AND JOSEPH DREAMED A DREAM, ETC. On the subject of dreams, R. Hiya discoursed on the text: And he said: Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord do make myself known unto him in a vision, I do speak with him in a dream (Num. 12, 6). ‘God’, he said, ‘has brought into existence a series of grades, one higher than the other, one drawing sustenance from the other, some on the right, others on the left, all arranged in a perfect hierarchy.
Now all the prophets drew their inspiration from one side, from the midst of two certain grades which they beheld in a “dull mirror”, as it says: “I do make myself known unto him in a vision”, the word “vision” denoting, as has been explained, a medium reflecting a variety of colours; and this is the “dull mirror”. The dream, on the other hand, is a sixtieth part of prophecy, and so forms the sixth grade removed from prophecy, which is the grade of Gabriel, the supervisor of dreams.
Now a normal dream proceeds from that grade, and hence there is not a dream that has not intermingled with it some spurious matter, so that it is a mixture of truth and falsehood.
Hence it is that all dreams follow their interpretation, as it is written: “And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was” (Gen. 41, 13); for since the dream contains both falsehood and truth, the word has power over it, and therefore it is advisable that every dream should be interpreted in a good sense.’
R. Hiya further discoursed on the text: In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and by their chastisement sealeth the decree (Job 33, 15-16). ‘When a man retires to rest,’ he said, ‘it behoves him first to acknowledge the Kingdom of Heaven1i.e. to recite the Shema. and then to say a short prayer.
For when a man goes to bed and sleeps, his soul leaves him and soars aloft. God then reveals to the soul through that grade which presides over the soul future events, or things which correspond to a man’s own thoughts, so as to serve as an admonition to him.
For no revelation comes to man when his body is in full vigour, but an angel communicates things to the soul, and the soul transmits them to the man; dreams, then, originate on high when souls leave the bodies, each one taking its own route.
There is a graduated series of the intimations by which deeper knowledge is conveyed to men, dreams forming one grade, vision another grade, and prophecy a third grade, in a rising series.
AND JOSEPH DREAMED A DREAM, AND HE TOLD IT TO HIS BRETHREN. AND THEY HATED HIM THE MORE FOR HIS DREAMS. From this we learn that a man should not tell his dream save to a friend, otherwise the listener may pervert the significance of the dream and cause delay in its fulfilment.
Thus we find it written: AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, HEAR, I PRAY YOU, THIS DREAM WHICH I HAVE DREAMED. We see here how he begged his brethren to listen to him, and insisted on telling them his dream, which, had they given it another meaning, would have been fulfilled accordingly. But they said to him: “Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou have dominion over us?” and with these words they sealed their own doom.
R. Hiya and R. Jose used to study with R. Simeon. R. Hiya once put to him the following question: ‘We have learnt that a dream uninterpreted is like a letter undeciphered. Does this mean that the dream comes true without the dreamer being conscious of it, or that it remains unfulfilled?’ R. Simeon answered: ‘The dream comes true, but without the dreamer being aware of it.
For nothing happens in the world but what is made known in advance either by means of a dream or by means of a proclamation; as it has been affirmed, that before any event comes to pass in the world it is announced in heaven, whence it is broadcast into the world. So Scripture says: “For the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his counsels unto his servants the prophets’, (Amos. 3, 7). This refers to the time when there were prophets in the world; when prophets were no more, their place was taken by the Sages, who, in a sense, even excelled the prophets; and in the absence of Sages things to come are revealed in dreams, and if not in dreams, through the medium of the birds of heaven; and so we have laid down.’
וַיַּחֲלֹם יוֹסֵף חֲלוֹם וְגו', רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאֲמַר, (במדבר י״ב:ו׳) וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְעוּ נָא דְּבָרָי אִם יִהְיֶה נְבִיאֲכֶם יְיָ בַּמַּרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע בַּחֲלוֹם אֲדַבֶּר בּוֹ. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה דַרְגִּין לְדַרְגִין עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְכֻלְּהוּ קָיְימֵי דָא עַל דָּא. דַּרְגָּא עַל דַּרְגָּא, דָּא לְעֵיל מִן דָּא, וְכֻלְּהוּ יָנְקִין אִלֵּין מִן אִלֵּין כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לוֹן, אִלֵּין מִימִינָא וְאִלֵּין מִשְּׂמָאלָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְמַנָּן אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין, כֹּלָּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת.
