| "And Mordecai left the king's presence with royal raiment, blue and white, and a huge golden crown and a wrap of linen and purple, and the city of Shushan was happy (tzahalah) and rejoiced" (Esther 8:15)
The Even Ezra explains that the meaning of the word "tzahalah" is "illuminated." Therefore, the verse conveys that Haman's downfall and Klal Yisrael's victory over their enemies inspired the Jews of Shushan to be illuminated with happiness.
The Even Ezra describes this moment as "like a person who sat in darkness and was instantly liberated into the 'air of the world.' He suddenly went from darkness to light without any intermediate step. Similarly, Hashem instantly redeemed the Jewish people of Shushan."
However, the Even Ezra's description of Klal Yisrael's sudden transformation from darkness to the "light of the world" needs clarification. After all, he defined tzahalah as "illuminated." How can "illuminated" be described as the "air of the world"?
Haman had decreed that every Jewish person would be killed in one day, a sentence that placed the Jewish people under tremendous pressure and fear, as their lives hung in the balance. This immense pressure affected their spirituality. Therefore, the Even Ezra wrote that Klal Yisrael went instantly from darkness to the "air of the world," symbolizing the spiritual illumination of happiness they experienced upon their redemption.
Today: May you experience the spiritual illumination of happiness, today and every day, forever! | 
