{"id":79530,"date":"2020-09-02T18:37:32","date_gmt":"2020-09-02T15:37:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=79530"},"modified":"2020-09-02T18:37:32","modified_gmt":"2020-09-02T15:37:32","slug":"dreams-and-visions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/dreams-and-visions\/","title":{"rendered":"Dreams And Visions"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"79530","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33877,"related_cahpter":"560","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"But are they true - or false? And how do we know?\r\n\r\n","content":"

Our chapter contains a brief but highly charged assertion: \u201c\u2026And dreams speak lies and console with illusions\u201d (10:2). This negative evaluation of the reliability of dreams is curious considering that Zechariah\u2019s visions seem to have come to him at night, suggesting that they were prophetic dreams (see 1:8 and on).<\/span><\/p>\n

This statement that \u201cdreams speak lies — <\/span>ve-chalomot ha-shav\u2019 yedaberu<\/span><\/em>\u201d plays a key role in an extensive Talmudic discussion about dreams in Talmud Bavli <\/span>Berakhot 55b<\/span><\/a>. When Shmuel (Head of the Yeshivah in Nehardea who died there in 254 CE) had a bad dream, he used to recite the Scriptural statement: \u201c\u2026And dreams speak lies\u201d. When he had a good dream, he used to say, Do indeed dreams speak falsely? For is it not written: \u201cWhen a prophet of the Lord arises among you, I make Myself known to him in a vision. I speak with him in a dream\u201d (Numbers 12:6). Raba resolved the apparent contradiction between these two verses: \u201cI speak with him in a dream\u201d refers to when the dream is communicated by an angel. But, \u201cdreams speak falsely\u201d refers to dreams communicated by a demon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sefer Hasidim, containing the teachings of the 13<\/span>th<\/span> century German-Jewish Pietists (<\/span>Chassidei Ashkenaz<\/span><\/i>), includes an extensive discussion of dreams based, in large part, on Talmudic sources. <\/span>Section 441<\/span><\/a> elaborates on various kinds of dreams. When a man sleeps his thoughts may mingle with the words of the angel\u2026But, the dreams of the Prophets, their thought was not mingled with any demonic word of which it says: \u201cThe dreams speak lies\u201d (Zechariah 10.2].<\/span><\/p>\n

The same discussion of dreams in Talmud Bavli 55b suggests that one who has a disturbing dream should go and have it clarified in the presence of three other individuals. Thus, he may \u201cmake it [the dream] better\u201d by saying before them: I have seen a good dream. To which they respond, Good it is and good may it be. May the All-Merciful turn it to good. Seven times may it be decreed from heaven that it should be good and may it be good! Then they should recite three verses containing the word \u201cturn \u2013 <\/span>hafakh<\/span><\/em>\u201d and three verses containing the word \u201credeem \u2013 <\/span>padah<\/span><\/em>\u201d and three verses containing the word \u201cpeace \u2013 <\/span>shalom<\/span><\/em>\u201d. There follow citations of the specific verses to be recited.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Talmudic discussion further suggests that a similar ceremony may be performed before the priests when they \u201cspread out their hands\u201d (to say the Priestly Blessing). The disturbed dreamer prays, Master of the Universe, I am Yours and my dreams are Yours\u2026He concludes his prayer along with the priests, so that the congregation may respond, Amen!<\/span><\/p>\n

This ceremony, referred to as <\/span>Hatavat Chalom<\/span><\/em> \u2013 \u201cImproving a Dream\u201d is prescribed in Shulchan Arukh (Orach Chayyim 130 and 220) and is detailed in some prayer books to this day.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":79531,"id":79531,"title":"zech10-dream","filename":"zech10-dream.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech10-dream.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/dreams-and-visions\/zech10-dream\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"zech10-dream","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":79530,"date":"2020-09-02 15:37:09","modified":"2022-03-27 19:59:45","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":4208,"height":2754,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech10-dream-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech10-dream-300x196.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":196,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech10-dream-768x503.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":503,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech10-dream-1024x670.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":670,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech10-dream.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1005,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech10-dream.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1340,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech10-dream-1200x785.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":785,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech10-dream-642x420.jpg","home_baner-width":642,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Dreams And Visions","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"But are they true - or false? 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