recognize that the Malchus is still there even though it his hidden from us.
Happy Purim, and may we soon see the final redemption and true Malchus in our world.
