GEN1441 We should be particularly careful not to speak ill of family member.   [This verse] is the first of several details the Torah provides about Joseph’s relationship with is brothers, who soon came to hate him.   The most obvious lesson is that parents should discourage their children from informing on each other. It is good for a child to report if he or she is being bullied or otherwise taken advantage of.   But the verse implies that Joseph was steadily bringing back negative reports about his brothers’ actions, something that should not be done unless the misbehavior is extreme.   … Because of thoughtless remarks, family members become categorized as “the selfish one,” “the fool,” the bad-tempered one,” or “the incompetent.”  … Lashon hara is often responsible for the common phenomenon of close relatives who are not on speaking terms.  In many instances, these family feuds start with hurtful comments one relative makes about another.  Almost invariably, the objects of the complaints eventually hear about the gossip, and from that point on the antagonism escalates.   TELVOL1:336