בראשית, פרק ל״ז, פסוק י״ט

As Joseph appears in the valley, a quiet resentment suddenly erupts into an active, dangerous plot. The brothers no longer look upon a family member; they see only a tangible threat approaching. The initial conversation begins mainly between Simeon and Levi, sparking a sharp debate among the group about how to handle the situation. Opinions are deeply divided over whether to kill him on the spot, throw him into a pit, sell him, or find a way to save him [ביאור יש״ר, ברכת אשר על התורה].

As they watch him draw near, they call him the master of dreams. This is not a simple statement of fact, but a bitter taunt designed to fuel their shared hostility [בכור שור, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that this title implies a sense of control and deliberate intent. They believe these terrible dreams do not come to Joseph by chance. Rather, he is their master, using them as tools to express his constant ambition to rule over the family [הכתב והקבלה, רש ר הירש, העמק דבר]. The brothers are convinced he has not come to check on their welfare. Instead, they suspect he arrived in the field specifically to force the fulfillment of his vision where their sheaves bow down to him [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, they believe he came to share even more dreams, deliberately trying to provoke them into anger and cause them to sin against God and their father [ספורנו].

The way the brothers identify Joseph as he approaches reflects both physical and emotional distance. On a simple level, their words describe someone spotted from afar [רשב״ם, חזקוני]. However, some suggest the distance is actually quite short, and the brothers are intentionally speaking loudly enough for Joseph to hear their cruel plans [הכתב והקבלה]. Others propose their phrasing refers not to Joseph himself, but to the location, noting that the dreamer has arrived precisely at their current spot [שד״ל]. Beyond the physical setting, their language reveals a profound alienation. They treat him as a hostile stranger rather than a brother [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. There is also a sense of bitter frustration in their words, as if they are asking whether he traveled all this way simply for this exact purpose, just to burden them with yet another dream [תולדות יצחק].