God's {evil} Mask

In Esther’s opening chapter, Haman is curiously absent—he’s missing from Achashverosh’s great banquet, unlisted among the royal courtiers. He is nowhere—and then, in an instant, he is everywhere. How did he ascend so swiftly to such heights of power? How did he gain the authority to decree annihilation with a mere whim? How did he become the force that held an entire nation’s fate in his grasp?

This mystery reveals something profound about רַע: it does not follow the natural order. It does not ascend through predictable paths of influence. Its rise is not logical. Evil does not emerge—it erupts. It is not the result of steady political maneuvering or human ambition alone; it originates from a deeper, more enigmatic source.

Haman was a nobody—until Hashem made him an everybody.

Haman could have no independent existence, no place in the natural fabric of the world. Unlike the angels, who flow as seamless extensions of the Divine, evil is something else. It is not a natural emanation from Hashem, but like the מלאך המוות, it must be summoned, formed, and given breath. Without the continuous will of השם, it would instantly fall and disintegrate into nothingness.[1]

Ra has no place in this world unless Hashem wills it. And not just wills it, but sustains it, intimately. This is a staggering realization: paradoxically, absolute evil is closer to Hashem than good. Good flows effortlessly from the Infinite, requiring no extraordinary intervention. But evil? Evil demands Hashgocho Protis of the highest degree [2]. It must be held, nurtured, maintained, granted force—and therefore, its existence is perilously fragile. It is a shadow, dependent entirely on the light that casts it.

It is here—and then, instantly gone—וַתָּפֹּל .

Haman’s very fate is foretold in the Megillah itself, where the language of falling repeats like an omen:

●"נָפוֹל תִּפּוֹל לְפָנָיו" (Esther 6:13) – “You shall surely fall before

him.” The moment his downfall begins, it is inevitable.

●"וַיָּפוֹל עַל הַמִּטָּה" (Esther 7:8) – “And Haman fell upon the

bed.” The final, literal collapse of the illusion of power.

●Even the word "פּוּר" (Pur, “lot”) in "הִפִּיל פּוּר" (Esther 3:7) – “He cast Pur, that is, the lot,” contains the root נפל (nafal, “fall”), foreshadowing that the very moment Haman believes he is controlling fate, he has already begun to fall [3].

The moment Hashem lets go, the moment He removes the mask, evil instantly collapses.

History bears witness: again and again, darkness ascends to unfathomable heights, appearing indomitable. And yet, it vanishes as swiftly as it rose. The same Hand that upheld it withdraws, and it collapses in an instant. Just as night is separated from day by the slightest imperceptible shift, so too is evil from the brilliance of light from which it vanishes [4].

This is the great Purim secret: Evil is not the absence of G‑d—it is the disguise of G‑d.

A profound paradox lies hidden in Haman’s very name. His gematria is 95, identical to that of "המלך", a term used throughout the Megillah to refer to Achashverosh. But beneath the surface, this number hints at something far more profound.

At first glance, this seems impossible: How can Haman, embodiment of evil, share a numerical value with a title that alludes to Hashem? The two seem to stand in complete opposition—Haman represents destruction, chaos, and the attempt to erase Am Yisrael, while המלך represents sovereignty, control, and ultimate justice.

But this is precisely the answer to the paradox: Haman’s power was never his own. His meteoric rise, sweeping authority, and even his decree of annihilation were not signs of true autonomy but of hidden Divine orchestration. His authority was entirely dependent on המלך—the true King.

The Midrash (Esther Rabbah 3:10) teaches that every mention of "המלך" in the Megillah refers not only to Achashverosh but also to Hashem Himself. This means that even when the story presents Haman and Achashverosh as wielding absolute power, it is still המלך who is controlling the entire narrative.

Haman, who believed he was the master of his fate, was nothing more than a mask for the true King. His power was not independent but a temporary tool in the unfolding Divine plan.

This is why Haman and HaMelech share the same gematria of 95. The rise of evil is never a sign of Divine absence—it is proof of Hashem’s hidden presence. The same King who raises up righteous leaders can also elevate evil ones, but only to fulfill a higher purpose.

The moment Hashem withdraws His hand, the illusion collapses. Haman, who once seemed invincible, falls in an instant. The mask is lifted, and only המלך remains.

Achashverosh and Haman were not true kings—they were disguises.

Haman thought he was rising to ultimate power. But he was only a tool, a shadow of המלך, the true King. His name, his rise, his gematria—everything about him revealed the truth: he was created only to disappear.

History repeats this lesson repeatedly. Evil rises unnaturally, swelling beyond reason, and then, just as suddenly, it is gone.

For Ha'Melech- the true King, never left.

He was there all along—within Achashverosh and Haman's hearts, waiting for the right moment to lift the masks and reveal the light.

________________________________________

[1] See, Supporting Sources, cited below.

[2] It is striking that absolute טוב and absolute רע share a fundamental commonality: both are governed by the most intense manifestation ofהשגחה פרטית. This is one of the deeper meanings behind the Purim phrase “עד דלא ידע בין ברוך מרדכי לארור המן” – that Divine presence is equally embedded in both extremes. It also reflects the profound connection between “ראשית גוים עמלק” and "בִּשְׁבִיל רֵאשִׁית נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם" (The Midrash explains that the word "רֵאשִׁית" alludes to the Torah and to the Jewish people). Both represent primordial forces at the core of creation, each receiving a heightened degree of Divine attention.

