“And now, let us kill him” (37:20).
The Ohr HaChaim explains that since Chazal rule in Bava Kama 26a that if ten people all simultaneously attack and kill someone, they are all exempt, they all joined together as one, so that they could not be found guilty. Nonetheless, asks the Ohr HaChaim, even if they were exempt and could not be found guilty in an earthly court, still the heavenly tribunal and Hashem would judge them, since obviously they could not escape divine judgment, even if they seek to circumvent human laws.
The Ohr HaChaim asks, so why did the Shivtei Kah decide to kill Yosef? What justification can we find for their actions, especially since not only was Yosef a Tzaddik, he was also their brother, their own flesh and blood? Perhaps, suggests the Ohr HaChaim, the brothers judged him as an ed zomem, a “plotting” witness who spreads false testimony, as they assumed Yosef did when he brought back negative reports about them to their father Yaakov, in which he accused them of capital offences, like ever min hachai (eating limbs of a live animal) and araiyos (sexual misconduct).
The law is that a ben Noach is liable for the death penalty for these transgressions, even with the testimony of only one witness, even without forewarning and even from testimony from a relative (see Rambam Hilchos Melachim chapter 9). The brothers therefore ruled that Yosef was an ed zomem, and that by trying to testify against them and falsely accusing them of crimes that carry the death penalty, he himself was guilty, and thus liable for capital punishment, and they were guiltless in Hashem’s eyes for trying to kill him. In a human court, they could not have been proven as plotters since they all participated equally and simultaneously, exempting all of them. All this happened through the chief Cause behind all causes – through HaShem’s master plan.
Dream Interpretations are G-d's business
"Please listen to this dream..." (Bereshis 37:6)
He had to add the word 'please', because at first, they had refused to listen.
Alternatively, in accordance with the Talmud, (Berachos 56) dreams should preferably be interpreted on the day following the night they have been dreamt. This is the reason that one may fast even on the Shabbos if one has had a bad dream. Yosef therefore insisted that the brothers hear him out at once. Any delay might result in the dream not being fulfilled.
Any delay might result in the dream not being fulfilled.
He may also have wanted to prove to them that he had not told any of his friends about this dream expecting them to give him a positive interpretation, but had instead come to his brothers first. Had he first told his friends of his dream, the brothers would not have believed that he wanted to convince them that he wanted to be on good terms with them. However, when contradictory interpretations are received the more recent interpretation cannot cancel out a previous one. Yosef may have wanted to convince the brothers of his sincerity by offering them a chance to come up with a negative interpretation of his dream which his friends could not later nullify. He did this by urging them to listen to his dream immediately.
"This dream": the use of the definite article 'hei' in front of the word 'chalom/dream' indicates that he had already told them that he had had a dream without revealing any details about it. Now he repeated: "please listen to the dream which I have dreamed."
"'We [each] had a dream...and there is no one to interpret it.' 'Interpretations are G-d's business,' replied Yosef, 'please tell me [your dreams]'" (Gen. 40:8)
They meant that there was no one to interpret it at all, as distinct from Pharaoh's dream (Ibid. 41:8) when a variety of interpretations were offered, none of which satisfied Pharaoh.
"Interpretations are G-d's business." This was Yosef's way of saying that although he offered his services as an interpreter they should not think that he claimed to boast about his ability, but that G-d had many interpreters at His disposal; he, Yosef, was only one of them. He invited them to tell him their dreams.
An interpretation can only claim to be accurate when it is given on the day after the night the dream has occurred; Yosef's use of the word please, meant that he urged the ministers to tell him their dreams at once before the interpretations would become useless to them.