AND JOSEPH DREAMED A DREAM, ETC. On the subject of dreams, R. Hiya discoursed on the text: And he said: Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord do make myself known unto him in a vision, I do speak with him in a dream (Num. 12, 6). ‘God’, he said, ‘has brought into existence a series of grades, one higher than the other, one drawing sustenance from the other, some on the right, others on the left, all arranged in a perfect hierarchy.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל נְבִיאֵי דְעַלְמָא כֻּלְּהוּ יָנְקֵי מִסִּטְרָא חָדָא, מִגּוֹ תְּרִין דַּרְגִּין יְדִיעָן, וְאִינוּן דַּרְגִּין הֲווּ אִתְחַזְּיָין בְּגוֹ אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָאה דְּלָא נָהֲרָא, דִּכְתִיב בַּמַּרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע, מַאי הוּא מַרְאָה, כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר (ד"א ל"ג דמראה) חֵיזוּ דְּכָל גְּוָונִן אִתְחַזְּיָין בְּגַוָּוהּ, וְדָא הִיא אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא דְּלָא נָהֲרָא. בַּחֲלוֹם אֲדַבֶּר בּוֹ, דָּא הוּא חַד מִשִּׁתִּין בִּנְבוּאָה כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהָ. וְאִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא שְׁתִיתָאָה מֵהַהוּא דַרְגָּא דִּנְבוּאָה וְאִיהוּ (קצו א) דַּרְגָּא דְגַבְרִיאֵל דִמְמַנָּא עַל חֶלְמָא וְהָא אִתְּמָר.
Now all the prophets drew their inspiration from one side, from the midst of two certain grades which they beheld in a “dull mirror”, as it says: “I do make myself known unto him in a vision”, the word “vision” denoting, as has been explained, a medium reflecting a variety of colours; and this is the “dull mirror”. The dream, on the other hand, is a sixtieth part of prophecy, and so forms the sixth grade removed from prophecy, which is the grade of Gabriel, the supervisor of dreams.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל חֶלְמָא דְּאִיהוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת מֵהַאי דַרְגָּא קָא אַתְיָא, וְעַל דָּא לֵית לָךְ חֶלְמָא דְּלָא יִתְעָרְבוּן עִמֵּיהּ מִלִּין כְּדִיבִין, כְּמָה דְאוֹקִימְנָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ מִנַּיְיהוּ קְשׁוֹט וּמִנַּיְיהוּ כְּדִיבָן, וְלֵית לָךְ חֶלְמָא דְּלָא אִית בֵּיהּ מֵהַאי גִיסָא וּמֵהַאי גִיסָא.
Now a normal dream proceeds from that grade, and hence there is not a dream that has not intermingled with it some spurious matter, so that it is a mixture of truth and falsehood.
וּבְגִין דְּאִית בֵּיהּ בְּחֶלְמָא כֹּלָּא כִּדְאֲמָרָן, כָּל חֶלְמִין דְּעַלְמָא אָזְלִין בָּתַר פִּשְׁרָא דְפוּמָא, וְאוּקְמוּהָ. דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית מ״א:י״ג) וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר פָּתַר לָנוּ כֵּן הָיָה. מַאי טַעְמָא, בְּגִין דְּאִית בֵּיהּ בְּחֶלְמָא כְּדִיבוּ וּקְשׁוֹט, וּמִלָּה שָׁלְטָא עַל כֹּלָּא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ בָּעֵי חֶלְמָא פִּשְׁרָא טָבָא. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, בְּגִין דְּכָל חֶלְמָא מִדַּרְגָּא דִלְתַתָּא אִיהוּ, וְדִבּוּר שָׁלְטָא עֲלֵיהּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כָּל חֶלְמָא אָזְלָא בָּתַר פִּשְׁרָא.
Hence it is that all dreams follow their interpretation, as it is written: “And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was” (Gen. 41, 13); for since the dream contains both falsehood and truth, the word has power over it, and therefore it is advisable that every dream should be interpreted in a good sense.’
פָּתַח וְאֲמַר, (איוב ל״ג:ט״ו-ט״ז) בַּחֲלוֹם חֶזְיוֹן לַיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל אֲנָשִׁים בִּתְנוּמוֹת עֲלֵי מִשְׁכָּב אָז יִגְלֶה אֹזֶן אֲנָשִׁים וּבְמֹסָרָם יַחְתֹּם. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד סָלִיק בַּר נָשׁ לְעַרְסֵיהּ, מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְאַמְלָכָא עֲלֵיהּ מַלְכוּתָא דִשְׁמַיָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּלְבָתַר יֵימָא חַד פְּסוּקָא דְרַחֲמֵי וְאוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָיא. בְּגִין דְּהָא כַּד בַּר נָשׁ נָאִים עַל עַרְסֵיהּ, הָא נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ נַפְקָא מִנִּיהּ וְאָזְלָא וְשָׁטְיָא לְעֵילָא, כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּפוּם אָרְחֵיהּ וְהָכִי סְלִיקַת כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר.
