Likutei Halachos on Megillas Esther

Translated by Dov Grant 

VERSE 1:1 "It happened in the days of Achashveirosh. This is the Achashveirosh that reigned from Hodu to Cush: One hundred and twenty seven provinces".  

The Power of Evil Occurs When We Are Constrained by Time 

This is an aspect of the power of the amazing and awesome miracle of Purim that occurred through the taking of Esther to Achashveirosh's palace. For the kingdom of evil that that waxes strong over Israel in exile only occurs because of the concept of "the subject to time" constraint, through our sins having caused a concealment of the intellect of "above time". Thus it was then that the sitra achara (incorporation of evil forces) decided to intensify itself over Israel, by taking Esther to the palace of Achashveirosh. For Esther is the "G-d fearing woman" (Mishle 31), the representation of the sum total of all the women in the world. The entire order of times depends on her; everything is contingent upon her.

For the one that deserves to take her in holiness and purity – the main tikkun (spiritual rectification) is through her, by way of raising and linking "time" to the concept of "above time". For tikkun is not connected to the concept of "above time". Rather, main tikkun occurs when we descend to the "subject to time" constraint and don't get trapped there; meriting to overcome the desires of [the world of] time and link and raise the aspect of time to that of "above time". We explained before, at length, that this is the fundamental of the concept of "conjugal joining in holiness". Understand this well.  

The opposite is also true. The one that causes a blemish in this falls further "subject to time". This corresponds to the sin of Adam, on who was decreed (Bereishis 2): "You will die on the day that you eat of it": Specifically "on the day" - the concept of "subject to time".

And so it was that the sitra achara thought that the taking of Esther to Achashveirosh would cause everything to be drawn "under time" - being that the entire order of times depends on her – and so allow him to intensify over Israel, whose entire holiness and power derives from the concept of "above time". This corresponds to the verse further on (2:12): "When each maiden's turn arrived…after having spent twelve months according to the rule for the women…" That is, the entire intensity of desire is a factor of the time on which it depends, represented in the "twelve months". 

Esther, however, was a very awesome and great tzedekes (righteous woman). She merited such annulment - to the point that Achashveirosh never touched her at all, according to the Zohar (Tikkun 21, page 57b. Also see Ki Tetze page 276a). This is reflected in the verse (2:15): "When the turn of Esther came…she requested nothing", as opposed to the other maidens regarding whom it says (2:13): "Whatever she requested was granted to her"; they fulfilled all their heart's desires with the desire of time. The tzedekes Esther "requested nothing" since she had so completely annulled her ego that she was not even touched. On the contrary, the matter was turned around from one side to the other, corresponding to the verse (Koheles 8:9): "there is a time that a man rules over another for his harm" - she turned him around to her will. And all this transpired through the holy force of her husband, Mordechai, who guarded her the whole time; she would 'immerse herself from Achashveirosh's lap and sit in Mordechai's lap' (Megillah 13b).

Therefore, it's not enough that the evil kingdom, corresponding to "subject to time", failed to intensify through the taking of Esther to the palace of Achashveirosh. Rather, the matter was turned over completely. It was specifically through Esther that the nitzotzos (sparks of souls) were raised from the kingdom of evil, an aspect of "subject to time". She returned them all to Mordechai, raising and linking everything to "above time". This overturned the entire system of constellations, the very order of time – for they were supposed to annihilate all the Jews on the thirteenth of Adar. But everything was completely reversed "the Jews ruled over their enemies" on that day, the same day of the thirteenth of Adar. For they merited an aspect of annulment of time, meriting to raise and link time to the aspect of "above time", where everything can be turned around for the good.

This corresponds to "It happened in the days of Achashveirosh" and the chazal that 'whenever Scripture states "it happened in the days of" it always signifies trouble. For the root of all trouble and harm is "under time", corresponding to "it happened in the days of" i.e. that which is made and occurs during "days" and time. Thus, the main miracle was through their meriting ascending to the aspect of "above time" and thereby turning everything around for the good.

Likutei Halachos Milah 4:24