Yosef and Megillat Esther

Introduction

The plethora of similarities between the Yosef narratives and the Book of Esther have been noted by many exegetes.¹  There is significant overlap between the general setting of the stories, the events that transpire, and the characters of the protagonists.  Moreover, these content parallels are buttressed by numerous linguistic similarities, suggesting that the author of Megillat Esther was intentionally inviting the reader to compare the two sagas.

Plot Parallels

 The table below charts many of the content similarities between the two narratives:

Backdrop	Exile – Each of the Yosef saga and the story of Esther take place in exile (Egypt and Persia). Position of power – Yosef, Esther, and Mordechai all rise to power in the king's palace, positioning them to aid their brethren. Children of Rachel – In each narrative, the main protagonists are descendants of Rachel.2 Hand of Hashem – God's hand remains in the background in both stories.  His name is not mentioned at all in the Book of Esther and He speaks only once (and never explicitly acts) in the entire thirteen chapters of the Yosef saga.3 Live happily ever after? Though both stories end with a Jew rising to power and an immediate threat to survival eliminated, in neither is there a complete victory.  The Jews of Persia remain in exile and Yaakov's sons stay in Egypt, only to be enslaved a generation later.
Yosef and Esther	Beauty and charm – Both Yosef and Esther are marked by exceptional beauty and charm. Dual name – Yosef is given the name Tzafenat Paneach, and Hadassah is known as Esther.4 Hiding of identity – Yosef disguises himself in front of his brothers, while Esther hides her Jewish identity from Achashverosh.  Both reveal themselves at the end of the story.
Yosef and Mordechai	Refuse to be swayed – Yosef rejects Mrs. Potiphar's daily advances, while Mordechai rejects Haman's daily demand that he bow. Second in command – Both Yosef and Mordechai rise to be second to the king. Signs of kingship – Both characters are given the king's signet ring, dressed in royal finery, and paraded through the streets on the king's horse/chariot, as others proclaim their royal status. Good deeds forgotten – Yosef is forgotten by the butler, only to be remembered two years later when Paroh's sleep is bothered by dreams. Mordechai's saving of the king's life is similarly ignored until the king's turbulent sleep leads him to read a record thereof.
The King	Punishing of eunuchs – Paroh imprisons the butler and baker, while Achashverosh hangs Bigtan and Teresh. Party – Both celebrate parties at which fateful events occur. Troubled sleep – Paroh's sleep is plagued by inexplicable dreams, while Achashverosh's uneasy sleep awakens him.
Yaakov's Family and Mordechai and Esther	Mourning – Upon hearing distressing news, both Yaakov and Mordechai don mourning garb and refuse to be consoled. Reluctant agreement – Yaakov and Esther both reluctantly agree to the plan of their relative to save their nation / family from harm, recognizing that it might cost them their son/life. Plea – Both Yehuda and Esther plea for salvation (for Binyamin / the nation) before the ruler, claiming that they cannot bear to see evil befall their loved ones.

Literary Allusions

Throughout the Book of Esther there are continuous allusions to the Yosef narrative.  These range from short phrases to almost complete verses:

 

Analysis

• Distinctive phrases – About half of the above parallels are unique to these two stories.  Thus, the phrases ‎"וַיְהִי כְּאָמְרָם/ כְּדַבְּרָהּ... יוֹם יוֹם וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ‎", "‎וְיַפְקֵד פְּקִידִים... וְיִקְבְּצוּ אֶת כָּל‎", "וַיָּסַר... אֶת טַבַּעְתּוֹ מֵעַל יָדוֹ וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָהּ", "פֶּן אֶרְאֶה בָרָע אֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא אֶת‎", and ‎"כֵּן יִמְלְאוּ יְמֵי‎"⁵ appear only in these two narratives.  Several of the other parallels are also somewhat unique, appearing only in a small number of other places in Tanakh.⁶

