Scripture makes it abundantly clear that there was serious tension between Joseph and his brothers, who are described as “hating” him. The source of this tension, however, is less clear. The Torah gives no less than three potential reasons for their hatred:

  1. “He brought negative reports about them to his father.”1
  2. Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was the son of his old age, and Israel (Jacob) made him a robe of fine wool.”2
  3. “And Joseph dreamed a dream and told his brothers, and they continued to hate him.”3

Let’s explore the convergence of these verses and how the various commentaries frame the relationship between Joseph and his brothers.

1. The Brothers Believed He Was Loved Because of the Reports

According to Abarbanel (Rabbi Don Isaac ben Judah Abarbanel 1437–1508), although the verse explicitly states that Jacob's love for Joseph stemmed from him being “the son of his old age,” the brothers did not see this as the primary factor. They felt that the reports Joseph brought to their father—reports of their wrongdoings—were the cause of Jacob and Joseph’s special relationship. They therefore despised him deeply, viewing his actions as an effort to demean them and the source of their father's favoritism.4

2. The Brothers Feared He Would Receive the Birthright

The Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel 1809 – 1879) offers an alternative explanation for the brothers’ hatred. They were afraid that just as Ishmael was set aside in favor of Isaac, and Esau was overlooked in favor of Jacob, they too might be excluded from inheriting their father’s legacy. They suspected that Joseph would be chosen as the sole heir to the “blessing of Abraham.”5

3. Jacob Conveyed All His Wisdom to Joseph

Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki 1040 – 1105) notes that Onkelos translates the phrase, “because he was a son of his old age,”6 as “he was a wise son to him,” meaning that whatever Jacob had studied at the Academy of Shem and Eber, he taught to Joseph. The Chatam Sofer7 (Moshe Sofer, 1762–1839) infers from this that due to his superior wisdom, everyone—including his brothers—was obligated to show him the respect worthy of a Torah sage. The verse, however, makes sure to note that “he was a wise son to him”—to Jacob. While his father considered him wise, his brothers viewed him as a child who spent his time frivolously playing with the sons of the maidservants.8

4. He Was Loved Even More Than Benjamin

In his classic work Meshech Chochma, Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843–1926) explores another angle. He explains that while the brothers could accept that Jacob loves Rachel’s children more, as she was his preferred spouse, they could not justify the superiority of Joseph over all the brothers, including Benjamin who was Rachel’s second son. This singling out of Joseph for no good reason (in the eyes of the brothers) was the real source of the serious animosity between them.9

5. Retelling the Dreams Was an Attempt at Reconciliation

While discussing the dreams that seem to demonstrate Joseph’s authority over his brothers, the Rebbe poses the obvious question: Why would Joseph retell these dreams, knowing his brothers already deeply despised him? Did he not realize that this would only intensify their hatred?

The Rebbe suggests that in Joseph’s understanding, these dreams actually showed that the brothers would not be subservient to him; they showed only that he was slightly superior. He hoped that this would allay their fears and reduce the tension. Regarding the first dream, Joseph understood it very simply, that he would be blessed slightly more than his brothers and therefore his wheat would be a little superior. Regarding the second dream, where 11 stars, the sun, and the moon bowed to him, he interpreted it not that the brothers themselves would be subservient to him, but rather their heavenly constellations—represented by the stars—would assist him. Joseph sought to emphasize not his superiority but his need for their assistance. He therefore made a point to retell the dreams in an attempt to diffuse the tension. His brothers, however, did not accept his interpretations and instead saw the dreams as proof of what they had long suspected: that Joseph was attempting to rule over them.10

Others suggest that by relating his dreams to his brothers, he hoped to demonstrate that any superiority or dominance was ordained by G‑d, and therefore there was no cause for hatred.11

6. G‑d Orchestrated the Entire Episode

The Zohar,12 in reference to this episode, makes a startling statement “G‑d orchestrated this entire episode in order that the decree [He articulated to Abraham] at the Covenant of Parts, come about.” This means that all this tension, which culminated in the brothers selling Joseph down to Eygpt, was part of G‑d’s plan for the Jews to end up as slaves. If the brothers would not have sold Joseph, the slavery in Eygpt would have come about in some other, more damaging way. In this Kabbalistic reading, the fact that the brothers started this process, allowed for redemption later.13

7. It Was a Misunderstanding

Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin (1818–1898), rabbi of Brisk, Lithuania, before becoming rabbi of the Ashkenazi community in Jerusalem, suggests that Joseph sought to assist his brothers by reporting their behavior to their father. He hoped his father would devote more time to educating them on the correct path. His brothers, however, thought he was merely “tattling” so that his father would favor him even more. Moreover, when he tried to converse with his brothers peacefully, they suspected him of being double-faced, reporting negatively to their father and then attempting to be pleasant to them face-to-face. This is why they hated him and could not speak with him peacefully.14