The concepts explained above can be connected to the interpretation of the name Achashverosh found in another source.1וְיֵשׁ לְקַשֵּׁר זֶה עִם הַמְּבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר בְּעִנְיַן אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ,
The name Achashverosh can be divided as “achash verosh.”2דַּאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הוּא אֲחַשְׁ וֵרוֹש.
The word chash has the connotation of silence.חַשׁ הוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן שְׁתִיקָה
[Thus, the Gemara asks,3 “What is meant by the term chashmal4?[כִּדְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא מַאי חַשְׁמַל כוּ'
Angels that at times are silent (chashos) and at times speak (memalelos).”]עִתִּים חָשׁוֹת עִתִּים מְמַלְּלוֹת],
Their silence – alluded to by the letters chash – is loftier than their speech,וְהַשְּׁתִיקָה דְּחָשׁ הִיא לְמַעְלָה מִדִּבּוּר,
as reflected by the words of our Sages:5 “When an utterance comes forth from the Holy One, blessed be He, they are silent. When no utterance comes forth from Him, they speak.” Clearly, their silence, which results from their being absorbed in the word of G‑d, is loftier than their speech, which comes in the absence of revelation from within Him.6
In a similar vein, our Sages say,7 “Rather than purchase a word with a sela, purchase silence with two,” i.e., here, too, silence is clearly regarded more highly than speech.עַל דֶּרֶךְ מִלָּה בְּסֶלַע שְׁתִיקוּתָא בִּתְרֵי.
To focus on the spiritual source of these potentials:
The source of speech is Chochmah, “wisdom,”8דְּשֹׁרֶשׁ הַדִּבּוּר הוּא בְּחָכְמָה,
and the source for silence is Kesser, which is loftier than Chochmah,וּשְׁתִיקָה הִיא בְּכֶתֶר שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהַחָכְמָה,
as intimated by our Sages’ statement,9 “Silence is a fence around wisdom.”10כְּמַאֲמַר רַזַ"ל סְיָג לַחָכְמָה שְׁתִיקָה,
“The fence of Chochmah” (i.e., a fence is an encompassment alluding to a makkif, an encompassing light)דִּסְיָג לַחָכְמָה (סְיָג מִלְּשׁוֹן גָּדֵר וּמַקִּיף)
is Kesser, a potential loftier than Chochmah.הוּא הַכֶּתֶר שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהַחָכְמָה.
On this level, silence comes, not because one has nothing to say, but rather because he is absorbed in receiving and internalizing a higher light, as intimated by our Sages’ saying,11 “One that is busy absorbing will not emit.” Or on an even higher rung, one is absorbed in thought so deep that it cannot be expressed in words.
The above can be connected with the statement of the Midrash12וְיֵשׁ לְקַשֵּׁר זֶה עִם מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ
that Achashverosh refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, “the One to Whom the end and the beginning belong.”13שֶׁאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ זֶה הַקָּבָּ"ה שֶׁאַחֲרִית וְרֵאשִׁית שֶׁלּוֹ,
For Kesser (in general) is identified with G‑d’s light that is sovev kol almin,כִּי כֶּתֶר הוּא (בִּכְלָל) אוֹר הַסּוֹבֵב
transcending Seder HaHishtalshelus, the chainlike structure of existence.שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת,
For G‑d’s light that is sovev kol almin includes both the end and the beginning and they are the same before it, as it is said in Chassidus;14דְּאוֹר הַסּוֹבֵב כּוֹלֵל אַחֲרִית וְרֵאשִׁית בְּשָׁוֶה,
“The One to Whom the end and beginning belong.”אַחֲרִית וְרֵאשִׁית שֶׁלּוֹ.
There are levels of relative greatness, for example, a great sage whose wisdom surpasses that of others. Nevertheless, those others can to a certain extent measure themselves against him. This one understands something of what he says; another more, another less. There is a hierarchy of understanding.
At times, however, we encounter greatness that is absolute, a level so transcendent that all limited levels are equal before it. To express the concept in mathematical terms, in relation to infinity, 1 and 100,000 are the same. Similarly, in relation to G‑d’s light that is sovev kol almin, the most refined spiritual levels and our material world are the same.