• Degree of similarity – The parallels have a high degree of similarity.  Several phrases are totally identical,⁷ while in others the choice of word is the same though the form might differ due to number, tense, or gender.⁸
• Function of the parallels – Many of the linguistic parallels serve to support the content parallels, reinforcing both the similar plot line and messages of both stories.
• The beauty of Yosef and Esther is what leads both into a position where they are desired by those more powerful than them.
• The "daily refusal" of both Yosef and Mordechai (against the sexual advance of Mrs. Potiphar and Haman's demand to bow down) highlights how both stand up against figures of authority, despite the inherent dangers.
• In both narratives, the giving of a ring symbolizes a transfer of power and marks the rise to second in command.
• The anger at/of the eunuchs serves as a turning point in both stories, in one case leading to Yosef's emergence from prison and in the other to Mordechai's saving of Achashverosh's life.
• Esther's lament "כִּי אֵיכָכָה אוּכַל וְרָאִיתִי בָּרָעָה אֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא אֶת עַמִּי" echoes the anguish of Yehuda's similar cry.  In both stories, a character who had previously not expressed strong solidarity with their brethren,⁹ is in the end moved to plea before the ruler for their salvation.¹⁰

• Character parallels – The characters in the two stories are not consistently paired with one specific figure in the parallel story.  Thus, Yosef shares traits and actions with both Esther and Mordechai.  Esther echoes not only Yosef, but Yaakov and Yehuda as well, and although Mordechai mainly recalls Yosef, he is also paralleled to Yaakov.  Only Paroh and Achashverosh are matched only to each other.
• Content – Some of the overall plot parallels are not unique to these stories, but are also shared by the Daniel narratives.¹¹  In all three, a Jew, exceptional in his/her beauty, rises to power in exile, and it is the king's troubled sleep which provides the stimulus through which they find favor in his eyes.  Only in the Yosef and Esther stories, though, does the new position enable a salvation and is there a sub-theme relating to the hiding of identity.  In addition, many of the specific details of the rise to power, such as the giving of the signet ring and parading through the streets, are found only in Bereshit and Megillat Esther.

Contrasts

Despite the many similarities above, there are some major points of contrast between the narratives:

• Individual versus national – While the Book of  Esther speaks of a nation in exile, the Yosef stories focus on just one individual in a foreign land.
• National persecution versus family strife – While the story of Esther revolves around a threat to the survival of the Jewish nation by an antagonistic foreign ruler,¹² there is no such threat of persecution in the Yosef saga.¹³  In contrast, the Yosef narratives focus on the division and reunification of a family, a theme which is absent from the Esther story.

Implications

It is perhaps the exilic setting that is the most central aspect in accounting for the similarities between the stories:

• Paradigm of exile – The Yosef story, being the first story of exile in Tanakh, can be seen as a paradigm for future similar stories.  Yosef's odyssey symbolizes what will later happen to the entire nation, and thus it might be expected that later such stories will recall it. 
• Success in exile – The two stories suggest that, to be successful in exile, one must at times aid the foreign ruler and act as an ally, while at other times stand firm for one's particular beliefs. It might be necessary to make use of beauty, charm, wisdom, or even subterfuge, to position oneself in a place of power, for only from there can one sway the ruler to aid one's family or nation.
• Hashem's providence – In exile, God's providence is not as evident as it is in the Land of Israel, yet His hand still guides events.  This is explicit in the Yosef narratives where Yosef tells his brothers, "אַל יִחַר בְּעֵינֵיכֶם כִּי מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי לְמִחְיָה שְׁלָחַנִי אֱ-לֹהִים לִפְנֵיכֶם". Megillat Esther, which makes no mention of Hashem at all, might allude to the stories of Yosef to teach this very lesson.  Just as in the first story of exile, where God seemed absent, but was nonetheless pulling all the strings, the same is true in this later exile.
• Instability – Both stories highlight the uncertainty of life under foreign rule. Yosef's life in Egypt is a roller coaster of ups and downs. He rises to power in Potiphar's house only to be sent to prison, but then is freed and rises to second in command.   In the Esther story too, a fickle king seems to act on whim, changing his mind repeatedly.  Though the Esther story seems to end positively, the enslavement that follows Yosef's rise to power reminds the reader that, despite Mordechai's success, the Jews are not secure in Persia either.