The Nishama should have an aliya
Here is my Tuesday d’var torah (from R’ Shimon Schwab):
In Al HaNissim, we close by saying that Haman and his sons were hung by the tree. In the megilla, we also find mention of this very same tree numerous times. What is the significance of this tree?
In fact, Haman was the only one who dies via hanging (approx. 16th of Nissan). The 10 sons were killed by sword on the 13th of Adar. On the 14th of Nissan, as per the request of Esther HaMalka, the bodies of the 10 sons were hung on the tree. Chazal make a point to tell us that their dead bodies were hanged on the same tree, one underneath the other, together with the body of Haman (despite the fact that Haman was dead for 11 months!). Additionally, in Maoz Tzur we sing that Haman and his sons were hung via tree.
What is this tree? R’ Schwab wants to suggest that it has its origin from the Gemarra in Chullun, which asks “Where is the source for Haman in the Torah?” (Ha-min Ha-etz) referring to the Eitz HaDaas.
The worst crime one can do is genocide. The destruction of an entire race of people, men, women and children included. And the worst genocide is when it is practiced on Klal Yisroel.
The smallest Aveira, was probably the aveira committed by Adam and Chava. They did it because they thought they would “become like G-d”. They did it because they thought it would uplift their level of spirituality, however, Hashem told them not to, and therefore, it was wrong. Rather than do what they knew to be right, the succumbed to the appeal of the fruit (albeit an altruistic appeal).
The yetzer hara, in the form of the nachash, wanted to entice Adam and Chava to “become like G-d”. And when they succumbed to this desire, the committed the 1st aveira. All other aveiros of the human race are a result of this aveira, because once one violated the will of G-d and experiences the “sweet taste” of sin, he has the desire to continue to do so. Consequently, Adam and Chava after the cheit, had the continued desire for aveiros, and this was inherited by the human race.
The desire for the most idealistic aveira – to become like HaKadosh Baruch Hu – which was committed by Adam and Chava, escalated in their offspring, step by step, until it eventually reached the worst of all sins (the wiping out of the Jewish People). This is what chazal say when they say “Where is Haman” Ha-min HaEitz
Therefore, one could say that the wickedness of Haman is attributed to the tree. With this thought we can readily understand the importance of the “tree” which is mentioned so often in the Purim story.