וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּאֶ֖רֶץ מְגוּרֵ֣י אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃

Unlike Esau, who left Canaan to settle on Mount Se’ir, Jacob settled, while his father was still alive, in the land of his father’s residence, in the land of Canaan.

אֵ֣לֶּה ׀ תֹּלְד֣וֹת יַעֲקֹ֗ב יוֹסֵ֞ף בֶּן־שְׁבַֽע־עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ הָיָ֨ה רֹעֶ֤ה אֶת־אֶחָיו֙ בַּצֹּ֔אן וְה֣וּא נַ֗עַר אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י בִלְהָ֛ה וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֥י זִלְפָּ֖ה נְשֵׁ֣י אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶת־דִּבָּתָ֥ם רָעָ֖ה אֶל־אֲבִיהֶֽם׃

This is the legacy of Jacob. Although Jacob remained active upon his return to Canaan, his contributions as a leader and builder started to decrease. Therefore the narrative shifts its primary focus to Joseph. Joseph, seventeen years old, was herding the flock of his household with his brothers, thereby continuing the traditional occupation of their family (see 46:32). And he was a lad, or assistant, with the sons of Bilha, and with the sons of Zilpa, his father’s wives. Jacob himself gave no indication that the sons of the maidservants, Bilha and Zilpa, were of lesser status than the sons of Leah and Rachel. On the contrary, when Jacob blessed his sons, he equated the status of all of them (see 49:16). In practice, however, a disparity existed between them. Joseph became close to the sons of Bilha and Zilpa because he was closer in age to them. Yet Joseph brought evil report of them to their father, slandering their inappropriate behavior.

וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אָהַ֤ב אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ מִכָּל־בָּנָ֔יו כִּֽי־בֶן־זְקֻנִ֥ים ה֖וּא ל֑וֹ וְעָ֥שָׂה ל֖וֹ כְּתֹ֥נֶת פַּסִּֽים׃

Israel, Jacob, loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was a son of his old age [ ben zekunim ]. Although Benjamin was even younger than Joseph, and also a son of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel, his personality was less prominent. Jacob favored Joseph due to his outstanding personality, which becomes apparent in the continuation of the narrative. In fact, Onkelos translates ben zekunim as a wise son. Additionally, Joseph resembled Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel, who had recently died. The verse describes Joseph as being “of fine form, and of fair appearance,” just like his mother (29:17, 39:6). Indeed, Joseph is the only male to be described in such terms by the Torah. Perhaps Joseph’s facial features reminded Jacob of Rachel. It is also easy to imagine that Joseph was preferred over Jacob’s older children because of their problematic behavior: Reuven defiled the family, and Simeon and Levi’s actions in Shekhem were met with Jacob’s disapproval. He, Jacob, made him a fine tunic, a special garment that was distinct from the clothing of the other brothers.

וַיִּרְא֣וּ אֶחָ֗יו כִּֽי־אֹת֞וֹ אָהַ֤ב אֲבִיהֶם֙ מִכָּל־אֶחָ֔יו וַֽיִּשְׂנְא֖וּ אֹת֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יָכְל֖וּ דַּבְּר֥וֹ לְשָׁלֹֽם׃

His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers. Jacob’s preference for Joseph was conspicuous, whether through the way he related to Joseph or from the special tunic that he made for him. And they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. They were incapable of maintaining any sort of peaceful dialogue with Joseph. They avoided all conversation with him and distanced themselves from him as much as possible.

וַיַּחֲלֹ֤ם יוֹסֵף֙ חֲל֔וֹם וַיַּגֵּ֖ד לְאֶחָ֑יו וַיּוֹסִ֥פוּ ע֖וֹד שְׂנֹ֥א אֹתֽוֹ׃

Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him even more. Their hatred of Joseph increased because he related to them the details of his dream.

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֕א הַחֲל֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָלָֽמְתִּי׃

He said to them: Please, hear this dream that I dreamed:

וְ֠הִנֵּה אֲנַ֜חְנוּ מְאַלְּמִ֤ים אֲלֻמִּים֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֛ה קָ֥מָה אֲלֻמָּתִ֖י וְגַם־נִצָּ֑בָה וְהִנֵּ֤ה תְסֻבֶּ֙ינָה֙ אֲלֻמֹּ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וַתִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖יןָ לַאֲלֻמָּתִֽי׃

Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, as we normally do. Although the sons of Jacob were primarily shepherds, they also owned fields. And behold, instead of resting alongside the other sheaves, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves gathered around, and prostrated themselves to my sheaf.

וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לוֹ֙ אֶחָ֔יו הֲמָלֹ֤ךְ תִּמְלֹךְ֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ אִם־מָשׁ֥וֹל תִּמְשֹׁ֖ל בָּ֑נוּ וַיּוֹסִ֤פוּ עוֹד֙ שְׂנֹ֣א אֹת֔וֹ עַל־חֲלֹמֹתָ֖יו וְעַל־דְּבָרָֽיו׃

His brothers, who understood the dream as a metaphor suggesting Joseph’s dominance over them, said to him: Will you reign over us? Will you have dominion over us? There is no chance for that. They hated him even more for his dreams, and for his words. The brother’s hatred of Joseph, which stemmed from his status as favorite son and from the negative reports about them that he would bring to Jacob, was further intensified by the arrogance he expressed through his dreams. Now, in addition to dealing with the fact that Joseph was favored by Jacob, the brothers must contend with a person who entertained megalomaniacal aspirations.

וַיַּחֲלֹ֥ם עוֹד֙ חֲל֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וַיְסַפֵּ֥ר אֹת֖וֹ לְאֶחָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֨ה חָלַ֤מְתִּֽי חֲלוֹם֙ ע֔וֹד וְהִנֵּ֧ה הַשֶּׁ֣מֶשׁ וְהַיָּרֵ֗חַ וְאַחַ֤ד עָשָׂר֙ כּֽוֹכָבִ֔ים מִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֖ים לִֽי׃

He dreamed yet another dream, presumably on another night, and he related it to his brothers. He said: Behold, I dreamed another dream, and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars prostrated themselves to me.

וַיְסַפֵּ֣ר אֶל־אָבִיו֮ וְאֶל־אֶחָיו֒ וַיִּגְעַר־בּ֣וֹ אָבִ֔יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ מָ֛ה הַחֲל֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָלָ֑מְתָּ הֲב֣וֹא נָב֗וֹא אֲנִי֙ וְאִמְּךָ֣ וְאַחֶ֔יךָ לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֥ת לְךָ֖ אָֽרְצָה׃

He related it to his father and to his brothers. Unlike in the first dream, Jacob is represented in this dream. For this reason, Joseph also related the dream to his father. And his father rebuked him, and said to him: What is this dream that you dreamed? This is certainly not a meaningful dream. Considering that the sun and the moon are metaphors for one’s parents, will I and your mother and your brothers come to prostrate ourselves to you to the earth? Surely we will not. Your mother is already dead.

וַיְקַנְאוּ־ב֖וֹ אֶחָ֑יו וְאָבִ֖יו שָׁמַ֥ר אֶת־הַדָּבָֽר׃

His brothers envied him, whether on account of his abnormal dreams, or because of their father’s relatively mild response. Unlike Joseph’s brothers, Jacob did not rebuke Joseph for expressing undeserved arrogance; he claimed only that the dream could never come to fruition. But his father kept the matter in mind. Despite his stated assertion that Joseph’s dreams were mere fantasy, Jacob kept them in mind, as he believed that there was some significance to them.