The complex relationships within Jacob's family reach a breaking point when the brothers recognize their father's clear preference for Joseph. This realization sparks a fierce hatred, leading to a complete breakdown in normal communication. Interestingly, this deep resentment stems directly from Jacob's love rather than the negative reports Joseph brought about them. The simple fact that Jacob continued to love Joseph so deeply, despite those damaging reports, proved to the brothers that their father believed Joseph's version of events over their own [תולדות יצחק, צאינה וראינה, קונטרס חיבה יתירה].
This hatred is also fueled by a profound spiritual and existential anxiety. The brothers worried that Jacob's excessive affection, symbolized by the special striped tunic, marked Joseph as the exclusive heir to Abraham's blessing and the promised land. They lived in terror of being entirely cast out of the family and the divine destiny, much like Ishmael and Esau had been rejected in previous generations [מלבי״ם, ביאור יש״ר]. The sons of Leah, in particular, felt they were of equal standing to Joseph as children of a primary wife, making the sting of this favoritism even sharper [העמק דבר, בכור שור]. Jacob himself faces criticism for openly displaying his affection, making his preference painfully obvious to the rest of his sons [ספורנו].
This deep rift manifests in a complete inability to communicate peacefully. The primary approach among commentators is that the brothers simply could not speak with Joseph. Rather than a flaw, some view this silence as a testament to their integrity. Out of their negative feelings emerges a point of praise: they refused to be hypocrites. Unwilling to speak warmly to Joseph while harboring hatred in their hearts, they opted for silence, distance, or even open conflict as a moral choice [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, הכתב והקבלה, בכור שור, נתינה לגר].
Others suggest a more strategic motive behind their silence. By refusing to speak amicably with Joseph, the brothers ensured that Jacob would witness their open hostility. They hoped their father would conclude that Joseph's negative reports were driven by personal animosity rather than truth [כלי יקר, חומת אנך].
A different perspective suggests that the inability to communicate refers to Joseph's own attempts to speak with them. When Joseph would approach them with peaceful greetings, the brothers simply could not bear to listen. They interpreted his friendliness as sheer hypocrisy and a hidden scheme to destroy them. They even considered his pleasantries inappropriate; if Joseph genuinely believed they were wicked, as his reports implied, he had no business showing them friendship [שד״ל, העמק דבר, מלבי״ם, חתם סופר, אם למקרא]. Furthermore, their animosity ran so deep that they could not even bring themselves to speak positively about Joseph to anyone else [הטור הארוך, בכור שור].
The depth of this fracture is subtly reflected in the original Hebrew spelling of the word for peace, which is written in a slightly deficient form. This missing letter hints at an underlying, hidden intention to pay Joseph back with evil, perfectly capturing the broken, incomplete, and entirely peaceless reality that had overtaken the family [מנחת שי, קיצור בעל הטורים, שפתי כהן].