The Library

Is there a connection between Haman Harasha in the Megilah and the Parshas Haman?

Chazal ask, "Where can we find Haman (Harasha) in the Torah?" And they answer, from the pasuk where Hashem asks Adam Harishon if he ate from the tree that he was commanded not to (“Hamin Ha’etz…”). Even though they had everything in Gan Eden, the Nachash convinced them that they wouldn't be happy as long as they couldn't partake of that ONE forbidden tree.

What was the root of Haman's great evil? There's perhaps no place we can see it more than when Haman tells over to his wife and friends about his vast wealth, honor and many children, and then says: "And ALL THIS is not worth anything to me when I see Mordechai the Jew standing in the gate of the king!" Haman felt he had nothing if he didn't have that ONE THING he couldn’t have. This is the same root of Adam Harishon's sin, and hence the Torah hints to Haman Harasha by the sin of Adam Harishon.

Now here's the amazing part! The Maan in the desert was a tikkun to Adam Harishon's sin, as it says in the Torah “so that I may test them if they will go in the way of my Torah or not”. He was testing us and teaching us to rely completely on Him, one day at a time. Each day we got exactly what we needed for that day, not a drop more and not a drop less.

What a powerful lesson this is for us in the struggle of Kedusha. Every time we say "no" to ourselves for something Hashem doesn't want us to have, we are expressing the Emunah that Hashem is providing exactly what we need, one day at a time. We needn't have any illusions that we ought to partake of anything Hashem doesn't want us to have. And when we live this way, not only does this constitute a tremendous tikkun to the sin of Adam, but as Chazal say, "Who is rich? One who is happy with his lot", because he knows that Hashem is giving him exactly what he needs!