R. Hiya further discoursed on the text: In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and by their chastisement sealeth the decree (Job 33, 15-16). ‘When a man retires to rest,’ he said, ‘it behoves him first to acknowledge the Kingdom of Heaven1i.e. to recite the Shema. and then to say a short prayer.
מַה כְּתִיב, בַּחֲלוֹם חֶזְיוֹן לַיְלָה. כַּד בְּנֵי נָשָׁא שָׁכְבֵי בְּעַרְסַיְיהוּ נָיְימִין וְנִשְׁמָתָא נָפְקַת מִנַּיְיהוּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, בִּתְנוּמוֹת עֲלֵי מִשְׁכָּב אָז יִגְלֶה אֹזֶן אֲנָשִׁים. וּכְדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹדַע לָהּ לְנִשְׁמָתָא בְּהַהוּא דַרְגָּא דְּקָיְימָא עַל חֶלְמָא, אִינוּן מִלִּין דִּזְמִינִין לְמֵיתֵי עַל עַלְמָא אוֹ אִינוּן מִלִּין כְּפוּם אִינוּן הִרְהוּרִין דְּלִבֵּיהּ. בְּגִין דְּבַר נָשׁ נָטִיל אָרְחָא דְּתוֹכָחֵי דְעָלְמָא.
For when a man goes to bed and sleeps, his soul leaves him and soars aloft. God then reveals to the soul through that grade which presides over the soul future events, or things which correspond to a man’s own thoughts, so as to serve as an admonition to him.
בְּגִין דְּהָא לָא מוֹדָעִין לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ בְּעוֹד דְּאִיהוּ קָאִים בְּתוּקְפָא דְגוּפָא (נ"א דרוחא) כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן, אֶלָּא מַלְאָכָא אוֹדַע לְנִשְׁמָתָא וְנִשְׁמָתָא לְבַר נָשׁ. וְהַהוּא חֶלְמָא אִיהוּ מִלְּעֵילָא, כַּד נִשְׁמָתִין נָפְקִין מִגּוּפֵי וְסָלְקִין כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּפוּם אָרְחֵיהּ.
For no revelation comes to man when his body is in full vigour, but an angel communicates things to the soul, and the soul transmits them to the man; dreams, then, originate on high when souls leave the bodies, each one taking its own route.
וְכַמָּה דַּרְגִּין עַל דַּרְגִּין, בְּרָזָא דְחֶלְמָא כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, חֲלוֹם דַּרְגָּא חָדָא, מַרְאָה דַּרְגָּא חָדָא, נְבוּאָה דַּרְגָּא חָדָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ דַּרְגִּין לְדַרְגִּין אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין.
There is a graduated series of the intimations by which deeper knowledge is conveyed to men, dreams forming one grade, vision another grade, and prophecy a third grade, in a rising series.
וַיַּחֲלֹם יוֹסֵף חֲלוֹם וַיַּגֵּד לְאֶחָיו וַיּוֹסִפוּ עוֹד שְׂנֹא אֹתוֹ עַל חֲלוֹמוֹתָיו. מֵהָכָא דְּלָא מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמֵימַר חֶלְמֵיהּ בַּר לְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ, וְאִי לָאו, אִיהוּ גָּרִים לֵיהּ. דְּאִי הַהוּא חֶלְמָא מִתְהַפֵּךְ לְגַוְונָא אָחֳרָא, אִיהוּ גָּרִים לְסַלְּקָא.
AND JOSEPH DREAMED A DREAM, AND HE TOLD IT TO HIS BRETHREN. AND THEY HATED HIM THE MORE FOR HIS DREAMS. From this we learn that a man should not tell his dream save to a friend, otherwise the listener may pervert the significance of the dream and cause delay in its fulfilment.
תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּיוֹסֵף אִיהוּ אָמַר חֶלְמָא לַאֲחוּהִי, וְעַל דָּא גָּרְמוּ לֵיהּ לְסַלָּקָא חֶלְמֵיהּ תְּרֵין וְעֶשְׂרִין שְׁנִין דְּאִתְעַכַּב. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, מְנָלָן, דִּכְתִיב וַיּוֹסִיפוּ עוֹד שְׂנֹא אוֹתוֹ. מַאי שְׂנֹא אוֹתוֹ, דְּגָרְמוּ לֵיהּ קִטְרוּגִין בְּדָא.
