The following are excerpts of a very special shiur that I heard from Rabbi Mansour (given last Thursday night in place of the regular Parsha shiur). The shiur was over an hour, so it is somewhat condensed here, but I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Mansour.
R' Mansour began with a reference to the famous Gemara which asks about the mentioning of various players from the Purim story in the Torah. But then he asked - Purim min HaTorah minayin? He answered by saying that it can be found in the story of Yosef and his brothers from Parshas Mikeitz.
The Esther story begins in the third year of Achasverus' reign (Esther 1:3) and the Yosef in Egypt story with Pharaoh begins in the third year after the dreams of the Sar HaMashkim and Sar HaOfim are interpreted (Bereishis 41:1).
But the comparisons are legion - in Bereishis 41:34, Yosef instructs Pharaoh -יַֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה פַרְעֹ֔ה וְיַפְקֵ֥ד פְּקִדִ֖ים עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ . Similarly in Esther 2:3 - וְיַפְקֵ֨ד הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ פְּקִידִים֘
In the next pasuk, Yosef again instructs - וְיִקְבְּצ֗וּ אֶת־כָּל־אֹ֨כֶל֙ הַשָּׁנִ֣ים הַטֹּב֔וֹת. And later in the same pasuk in Esther - וְיִקְבְּצ֣וּ אֶת־כָּל־נַֽעֲרָֽה־בְ֠תוּלָ֠ה.
Again in Bereishis 41:37 - וַיִּיטַ֥ב הַדָּבָ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וּבְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־עֲבָדָֽיו. And in Esther 2:4 - וַיִּיטַ֧ב הַדָּבָ֛ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ וַיַּ֥עַשׂ כֵּֽן .
Later in Bereishis 43:30 after Yosef sees Binyamin - וַיִּרְחַ֥ץ פָּנָ֖יו וַיֵּצֵ֑א וַיִּ֨תְאַפַּ֔ק וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שִׂ֥ימוּ לָֽחֶם. And in Esther 5:1 - וַיִּתְאַפַּ֣ק הָמָ֔ן וַיָּב֖וֹא אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ.
Finally in Bereishis 43:14 Ya'akov reluctantly allows Binyamin to go saying -וְשִׁלַּ֥ח לָכֶ֛ם אֶת־אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אַחֵ֖ר וְאֶת־בִּנְיָמִ֑ין וַֽאֲנִ֕י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁכֹ֖לְתִּי שָׁכָֽלְתִּי . This is highly reminiscent to Esther telling Mordechai when he tells her to go to the king - וְכַֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָבַ֖דְתִּי אָבָֽדְתִּי .
R' Mansour also mentioned the parallelism of the ten sons of Ya'akov who go down initially to see Yosef and the ten sons of Haman. But what is the connection between the two stories?
R' Mansour began making the connection by talking about Yosef's request for Binyamin to be brought down and the later giving of multiple extra gifts to Binyamin in front of the brothers. This was sure to make his father anxious and potentially to provoke more jealousy from the brothers.
R' Mansour then mentioned the old statement of Chazal about the four galuyos being hinted to by the galus of Egypt. He then quoted the Sar Shalom of Belz who stated that the four trips that the brothers made down to Egypt symbolized the four galuyos.
Based on this thought - the second trip to Egypt was with Binyamin. Once he arrives there is the meal where the brothers could have been jealous. However the gemara states that the five clothes given to Binyamin was a hint to the special five clothes that Mordechai wore in Esther 8:15. And immediately thereafter - וְהָעִ֣יר שׁוּשָׁ֔ן צָֽהֲלָ֖ה וְשָׂמֵֽחָה.
Furthermore during the meal with the brothers, Yosef served wine and they drank. Rashi says that during the time that the brothers and Yosef were separated, neither drank wine. So here was the first time that they drank - but it also says that they got drunk. And there is only one holiday that there is an obligation to get drunk...
R' Mansour then quoted a Medrash which states that Hashem said about the brothers sale of Yosef - you sold Yosef and then sat down to eat and drink. This bill was paid when Haman and Ahasveros sat down to eat and drink and sealed their bargain to wipe out the Jews.
But since Yosef had a connection to this gezeira because he was sold, he knew that he had to make a tikun.
The Meshech Chachma states that the sale by the brothers is like an ulcer and that every time that the Jews fight, this sin flairs up as well. We see this problem in the megillah as Haman states יֶשְׁנ֣וֹ עַם־אֶחָ֗ד מְפֻזָּ֤ר וּמְפֹרָד֙ בֵּ֣ין הָֽעַמִּ֔ים - the words can be read as the nation was suffering from pirud - separation. And Haman and Amalek know that we are vulnerable when there is pirud.
The Chida states that this is the reason that Binyamin though his descendants - Mordechai and Esther are integral in ending the gezeira. Binyamin was not involved in the sale and he was integral in proving that there would be no more fighting among the brothers. By not being jealous of Binyamin getting the extra portions, the brothers showed that they had achdus and had learned from their previous bad acts.
This is why they drank after the extra gifts were given. The brothers passed the test by not being jealous. Having seen that, Yosef now finally has a drink because he sees they have repented and they do too.
At the end of the parsha, Yosef tells his brothers in Bereishis 44:17 - וְאַתֶּ֕ם עֲל֥וּ לְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־אֲבִיכֶֽם. Similarly, in the end of the Megillah it states כִּ֣י | מָרְדֳּכַ֣י הַיְּהוּדִ֗י מִשְׁנֶה֙ לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ וְגָדוֹל֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְרָצ֖וּי לְרֹ֣ב אֶחָ֑יו דֹּרֵ֥שׁ טוֹב֙ לְעַמּ֔וֹ וְדֹבֵ֥ר שָׁל֖וֹם לְכָל־זַרְעֽוֹ
Iyh, the show of Achdus and all the mitzvos of Purim will be a Melitz Yosher before Hashem to end the current gezeira as well.
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