Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 41/0

Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 41

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Overview

This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event, stories with similar motifs and themes, or units of text which are linguistically similar and perhaps alluding one to the other. The page includes links to tools that aid in comparison, primary sources that touch upon the parallels, and summaries of and links to articles which analyze them in depth.

Dreams in the Yosef Narrative

There are several stories of dream interpretation in the Yosef narratives which contain similar ideas.

Tools

• Concordance – The concordance highlights that of the 14 occurrences of the root "חלם" in Sefer Bereshit, 13 appear in the Yosef narratives, highlighting the recurring motif. There are, in fact, three sets of dreams in the narrative: Yosef’s own dreams (Bereshit 37), the dreams of Pharaoh’s servants (Bereshit 40), and Pharaoh’s dreams (Bereshit 41). 

Articles

• In Joseph: Master of Dreams, Professor Hillel Chiel explores the three narratives of Yosef’s dream interpretation and how they represent the transition from the Patriarchal period to the national story of Israel. 
• In his lecture, Dreams and Interpretations: An Inquiry into the Development of Yosef’s Dreams, Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom explores how Yosef’s understanding of dream interpretation develops throughout the story of the three sets of dreams.

Jews in Foreign Courts: Yosef, Daniel, and Esther

The stories of Yosef, Daniel, and Esther all take place in exile and share many common motifs.

Articles / Lectures

• See Yosef, Esther, and Daniel for a three-way exploration of parallels and contrasts.The article questions: Should the goal of Jewish life in the Diaspora be survival, as exemplified by Yosef and celebrated by Esther? Or should Jews be more ambitious, and attempt to demonstrate the power and beauty of the Jewish religion to others, as practiced by Daniel?
• See Yosef and Megillat Esther for an in-depth of analysis of the parallels between the stories of Yosef and Esther. The article notes that though the hand of God is less blatant in exile, it still guides events. This is explicit in the Yosef narratives and the allusions to the story might serve to teach the reader that this is true in the story of Esther as well.
• See Yosef and Daniel for an in-depth analysis of the parallels between the stories of Yosef and Daniel and the difference in emphasis in each on public observance of Judaism in exile.
• See Esther and Joseph by Professor Yonatan Grossman and Dr. Yehoshua Reiss for further exploration of the parallels between the narratives of Yosef and Esther in foreign courts. The similarities between the two stories indicate that just as Hashem ensured Yosef’s success in Egypt, so too was He responsible for Esther’s victory in Persia. Additionally, the insecurity of the Jews’ salvation in the story of Esther¹ reminds us that, even when a Jew rises to prominence in a foreign court, there is no guarantee of the Jews’ future safety in the Diaspora.
• See the lecture, Jews in Foreign Palaces: Yosef, Daniel and Esther, by R. Mordechai Torczyner for analysis of the parallels between the three stories, looking at both the Biblical text as well as midrashic sources. R. Torczyner suggests three common qualities that are modeled by Yosef, Daniel, and Esther: faith and unwavering Jewish identity, commitment to sanctifying God’s name, and interest in helping those around them (including people with whom they have little in common and even those who are enemies).. 

Paroh's Dreams

Pharaoh’s telling of his dreams to Yosef (Bereshit 41:17-27) closely parallels the narrative description of the dreams mentioned right beforehand (Bereshit 41:1-7).

Tools

• Use the Tanakh Lab to compare the original version of the dream (as told in the narrative voice) and Paroh's retelling.

Sources

Several commentators compare the two versions, addressing both the differences and the reason why the Torah deemed it necessary to record both.

• Literary Variation – See R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon, Ibn Ezra, Radak and others that since the overall meaning is the same, the changes are insignificant.  It is the way of the text to vary its language and the way of people to add or remove details when retelling a story.
• Intentional Changes – Tanchuma posits that Paroh's changes were intentional; he wanted to test Yosef to know if he knew the original dream on his own.

Articles

• See Yosef: Dreamer and Interpreter by R. Tamir Granot for analysis of the differences and their significance. R. Granot notes the anxiety that accompanies Paroh’s retelling of the dreams, and Yosef’s ability to separate the content of the dreams from Paroh’s feelings about them. Moreover, Yosef’s solution-oriented approach contrasts with Paroh’s sense of doom, highlighting the difference between monotheistic and pagan worldviews. Additionally, it marks a development in Yosef's character as well, as he moves from passive dreamer to active advisor. Through his solutions, Yosef turns fate into destiny by encouraging Paroh to move beyond his deterministic perspective.

¹ This is one of the reasons that the Hallel prayer is not said on Purim.