Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 96b) tells us that Haman’s descendants converted to Judaism and became great Torah scholars. Why would the evil Haman, who tried to wipe out the Jewish people, merit such illustrious descendants?
Rabbi Chaim Mintz responds:
Inadvertent National Repentance
Despite Haman’s wickedness, his actions inadvertently led to an unparalleled teshuvah (repentance) movement among the Jewish people, and for that, he was ultimately rewarded with righteous descendants.
The Talmud (Megillah 14a) tells us that the removal of Achashveirosh’s signet ring accomplished more than the 48 prophets and 7 prophetesses. Throughout the generations, the prophets had rebuked the Jewish people, urging them to repent and return to the proper path. While their efforts had some impact, none succeeded in bringing about a complete national teshuvah. Yet when Achashveirosh removed his ring and gave it to Haman, giving him the authority to eradicate the Jewish people, it accomplished what all the prophets could not. His decree shook the nation to the core, leading them to mass repentance.
God Rewards even Unintentional Good
While true reward is reserved for actions performed with good intentions—when a person earns his reward by exercising his free will to choose what is right—no good outcome goes unrewarded. Hashem, in His infinite and unfathomable kindness, grants some level of reward for the good that results from a person’s actions, even if it was unintentional and therefore unearned.
Thus, although Haman’s motives were entirely evil, Hashem still rewarded him for the good that emerged from his actions, no matter how unintended it may have been.
This concept of receiving reward for unintended good is found in various places. Rashi (Ki Teitzei 24:19), quoting Chazal (our Sages, of blessed memory), writes that if a person accidentally drops money and a pauper finds and uses it, Hashem rewards the person who lost it. Even though the act was unintentional, the pauper ultimately received charity because of him, and Hashem rewards him for the unintended kindness.
The Dogs’ Reward
This principle extends even to animals. The Torah (Mishpatim 22:30) instructs us to feed our non-kosher meat to the dogs. Why specifically to dogs and not any other animal? Rashi explains that this is a reward for the dogs. During Makkat Bechorot (the plague of the firstborn), while the dogs barked and howled at the Egyptians, the Torah attests that they remained completely silent toward the Jewish people. This silence granted the Jews tranquility and clearly demonstrated that Hashem was with them. As a reward for their behavior, we are instructed to give our non-kosher meat specifically to dogs. Although dogs do not have free will, and their actions were clearly being controlled by Hashem, the very fact that their behavior revealed that He was with the Jewish people earned them reward, because, “Hashem does not withhold the reward of any creature.”
In Short: Haman merited righteous descendants because his decree triggered an unprecedented national teshuvah movement, and although it was unintentional, Hashem rewarded the positive outcome.
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