מערכת היחסים שבין הקב"ה לעם ישראל מתוארת בתנ"ך בשלושה דימויים שונים: אב ובן, איש ואשה, עבד ואדון.

This was a moment of truth for Yosef, the moment when he must decide whether he still saw himself as a member of Yaakov's household, or if he has resigned himself to life in Egypt, where he will remain and integrate into society. 

Though outwardly Yosef may have resembled Esav, internally he was forever loyal and committed to the teachings and values of Yaakov: "These are the products of Yaakov – Yosef."

 The Rashbam proposes that the brothers never sold Yosef.   Much to Reuven's surprise and horror,  by the time he arrived to rescue Yosef, the Midyanim had already pulled Yosef out and sold him to the Yishmaelites.

Specifically as a result of his mistake and pangs of remorse that surfaced in its wake, Reuven, much more so than his brothers, was sensitized to Yaakov's emotions and outright refused to do anything that would cause him anguish and grief. 

 The inclusion of Yosef's parents in the second dream proved that it was prophetic in nature, that Yosef beheld this dreams not as a result of his aspirations of authority, but as a form of prophecy.

Every so often, as we "walk lost in the field," when we lose our direction in life, distracted by the physical and material enjoyments this world has to offer, an "angel," our conscience, appears to us and asks, "What do you seek?" 

To be successful, in any area, a person must be prepared to pursue his goals even when obstacles arise and when the adrenaline ceases to flow, when the initial rush of idealism and determined resolve subsides.  

    Yosef, the young, perceptive "dreamer," understood what was developing in nearby Edom and recognized the need for the twelve sons of Yaakov to avoid this mistake.  Unfortunately, Yosef's brothers misunderstood Yosef's dreams as reflecting personal ambitions of power, rather than purely idealistic visions of Am Yisrael and genuine concern for their development into a strong, fortified people.