For the many like me who have trouble parting with Purim and would want some more time to digest its essence, we can at least reflect on one of Purim's messages through a comment of Chazal on this week's parsha, Ki Sisa. Rav Masne (Chulin 139b) actually finds Mordechai's name in the list of fragrances from which both the incense offering and anointing oil was made. When asked by Papunai for the pasuk where Mordechai is mentioned, Rav Masne responded that the fragrance "mor deror" (30) is translated into Aramaic by Onkelos as "mira dachya". The similarity between this hint and Esther's other name Hadassa notwithstanding, that Chazal saw the list of fragrances as the context for an albeit stretched biblical debut for Mordechai is quite intriguing and requires comment.
Perhaps we can take some direction from the Netziv who sees the fragrance offering of the ketores as a metaphor for our acts of chessed and goodness. He develops this idea in several places (Breishis 27, 27; Tetzaveh 30:1) and suggests that through our incense offerings we are presenting in prayer to Hashem, our myriad "gemilus chasadim" that we as people have extended to each other. Deeds of kindness are indeed similar to fragrance as their impact spreads far beyond themselves and their benefits are viscerally felt much more than logically understood. Bringing our good deeds into the kodshei kodshim on Yom Kippur; having them initiate every part of the mishkan and every one of the kohen's clothing; having seen the ketores define who is invited to serve in the close precincts of the mikdash during the days of Korach; and having it protect us in times of plague, all together becomes a frightening and powerful demonstration of the position that our chessed enjoys in the heavenly world.
Now the veiled presentation of Mordechai in this week's parsha matches very well with his introduction to us in the Megilah. In a striking observation, Rav Matisyahu Solomon shlit"a (Matnas Chaim, Moadim) points out that we first meet Mordechai as the ever devoted uncle who tended lovingly and loyally to the orphaned Esther. Neither his wisdom, that he mastered as one of the wise men of our people, nor his courage that we are about to study, are mentioned but his goodness is highlighted explicitly. Moreover, according to Chazal, Mordechai moved away from the nascent community in Israel to be with his niece. Imagine the sacrifice he made leaving Israel, to which he struggled to return, and Yerushalayim, that he planned to build, and presumably not be part of the unraveling redemption and rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdosh. All that in order to tend to his niece who had no parent! Not a day goes by without Mordechai visiting the court and the courtyard seeking out information of Esther and her whereabouts.
Interestingly Chazal find that Haman is mentioned in the very beginning of Torah, "Ha-min hoetz asher amarti lecho…", Hashem's seemingly incredulous lament over Adam and Chava's violation of His one command. Many have explained that just as they are criticized for not being able to be entirely content with a life that was replete with all their needs met in unparalleled beauty, similarly Haman cannot find any peace in his lofty and influential position as long as one Jew refuses to bow down to him and as a result he loses his all.
Thus Chazal in these two cryptic comments highlight for us a theme of the Megilah. Our two protagonists profoundly differ in their attitudes, one diminished by his pursuit of all that is out of reach and one who gives selflessly to the most vulnerable.
The mitzvos of giving are more pronounced on Purim than on any on any other day and they challenge us to see in the Megilah a story of the power of giving and incorporate that strength in all our relations. That is why Ester refers to her Megilah as "divrei sholom voemes".