The Diminished Sons of Haman — Esther 9:7–9
פַּרְשַׁנְדָּתָא … פַּרְמַשְׁתָּא … וַיְזָתָא
What to look for
In the column of Haman's ten sons, tradition writes three letters small: the tav of Parshandata (9:7), the shin of Parmashta and the zayin of Vayzata (9:9). The image shows the head of the list with Parshandata.
What it is
Small letters inside the stacked list of the ten sons hanged in Shushan.
Why it matters
Together with the elongated vav in the same list, these are judgment's fine print: the enemies are named, but their letters shrink.
How it has been understood
One tradition adds the three small letters' values (tav 400, shin 300, zayin 7) to hint at a year — and connects the sons' downfall to later downfalls of those who rise against the Jewish people. Whatever one makes of that, the scroll itself diminishes the persecutors even while recording them.