Joseph communicated his dream to his brethren, and they caused its fulfilment to be delayed for twenty-two years.
מַה כְּתִיב, וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַחֲלוֹם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר חָלָמְתִּי, דְּבָעָא מִנַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׁמְעוּן לֵיהּ. וְאִיהוּ אוֹדַע לְהוּ הַהוּא חֶלְמָא, דְּאִלְמָלֵא אִינוּן דְּאַהֲפָכוּ לֵיהּ לְגַוְונָא אָחֳרָא, הָכִי אִתְקְיַּים. וְאִינוּן אֲתִיבוּ וְאָמְרוּ הֲמָלֹךְ תִּמְלךְ עָלֵינוּ אִם מָשׁוֹל תִּמְשֹׁל בָּנוּ. מִיָּד אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ פִּשְׁרָא דְחָלְמָא וְגָזְרוּ גְּזֵרָה, וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַיּוֹסִיפוּ עוֹד שְׂנֹא אוֹתוֹ.
Thus we find it written: AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, HEAR, I PRAY YOU, THIS DREAM WHICH I HAVE DREAMED. We see here how he begged his brethren to listen to him, and insisted on telling them his dream, which, had they given it another meaning, would have been fulfilled accordingly. But they said to him: “Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou have dominion over us?” and with these words they sealed their own doom.
רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווּ שְׁכִיחֵי קַמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, הָא תָּנִינָן חֶלְמָא דְלָא אִתְפַּשַּׁר, כְּאִגַּרְתָּא דְלָא מִתְקַרְיָא. אִי בְּגִין דְּאִתְקְיַּים וְאִיהוּ לָא יָדַע, אוֹ דְּלָא אִתְקְיַּים כְּלָל. אָמַר לֵיהּ, אִתְקְיַּים וְלָא אִתְיְידַע, דְּהָא הַהוּא חֶלְמָא חֵילָא תַּלְיָא עֲלֵיהּ, וְאִיהוּ לָא אִתְיְדַע וְלָא יְדִיעַ, אִי אִתְקְיַּים אִי לָא אִתְקְיַּים.
R. Hiya and R. Jose used to study with R. Simeon. R. Hiya once put to him the following question: ‘We have learnt that a dream uninterpreted is like a letter undeciphered. Does this mean that the dream comes true without the dreamer being conscious of it, or that it remains unfulfilled?’ R. Simeon answered: ‘The dream comes true, but without the dreamer being aware of it.
וְלֵית לָךְ מִלָּה בְּעַלְמָא דְּעַד לָא יֵיתֵי לְעַלְמָא, דְּלָאו אִיהִי תַּלְיָיא בְּחֶלְמָא אוֹ עַל יְדָא דְּכָרוֹזָא. דְּהָא אִתְּמָר דְּכָל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה עַד לָא יֵיתֵי לְעַלְמָא, מַכְרְזֵי עֲלֵיהּ בָּרָקִיעַ. וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְפַּשַּׁט בְּעַלְמָא וְאִתְיְהִיב עַל יְדָא דְּכָרוֹזָא. וְכֹלָּא בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב, (עמוס ג׳:ז׳) כִּי לא יַעֲשֶׂה יְיָ אֱלהִים דָּבָר כִּי אִם גָּלָה סוֹדוֹ אֶל עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִיאִים, בְּזִמְנָא דִנְבִיאִים אִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ בְּעַלְמָא. וְאִי לָאו, אַף עַל גַּב דִּנְבוּאָה לָא שַׁרְיָא, חַכִּימֵי עֲדִיפֵי מִנְּבִיאִים. וְאִי לָא, אִתְיְהִיב בְּחֶלְמָא. וְאִי לָאו, בְּצִפֳּרֵי שְׁמַיָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי מִלָּה וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ:
For nothing happens in the world but what is made known in advance either by means of a dream or by means of a proclamation; as it has been affirmed, that before any event comes to pass in the world it is announced in heaven, whence it is broadcast into the world. So Scripture says: “For the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his counsels unto his servants the prophets’, (Amos. 3, 7). This refers to the time when there were prophets in the world; when prophets were no more, their place was taken by the Sages, who, in a sense, even excelled the prophets; and in the absence of Sages things to come are revealed in dreams, and if not in dreams, through the medium of the birds of heaven; and so we have laid down.’