Like cracked parched earth craves the rain, so all earthly things crave Heavenly inspiration. Rain is a blessing when it falls on plowed fields, bringing out the earth's plenty, but when it falls in the desert, it causes flash-floods and destruction.
Yoseph Hatzadik was a conduit of Divinity. The coat his father made him reflected his standing as the transmitter of all Yaakov's many facets, which created twelve different tribes. But Yoseph was still too young to administer his talents wisely, and he acted in a youthful manner under the influence of the lesser of his holy brothers. His older brothers could not see in him the capacity to rule and were worried about his dreams of grandeur. Ruling the Jewish people means to reflect Hashem's dominance, and any smudge on the lens can cause catastrophic consequences; but the more they tried to bring him down from the stars, the further they got from their goal. They wanted to bring him down to earth — to bury him if need be — or at least into put him in a pit, but he ended up staying superhuman even in the flesh-pots of Egypt. There, in the earthy land of Egypt, he acquired the self-control required of a ruler. He would now dispense his energies wisely, where it would bring everlasting fruit.
The most essential part of a Jewish ruler's competence is his ability to let Hashem rule through him. Throughout his life Yoseph accepted Divine decrees with equanimity, through thick and through thin, "Hu Yoseph", he remained the same; whether serving his life-sentence in dungeon or as ruler of Egypt. A proper conduit holds nothing back for itself, serving only as a transmitter of G-dly sustenance to its proper receptacle. That is how Yoseph served his various masters, bringing such infinite benefit that inventory was unnecessary.
Yoseph was ready to rule, now his brothers had to be prepared to be ruled.
Adapted from Rabbi Vali's book on Bereishis. Questions and subscriptions can be mailed to: the Yeshiva