The dream master GENESIS 41: 1-32 Now at the end of two years'-time it was that Pharaoh dreamt: here, he was standing by the Nile-Stream, and here, out of the Nile, seven cows were coming up, fair to look at and fat of flesh, and they grazed in the reed-grass. And here, seven other cows were coming up after them out of the Nile, ill to look at and lean of flesh, and they stood beside the other cows on the bank of the Nile. Then the cows ill to look at and lean of flesh ate up the seven cows fair to look at, the fat-ones. Pharaoh awoke. He fell asleep and dreamt a second time: here, seven ears-of-grain were going up on a single stalk, fat and good, and here, seven ears, lean and scorched by the east wind, were springing up after them. Then the lean ears swallowed up the seven ears fat and full. Pharaoh awoke, and here: (it was) a dream! But in the morning it was, that his spirit was agitated, so he sent and had all of Egypt's magicians and all of its wise- men called. Pharaoh recounted his dream to them, but no one could interpret them to Pharaoh. Then the chief cupbearer spoke up to Pharaoh, saying: I must call my faults to mind today! Pharaoh was once infuriated with his servants and placed me in custody, in the house of the chief guard, myself and the chief baker. And we dreamt a dream in a single night, I and he, we dreamt each-man according to the interpretation of his dream. Now there was a Hebrew lad there with us, a servant of the chief of the guard; we recounted them to him, and he interpreted our dreams to us, for each-man according to his dream he interpreted. And thus it was: As he interpreted to us, so it was- I was restored to my position, and he was hanged. Pharaoh sent and had Yosef called. They hurriedly brought him out of the pit; he shaved, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Yosef: I have dreamt a dream, and there is no interpreter for it! But I have heard it said of you that you but need to hear a dream in order to interpret it! Yosef answered Pharaoh, saying: Not I! God will answer what is for Pharaoh's welfare. Pharaoh spoke to Yosef: In my dream- here, I was standing on the bank of the Nile, and here, out of the Nile were coming up seven cows, fat of flesh and fair of form, and they grazed in the reed-grass. And here, seven other cows were coming up after them, wretched and exceedingly ill of form and lank of flesh, in all the land of Egypt I have never seen their like for ill- condition! Then the seven lank and ill-looking cows ate up the first seven cows, the fat ones. They entered their body, but you would not know that they had entered their body, for they were as ill-looking as at the beginning! Then I awoke. And I saw (again) in my dream: here, seven ears were going up on a single stalk, full and good, and here, seven ears, hardened, lean, and scorched by the east wind, were springing up after them. Then the lean ears swallowed up the seven good ears! Now I have spoken with the magicians, but there is no one that can tell me the answer! Yosef said to Pharaoh: Pharaoh's dream is one. What God is about to do, he has told Pharaoh. The seven good cows are seven good years, the seven good ears are seven good years, the dream is one. And the seven lank and ill-looking cows that were coming up after them are seven years, and the seven ears, hollow and scorched by the east wind, will be seven years of famine! That is the word that I spoke to Pharaoh: what God is about to do, he has let Pharaoh see. Here, seven years are coming of great abundance in the land of Egypt. But seven years of famine will arise after them, when all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will destroy the land, and you will not know that abundance in the land because of that famine afterward, for it will be exceedingly heavy. Now as for the twofold repetition of the dream to Pharaoh: it means that the matter is determined by God, and God is hastening to do it. Joseph is referred to derisively and hatefully by his brothers (Genesis 37:18) as "the master dreamer," and indeed, his life is full of dream stories. While living with his father, Joseph has two dreams which depict him as superior to his family, dreams which reinforce his brothers' hatred for him. During his imprisonment in Egypt, Joseph correctly deciphers the dreams of the chief of the guard and the chief cup bearer. The chief of the guard, who remembers Joseph's precise interpretation, brings about Joseph's release from prison and his ultimate fateful test: solving Pharaoh's dreams. In the verses before us [in Parashat Miketz], Joseph wisely deciphers Pharaoh's dreams. Thus, the dreams he dreamt in his father's house led to his being sold into slavery, and the dreams he solved for the chief of the guard and later for Pharaoh promoted him to the title of deputy to the king. Using Joseph's stories, let us examine some ways of understanding the meaning of dreams. How does Joseph understand the symbols in a dream? What do the fat cows represent? What is the meaning of the lean cows? What is the meaning of the full ears-of-corn? The thin and scorched ears? Why do the thin ears swallow the full? Why does Pharaoh dream two dreams? Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream as a system of symbols which determine the future. Study Joseph's dreams carefully (Genesis 36:5-10). How do his father and brothers interpret his dreams? Do Jacob and his sons employ the same technique Joseph uses in this parasha? What might this teach us about the role of dreams in the Joseph stories? The assorted dreams in the Joseph stories are distinct from other biblical dreams. Let's compare: But God came to Avimelekh in a dream of the night and said to him: Here, you must die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a wedded wife! (Genesis 20:3)   But God came to Lavan the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him: Be on your watch lest you speak to Yaakov, be it good or ill! (Genesis 31:24) What do the dreams from the Joseph stories have in common with the dreams of Avimelekh and Lavan? How are they different? What do you think? Try to recall one of your own dreams. Did you think about the dream later? Did you find it meaningful? What technique did you use to interpret the dream? Was it similar to the technique described regarding Joseph's dream? Are you familiar with other ways of interpreting dreams? Joseph understands dream material as symbols which refer to the future. Why, according to this system, does the future appear symbolically, instead of being stated explicitly and unequivocally? What are the advantages and disadvantages of discovering the future through symbols? How do you feel about dreaming dreams that reveal your future to you? Would you prefer symbolic or explicit dreams? The Talmudic literature also deals extensively with the topic of dreams and dream interpretation. Rabbi Hiyya Bar Aba said: One who sees wheat in a dream, is seeing peace and well-being, as it is said: "He endows your realm with well-being, and satisfies you with choice wheat" (Psalms 147:14) [1] What does wheat symbolize according to Rabbi Hiyya Bar Aba? How did he arrive at this interpretation? In the Joseph stories and in the above Talmudic source, it is assumed that dreams contain symbols which, correctly interpreted, will solve the dream's riddle. Yet the technique for dream interpretation used by the rabbis in the Talmud is somewhat different than that in the Joseph stories. How so? Despite the different methods for interpreting dreams in the Joseph stories and in this passage from the Talmud (Berakhot), both share the belief that a dream has a meaning related to the future. Yet there are other Jewish sources which take a different point of view, which doubt the credibility of dream interpretation, and which even question the basic presumption that dreams have any meaning at all. For example: Samuel, upon having a bad dream, would say: "For the teraphim spoke delusion, The augurs predicted falsely; And dreamers speak lies And console with illusions. That is why (My People) have strayed like a flock, They suffer for lack of a shepherd." And when he dreamt a good dream, he would say "For the teraphim spoke delusion... [the same verse]" (Zechariah 10:2) Rabbi Birayim, who heard from an old man... Rabbi Bena'ah, said: There were twenty-four dream-readers in Jerusalem, and once I had a dream and went to all of them. Each one offered a different interpretation, and they all came true for me, upholding what is said: "All dreams follow the mouth..." Rabbi Elazar said: From whence do we know that all dreams follow the mouth? As it is said: "And thus it was: As he interpreted to us, so it was — I was restored to my position, and he was hanged (Genesis 41:13). Rabbi Samuel Bar Nahman said: One should show a person only the thoughts of that person's own heart. [2] WHAT DO YOU THINK? How does Samuel use the verse from Zechariah? What, in your opinion, does Samuel want to say by using the same verse twice [for both good and bad dreams]? How do you understand Rabbi Bena'ah's story? What is meant by the statement "and they all came true?" What does this teach us about the significance of dreams and the role of the solution? How would you interpret the statement: "All dreams follow the mouth"? All dreams follow the mouth." — How does the Talmud prove this claim? Do you think that Joseph and his family, the chief of the guard and Pharaoh would agree with the assertion that "all dreams follow the mouth"? What, in your opinion, does Rabbi Samuel Bar Nahmani mean by his statement? How might one interpret the expression "thoughts of that person's own heart?" What is the source of dreams, according to this statement? In the sources we have seen, a number of ways for understanding the role of dreams and for dream interpretation are proposed. Return to the sources and make a list of the approaches. Which approach do you accept? Do the sources offer approaches that you reject? Why? [1] Babylonian Talmud, Brachot 57a [back] [2]Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 55b [back] Hiddush initiates and develops projects in Jewish culture and education and leads workshops and seminars for both the general public and for teachers.    Hiddush: Renewal and Innovation in Jewish Culture and Education, Ltd.    P.O.B. 10086, Jerusalem, Israel Tel: +972-2-623-2714; fax: +972-2-623-4866    Email: hiddush@inter.net.il DREAMS Table of Contents