The Long Vav of Vayzata — Esther 9:9
וַיְזָתָא
What to look for
In the list of Haman's ten sons, the vav beginning the last name, Vayzata, is stretched extra long.
What it is
An enlarged letter inside the famous stacked column of Haman's sons — which also contains diminished letters (see the Small Letters entry).
Why it matters
The tradition reads the ten names in a single breath, because the ten fell together; the elongated vav has been compared to a pole on which all ten hang.
How it has been understood
The scribal notes on this list — large vav, small tav, shin, and zayin — have invited centuries of reflection on measured judgment: the enemies of God's people are recorded, counted, and diminished, all within the disciplined letters of the scroll.
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