By Vered Hollander-Goldfarb
Esther and Joseph E-Shiur Sourcesheet (pdf)
Esther and Joseph E-Shiur (pdf)
The story of Esther presents a situation previously unknown in the biblical period. Never before had an independent community of Jews existed, willingly, outside the Land of Israel, at the time that there was a formal Jewish community there. What sources could such a community draw on to give its existence a positive and legitimate image? Not surprisingly, the Megilah story shows many similarities to the story of Joseph, the catalyst of the events that led to the first exile, in Egypt.