Explanation is, however, required:וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין,
The Talmud states15 that the name Achashverosh recalls that “the faces of the Jews became darkened (hushcharu) in his days,” i.e., it was a time of hardship for the Jewish people.דְּבַגְּמָרָא אִיתָא דַּאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הוּא עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהֻשְׁחֲרוּ פְּנֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיָמָיו,
How can that be reconciled with the interpretation given above that Achashverosh reflects a lofty spiritual rung, “the One to Whom the end and the beginning belong”?וְאֵיךְ זֶה מַתְאִים עִם הַפֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הוּא מִי שֶׁאַחֲרִית וְרֵאשִׁית שֶׁלּוֹ.
In resolution, even though they appear antithetical, one concept is an outgrowth of the other.וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא, דְּהִיא הַנּוֹתֶנֶת.
Since light and darkness are the same in relation to G‑d’s light that is sovev kol almin and which transcends Seder HaHishtalshelusדְּכֵיוָן שֶׁמִּצַּד הַסּוֹבֵב שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת אוֹר וְחֹשֶׁךְ שָׁוִים לְפָנָיו
(as explained in sec. 5 above),(כַּנַּ"ל סְעִיף ה),
it is, therefore, possible that from the level of silence (the chash of Achashverosh), which is above speech,לָכֵן, מִבְּחִינַת הַשְּׁתִיקָה (חָשׁ דַּאֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ) שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מִדִּבּוּר
there can develop (through a multitude of contractions)נִשְׁתַּלְשֵׁל (עַל יְדֵי רִבּוּי צִמְצוּמִים וְכוּ')
the silence that is below speech,16 like a person who cannot speak because he is prevented from doing so. In the analogue, it refers to a level whereהַשְּׁתִיקָה שֶׁלְּמַטָּה מִדִּבּוּר,
G‑dliness is concealed,שֶׁהָאֱלֹקוּת הוּא בְּהֶעְלֵם
(i.e., concealed in a simple sense, concealment that is below revelation,)(הֶעְלֵם כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁלְּמַטָּה מִגִּלּוּי),
even to the degree of silence, reflected in the verse,17 “like a sheep that turns dumb before its shearers.”וְעַד לְהַשְּׁתִיקָה דִּכְרָחֵל לִפְנֵי ג ֹזְזֶיהָ נֶאֱלָמָה,
Not only does G‑dliness not shine in a revealed manner,דְּלֹא רַק שֶׁהָאֱלֹקוּת אֵינוֹ מֵאִיר בְּגִלּוּי
but also kelipah conceals G‑dliness,אֶלָא שֶׁגַּם הַקְּלִפָּה מַסְתֶּרֶת עַל הָאֱלֹקוּת,
not only kelipas nogah on its initial level, that is called chash,18קְלִפַּת נֹגַהּ שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת חָשׁ,
but also as it descends to the extent that it is joined with the three impure kelipos, rosh (poison).19וְעַד שֶׁמִּתְחַבֶּרֶת עִם ג' קְלִיפּוֹת הַטְּמֵאוֹת, רוֹשׁ.
Since, on the level of Kesser, the higher rung of silence, darkness and light are the same, the possibility is generated for darkness to prevail on this material plane. Darkness cannot coexist with the revealed levels of G‑dliness, for “a tiny light dispels much darkness.”20 However, darkness does not represent a contradiction to the level of Kesser. Hence, that rung makes it possible for the severe concealment that characterized the rule of Achashverosh to prevail.21 To couch the concept in kabbalistic terms: It empowers the forces of kelipah, “unholiness,” and enables them to prevail.

Summary

The concepts explained above can be connected to the interpretation of the name Achashverosh. The name Achashverosh can be divided as “achash verosh.” The word chash has the connotation of silence. Silence is loftier than speech. In a spiritual context, the source of speech is Chochmah, “wisdom,” the beginning of Seder HaHishtalshelus, and the source for silence is Kesser, which is loftier than Chochmah.
The above can be connected with the statement of the Midrash that Achashverosh refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, “the One to Whom the end and the beginning belong.” This reflects the level of sovev kol almin, which transcends Seder HaHishtalshelus.
The positive connotations of the name Achashverosh seem to conflict with the Talmud’s interpretation that the name Achashverosh recalls that “the faces of the Jews became darkened in his days.” In resolution: Even though they appear antithetical, one concept can be seen as an outgrowth of the other. Since light and darkness are the same in relation to G‑d’s light that transcends Seder HaHishtalshelus, it is possible for that transcendent level to lead to spiritual darkness.