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What are those unusual-sized letters in the Megillah?

by Rabbi Yossi Marcus

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In the names of the slain ten sons of Haman, four large letters appear.

Throughout Scripture there are various letters that are written in an unusual size according to ancient tradition. For example, the first word of Leviticus has a small Alef. In that case, the small alef symbolizes Moses’ humility—the verse is about him—despite the fact that he was the subject of so much divine attention.

I don’t know the significance of the unusual letters in the Megillah, but some have pointed out that it seems to allude to the hanging of ten Nazi war criminals—Ribbentrop, Keitel, Rosenberg, Frank, Frick, Kaltenbrunner, Streicher, Sauckel, Jodl, and Seyss-Inquart—the 20th century’s sons of Haman, in October of 1946, or the year 5707 from creation according to Jewish tradition.

...it seems to allude to the hanging of ten Nazi war criminals... the 20th century sons of Haman...

The letters in question are Tav Shin and Zayin - which are numerically equivalent to 707, and a large Vov¹ - which is equivalent to 6 (see What is gematriah?). So the unusually sized letters in the listing of Haman’s ten sons allude to a future hanging in history, in the year 707 of the sixth millennium=the year 5707, or 1946.

(It is also interesting that one of the Nazi criminals, Goering, was not hung, since he had committed suicide.² According to the Midrash, Haman’s daughter committed suicide after unintentionally shaming her father whom she mistook for Mordechai when Haman was leading Mordechai around on a horse.)

Footnotes

1. Regarding the long vov, the Talmud (Tractate Megilla 16b) does say that it alludes to the fact that they were all hung on one long pole.
2. See http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/trials12.htm

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COMMENTS

Purim

Posted by: Pinchos on Jan 16, 2007

Rabbi Yossi Marcus writes:

"...significance of the unusual letters in the Megillah, but some have pointed out that it seems to allude to the hanging of ten Nazi war criminals..."

I am trying to find out who is "some have pointed". Is it known who suggested this explanation and when?

Editor's Comment

It is a very famous observation. It's been around for many years. I'm not sure who was the first to point it out; maybe our readers could offer suggestions.

RELATED CATEGORIES

Torah » The Bible » The Prophets

Megillah

A scroll. Usually a reference to the Book of Esther, one of the books of the "Written Torah", which is read--from a scroll--on the holiday of Purim.

Haman

Descendant of anti-Semitic tribe of Amalek and prime minister of the Persian Empire in the 5th century b.c.e. Schemed to annihilate all the Jews, and the holiday of Purim was established when the plot was foiled.

Mordechai

Cousin of Queen Esther, and Jewish leader in the 4th century BCE. Played a large role in saving the Jews after Haman, the Persian prime minister, plotted to exterminate them all. The holiday of Purim was established to commemorate this miracle.

Moses

[Hebrew pronunciation: Moshe] Greatest prophet to ever live. Led the Jews out of Egyptian bondage amidst awesome miracles; brought down the Tablets from Mount Sinai; and transmitted to us word-for-word the Torah he heard from G-d's mouth. Died in the year 1272 BCE.

Midrash

(Pl. Midrashim). Non-legal material of anecdotal or allegorical nature, designed either to clarify historical material, or to teach a moral point. The Midrashim were compiled by the sages who authored the Mishna and Talmud (200 BCE-500 CE).

Leviticus

The third of the Five Books of Moses. This book deals with the service (of the Levite Tribe) in the Tabernacle, and contains many of the 613 commandments.