Read as an historical tale, that is as an account of the formation of Israel, we see tension in community: Jealousy, superiority, power, loyalty, etc. As an Allegory, it provides an image of Israel and the church in which members take turns restoring one another to grace and communion by recognizing:
-God’s providential wisdom even in failure (Joseph)
-Responsibility and the need for amends (Judah)
-giftedness (Joseph & Benjamin)
-loyalty (Judah to Jacob & Benjamin)
-the importance of memory & repetition (the Egypt events as a repetition, reconfiguration of earlier wounds in the family)
Same & Other 