Similar to Alex's question,
Why did the Gemara say "From where is the source of Homon in the Torah? Homin Hoetz." when it could have used "Vechaltem es Homon"?
Anyways, what is the purpose of finding his name in the Pasuk?
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2It seems the Gemara also had a Purim Torah Policy!– Double AA ♦Commented Mar 5, 2012 at 4:52
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Rabbi Yossi Jacobson discusses the connection between Homin Ho'etz and Haman in this lecture: theyeshiva.net/Video/View/70– MenachemCommented Mar 5, 2012 at 16:05
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2 Answers
This page cites two answers:
Haman wasn't satisfied with all of the wealth, power, descendants, etc., that he had: "all of this is worthless to me as long as Mordechai the Jew sits at the king's gate" (Esther 5:13). So he ended up building the gallows and going to Achashverosh for permission to hang Mordechai, which led to his humiliation and downfall.
This, then, connects with the story of the Tree of Knowledge, where Adam and Chava showed (in a more refined way, granted) the same kind of character flaw: they had an entire garden full of trees to choose from, yet they weren't satisfied until they ate from that one - with consequences that still reverberate today.
Amalek was the first nation to mock Hashem's power - which all of the other nations feared after the Exodus - and attack the Jewish people. This has its roots in Adam's sin, he who was the first to disobey a direct command of Hashem.
Also,
- Maharsha to Chullin there says that Haman is: (a) a descendant of Eisav and Amalek, the embodiment of the evil represented by the snake in that story; (b) associated with the snake in Bereishis Rabbah 19:2, they being two of four characters in the Torah who started a statement with אף ("also," but also "anger") and whom Hashem punished with anger; and (c) also associated with the snake in Sotah 9b, they being two in a long list of characters who wanted more than they already had and ended up losing it all (similar to the first explanation above, though focusing on the snake's desire for Chava - see Rashi there - rather than on Adam).
This question is addressed by The Targum Simcha on Tu B'Shvat. There, he connects the Gemaras specific use of that passuk, as it relates to the Eitz Hadas, to the theory that Haman had been hanged on the Eitz Hadas. Therefore, according to his explanation, the Gemara poignantly using that pasuk was to strengthen the connection between Haman and the Eitz Hadas.
