The reading of Parshas Zachor, describing the uninstigated battle of Amaleik against the Jewish people, ultimately a battle against G-d Himself, and the subsequent holiday of Purim are linked in many ways. On a simple plane, Haman, a descendant of Agag, the king of Amaleik in King Shaul's time, plotted to eradicate the Jews, another installment of the battle plan of Amaleik to eliminate the Jewish nation. Haman's defeat along with his allies represented another instance of Klal Yisrael's fulfillment of the mitzva of eradicating Amaleik.
However, another, more subtle theme connects the two.[1] Amaleik represents the life philosophy of mikreh, chance. Concerning Amaleik, the Torah records: "asher kar'cha baderech - who chanced upon you on the road" (Ki Teitzei 25:18). Klal Yisrael, by contrast, lives under the philosophy of Divine Providence, believing that nothing in the world occurs by chance. Amaleik's descendant, Haman, tries to eradicate the entire Jewish nation via a chance "rolling of the dice" determining by lot when an auspicious time to kill them would be. The Megilla records Mordechai's description to Esther of what was happening: "eis kol asher karahu" (Esther 6:13). On this, the Midrash (Esther Rabba 8:5) comments "go tell her that the descendant of -karahu' has risen against you!", a reference to Amaleik referred to by the Torah with the phrase, "asher kar'cha baderech". The Midrash is linking the "chance" outlook of the ancestor Ameleik with the selfsame attitude of Haman, the descendant. However, as the piyut recited on Purim declares: "pur Haman nehepach l'pureinu". Haman's chance lots turned out to be providentially arranged to be a time of Divine favor in which Klal Yisrael were able to successfully defend themselves against Amaleik both spiritually and physically.
The Gemara (Megilla 13b) comments that Haman was pleased with the lots falling on Adar for in that month Moshe Rabbeinu left this world. But, he didn't realize that "b'shiv'a b'Adar meis, uv'shiv'a b'Adar nolad". Not only did Moshe die in that month, he was also born on the same day, and, consequently, the month of Adar is a particular eis ratzon, a time of Divine favor. Rav C. Y. Goldwicht zt"l explained further that even Moshe Rabbeinu's p'tira led to a positive development, for it ushered in a new era of Torah study, that of the era of Torah She'b'al Peh. Moshe Rabbeinu's absolute clarity of Torah was parallel to Torah Shebichsav. The era following his petira which required painstaking memorization and detailed analysis to arrive at valid halachic conclusions represented the beginning of the period of Torah Sheb'al Peh. Thus, not only was Haman wrong that Adar was also a happy month due to Moshe Rabbeinu's birth, but the precise event that he found inauspicious for B'nei Yisrael turned out to be a joyous occasion also from a different perspective. Therefore the Gemara does not just state that he was also born on that day but that "on the same day he died, on that same day he was born," implying that both events had positive significance for the Jewish people.
The name of the holiday, Purim, is "al sheim haPur", (Esther 9:26) after the lots Haman threw. It seems odd that the holiday should be named after these lots used to determine the time to destroy the Jews rather than it being named after our victory and salvation. But the name says it all. It is Haman's chance lots that proved to be another manifestation of Divine providence.
Perhaps we can add another layer to the inter-relationship between chance and providence implied in the Megilla. In perhaps the most famous passage in the Megilla, Mordechai addresses Esther saying: "If you remain silent at this time, relief and salvation will arise for the Jews from another source, and you and your father's house will perish. Who knows if [it is not] for precisely this time, you have become the queen!" (ibid. 4:14). Rav Y. D. Soloveitchik interpreted this passage based on his oft-mentioned theme of Fate and Destiny.[2] Fate represents that which Hashem pre-arranges for us, the uncontrollable part of our lives. Destiny is the destination which we are meant to reach with our free-willed choices given our fate. Here, Mordechai highlights exactly this point. G-d arranged everything for you: the right time, the right place, the right power. Now it is up to you to convert the Fate into Destiny. Seize the moment! Risk your life for the saving of your nation, and G-d will reward you with the crowning glory of destiny to be successful in your efforts. I once heard from Rabbi Elazar Hurvitz that it is for this reason that Esther suddenly encounters the setback of not being called to Achashverosh's palace for thirty days. If Hashem had arranged everything for Esther's successful mission, why the sudden setback? Esther has to rise to the challenge to be willing to put her life on the line to fulfill her destiny. Otherwise, the salvation would be all Hashem's doing since it was He who arranged her fate, and she would not fulfill her destiny. If that would be the case, "Salvation will arise from another place." This means that G-d would arrange fate in another series of steps so that another capable individual would be presented with a similar challenge until one of them rose to the occasion to fulfill her destiny.
Fate oftentimes is associated with chance. Hence, it deceivingly seems to be a part of Amaleik's worldview. Chazal (Mo'eid Katan 28a) teach: "Children, life and sustenance do not depend on merit, but on mazal".[3] Mazal is often mistranslated as "luck".[4] But can we really imagine that such crucial aspects of a person's life depend on chance? Rav Aryeh Kaplan[5] explains that mazal refers to specialized Divine providence.[6] The point the Gemara is making is that these aspects of Divine providence are usually so rooted in the cosmic, overarching plan for the world and the individual's role in this scheme, that they will rarely be overridden. Hence, even this Fate theme of the Megilla, which, at first, seems to be dependent on chance is truly none other than specialized Divine providence.
May we merit to always recognize the ever-present Hand of G-d in our individual and collective lives.
[1] The following presentation is wholly based on ideas I heard from Rav C. Y. Goldwicht zt"l, former Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh and gleaned from various sefarim on Purim.
[2] Also see Lo Tachmod: Mazal, Destiny and the Prohibition Against Coveting for a treatment of similar themes.
[3] See Tosfos (ibid.) that merit can affect these matters as well but not unlimitedly.
[4] The traditional Jewish congratulatory blessing, "Mazal Tov!" is normally translated as "Good Luck!"
[5] Handbook of Jewish Thought (Vol. II, Divine Providence 19:25-26).
[6] Thus, it would appear that "Mazal Tov!" should be translated as "May Hashem grant you a wonderful set of circumstances (Fate) in which this milestone of your life can help you reach your Destiny!"