One Purim afternoon, Rav Chaim Volozhiner Zt’l was at his table enjoying his Seudah when the Rav heard a knock on the door from an Anni collecting. As was his minhag each year, the Rav carried a sack of coins to give out to the Aniyim who cam to him. No one was turned away as the halacha dictates “Kol Haposheit Yad Nosnin Lo.” The Anni accepted the coin but shockingly asked the Rav for a second coin.

“If the Rav offers me another coin, I will tell him over a chiddush that I’m pretty sure the Rav hasn’t heard”, said the Anni. Intrigued by the Anni’s offer, the Rav gave the Anni a second coin.

The Anni began to explain to Rav Chaim Volozhiner the famous Yalkut Shimoni which states an incident where Eliyahu Hanavi came to Mordechai Hatzadik and revealed to him that the deadly decree to eradicate the Jews was quite within his reach and had the ability to be repealed.. He explained to Mordechai that the decree had not been sealed in Shamayim with blood which would be final, rather it was sealed with cement which through piercing Tefillos and Teshuva could change the Gezeira against the Jews.

The old Anni asked Rav Chaim, where is this concept of sealing in cement and not blood meramez in the Megilla?

Rav Chaim closed his eyes and after a few minutes admitted defeat. “Please tell us the answer to this question,” asked Rav Chaim.  The Anni told Rav Chaim a source for this concept from Megillas Esther (3:9), where it says “Yikasev Li’Abdam” – it shall be written down to destroy them. The Hebrew word “L’Abdam”, may be broken into two words to read “Lo B’dam” – not with blood. Simply inserting a space in this word describing Haman’s decree reveals this key fact about the hidden Divine decree.