What is the difference between "Melech" and "Moshel"?
Ramban, Peninim mi'Shulchan ha'Gra, Malbim: A Melech is one whom people willingly appoint over themselves. Moshel is one who rules by force 1 or by other means. 2
Divrei Eliyahu: In the Malchuyos blessing recited on Rosh Hashanah, we cite the verses, "Ki La'Shem ha'Meluchah; u'Moshel ba'Goyim (Tehilim 22:29), and "v'Hayah Hashem l'Melech Al Kol ha'Aretz" (Zecharyah 14:9). Currently, only Yisrael has accepted Hashem; and He rules by force over the other nations. In the future, all the nations will accept Him over them.
See Oznayim la'Torah.
Why is "ha'Maloch" written without a 'Vav;' and "Mashol" with a 'Vav'?
Ba'al ha'Turim (to Bereishis 48:20): The former refers to the six righteous Shoftim who would descend from Efrayim; the latter, because all the kings that descended from Menashe would be Resha'im.
How could the brothers hate Yosef for his dreams? Was it his fault that he dreamt them?
Seforno: It was not on account of the actual dream that they hated him, but because he related all the details, intimating that he hoped that they would materialize.
Moshav Zekenim, Malbim: They suspected that during the day he thought about ruling over them, and therefore he dreamt about it at night (Daniel 2:29). Ha'amek Davar - This is why they did not envy him yet, since they thought that it is not a prophecy, but was merely due to his thoughts.
Which "Devarav" (words) is the Pasuk referring to?
Rashi and Rashbam: It is referring to the bad reports that he brought to his father.
Seforno and Ramban: They hated him for telling them "Shim'u Na" (37:6) - to pay attention to his dream. 1
Ohr ha'Chayim #1: It is for telling them his dream. Had he not dreamed so, he would not have said such matters!
Ohr ha'Chayim #2: He told it to them so they will interpret it, and it will be fulfilled, for he wants to rule over them.
Ohr ha'Chayim #3: It was for acting as if he loved them, while his heart plots against them.
Ohr ha'Chayim #4: It refers to the fact that he had the audacity to say in front of older brothers that he will rule over them.
Malbim: He told it to them so they will immediately accept him to be Melech over them.
Seeing as at this point, Yosef had only dreamt one dream, why does the Torah write that they hated him for his dreams (plural)?
Seforno, Ohr ha'Chayim: It was because of the details of the dream that he related that they hated him. 1
Da'as Zekenim #1, Hadar Zekenim #1: The Torah wrote based on the future, that he would have another dream.
Hadar Zekenim #2, Da'as Zekenim #2: He used to constantly tell them this dream.
Riva (to 37:5) citing R. Elyakim, Moshav Zekenim, Hadar Zekenim #3: The dream of the sheaves was his second dream. The Torah does not record what the first dream was. 2
Refer to 37:7:152:1.
Riva: This is because it was not fulfilled. Some say that it was what Rashi brings below, if 10 lamps could not extinguish one lamp... (Rashi to 50:21; refer to 50:19:1:1*). This is difficult. If so, why was it not recorded here?
What was meant by the brothers' question, "ha'Maloch... Im Mashol"?
Ramban #1 (citing Ibn Ezra): 'Do you think that we will appoint you over us, 1 or do you think that you will rule over us by force'? Ohr ha'Chayim - There are two ways to interpret your dream. Surely, you think that you will rule over us!
Ramban #2 (citing Targum Onkelos), and Targum Yonasan: Do you think that you will be a Melech or Moshel over us?! You will not be either of them!
Divrei Eliyahu: Do you think that you will be a Melech and a Moshel over us? 2
Malbim: There is a contradiction in the dream. Yosef's sheaf rising implies that he will be a Moshel (ruler by force) over them, whereas bowing down to him implies that they accept him as a king - and a Moshel cannot be a Melech!
Ha'amek Davar: It is feasible that you will be a Moshel over us. However, will we accept you to be Melech over us? You are not a bigger Chacham than we!
Moshav Zekenim: As a result of their words, in which they began with the interpretation "ha'Maloch," Yosef indeed later became king over them. This teaches us that dreams are fulfilled according to their interpretation.
Kol Eliyahu: The prefix Hei (ha'Maloch) is incredulous. Surely we will not accept you. We hate you! And since that is false, also being a Moshel over us is false (even though is feasible).
Why did they double their expressions, "ha'Maloch Timloch," and "Im Mashol Timshol"?
Ohr ha'Chayim #1: There are two astounding issues here - 1. Will you be a king? 2. Will you be a king over us? We have a tradition that Yehudah will be our king!
Ohr ha'Chayim #2: Because you think about ruling over us, this is why you dream about it! 1
Ohr ha'Chayim: As Daniel told Nevuchadnetzar, "And your thoughts you brought on to your bed" (Daniel 2:29).
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "Due to his words' - [I.e.] over the bad reports he would bring to his father." But that happened before Yosef's dreams (see 37:2)! Why did they now hate him even more for it?
Gur Aryeh: When one hates a person, any new reason for hatred causes any previous hatred to increase exponentially.
