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Why did the brothers hate Yosef for his dreams if they were genuine prophecy? The shiur develops a chiddush from Tosafos (תוספות) that Hashem (ה׳) grants prophecy in the direction a person desires (b'derech she'adam rotzeh leilech). Though Yosef's dreams were true nevuah, they reflected his desire for kingship, making the brothers' anger legitimate.
Rabbi Zweig addresses a fundamental question about Yosef's dreams in Parshas Vayeishev. There are only two possibilities: either Yosef had a genuine prophetic dream (nevuah), or he had a delusional dream based on his own fantasies. If the dream was delusional, the brothers should have sent him for help, not hated him. If it was genuine prophecy from Hashem (ה׳) that they would bow to him, the brothers should have accepted it. Yet the Torah (תורה) describes their hatred and anger. Hatred is not an appropriate response to either scenario—neither to mental illness nor to genuine divine revelation. The answer emerges from a Tosafos (תוספות) in Pesachim and Shabbos (שבת) discussing Moshe Rabbeinu's separation from his wife. The Gemara (גמרא) states that Moshe separated from his wife "midaas atzmo" (on his own initiative), and Hashem agreed with his decision. Tosafos asks: if Hashem ultimately commanded Moshe to remain separate (through "atah po imadi amud" - "you stand here with Me"), what complaint could Aharon and Miriam possibly have? Hashem explicitly told Moshe to stay separated while everyone else was told "shvu lachem l'ohaleichem" (return to your tents).
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Parshas Vayeishev - Yosef's dreams
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