These two forces are closer than anything else—like conjoined twins, deeply familiar with each other’s strengths and vulnerabilities. Because of this closeness, each is inherently susceptible to being overturned by the other in an instant. As the prophetic declaration regarding Esav and Yaakov states: “ורב יעבוד צעיר… זה קם זה נופל” — “When one rises, the other falls.” Just as Yaakov’s ascent signals Esav’s decline, so too the moment light asserts itself, darkness disappears. And when darkness rises, it is only because the light has momentarily receded. Their struggle is not mere opposition but a delicate interplay of Divine concealment and revelation.

Yet there is one crucial distinction: רע מאוד (utter evil) is entirely sustained by Hashem, whereas טוב מאוד (utter good) is sustained through a partnership between Hashem and humanity. Evil is an artificial construct, requiring continual Divine input to exist, while goodness flows naturally, emerging from the harmonious alignment of human will with the Divine.

[3] Also see: “ורב יעבוד צעיר… זה קם זה נופל” (Bereishit 25:23; Megillah 6a) — “When one rises, the other falls.”

[4] Sukkah 52a describes a future time when the yetzer hara will be revealed in its true form. To the wicked, it will appear as a mere strand of hair, and they will lament: “How were we unable to overcome this strand of hair?” This highlights how, in hindsight, evil’s power is illusory and fragile – just a thin mask that concealed the truth.

1. Evil as a Created Force:

בראשית א:ד – "וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ"

The Midrash (בראשית רבה ב:ה) explains that darkness is not merely the absence of light but a distinct creation that required separation. This implies that evil, like darkness, is not a natural emanation of G-d but something that He actively introduces into the world.

ישעיהו מ"ה:ז – "יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא חֹשֶׁךְ, עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא רָע, אֲנִי יהוה עֹשֶׂה כָּל אֵלֶּה"

This verse explicitly states that evil is not an autonomous force but something Hashem "creates." If evil were a natural element of existence, it would not need to be "created"; it would simply flow from the Divine as good does. The fact that Hashem "forms light" but "creates darkness" suggests that darkness (and by extension, evil) is not inherent—it requires an active act of Divine will.

2. Evil Requires Divine Sustenance

רמב"ן, בראשית ב:ט

The Ramban explains that the עץ הדעת טוב ורע introduced an unnatural duality into the world. Before Adam and Chava ate from it, evil was not a natural part of human existence but an external force that required specific activation. This means that Hashem’s “attention” is more closely involved in sustaining evil than in sustaining good

זוהר חלק ב, קפד:ב

The Zohar describes that even Satan must receive his sustenance from G-d. Evil exists only as long as Hashem “feeds” it, suggesting that Hashem is more “involved” in maintaining evil than in allowing good to flow naturally.

רמב"ן, בראשית ו:ו – "וַיִּנָּחֶם יהוה כִּי עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם"

The Ramban comments that G-d’s “regret” at creating man is not literal but an expression that Hashem must now actively involve Himself more in human affairs to sustain a world corrupted by evil. This implies that evil forces require greater Divine involvement than goodness does.

3. Evil’s Abrupt Appearance and Disappearance

תלמוד בבלי, סוכה נב. – "לבסוף מבקש הקב"ה לשחוט את יצר הרע"

The Talmud describes how Hashem will "slaughter the Yetzer Hara at the end of time." If evil were a natural and self-sustaining force, it could not be "slaughtered" like a created being. This supports the idea that evil erupts when needed, and vanishes when its purpose is complete.

תהילים לז:י – "וְעוֹד מְעַט וְאֵין רָשָׁע, וְהִתְבּוֹנַנְתָּ עַל-מְקוֹמוֹ וְאֵינֶנּוּ"

David HaMelech emphasizes the sudden disappearance of the wicked—not a gradual fading, but an abrupt vanishing, underscoring that evil is an anomaly, not an inherent part of the world’s fabric.

4. Haman's astounding rise to power was not part of the natural order.

The Midrash points out that Haman’s meteoric rise is not rational or political, but divinely orchestrated for Israel’s ultimate salvation.

The Midrash states: "לֹא נִתְמַנָּה הָמָן לִגְדוּלָּה אֶלָּא לְצֹרֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל"—Haman’s appointment was solely for the sake of Israel’s redemption, showing that his rise was not natural but a sudden, Divinely directed phenomenon.

5. Evil Requires More Direct Divine Attention than Good

6. The Paradox of Evil: It Appears Stronger but Is Weaker

תהילים צ"ב:ח – "בִּפְרֹחַ רְשָׁעִים כְּמוֹ עֵשֶׂב וַיָּצִיצוּ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן, לְהִשָּׁמְדָם עֲדֵי עַד"

The Midrash (תהילים רבה צב) interprets this verse to mean that evil flourishes quickly only because it is being given artificial sustenance from Hashem—just so it can be uprooted.

Good is self-sustaining, but evil requires constant Divine attention, making it seem more powerful when, in reality, it is closer to destruction.

7. Evil as a Divine “Garment”

מדרש תנחומא, פרשת וירא ט

"אין דבר רע יורד מלמעלה." – Nothing bad comes from Heaven

But how can we reconcile this with the existence of suffering and evil? The Midrash explains that even what appears as evil is merely Hashem “wearing a disguise.” This supports the idea that evil is not an independent force but something Hashem directly “wears” and controls.

8. Hashem “Descends” Into Evil to Overcome It

ישעיהו ס"ג:ט – "בְּכָל צָרָתָם לוֹ צָר"

“In all their suffering, He suffers.” Imo Anochi b’Tzara. Sanhedrin 46a expands on this, saying that Hashem, as it were, “descends” into the pain of evil itself—meaning that His involvement with suffering and wickedness is deeply intimate.

This suggests that Hashem is more “within” the presence of evil than we might think—not because He is evil, but because He actively guides it.