Kind of. It seems that lots of obvious Jewish / textual Blogger IDs were taken long ago, specifically around 2005. matovu, mahtovu, ashrei, hineini: some are full blogs, some have one post tantalizingly promising all the details of the blogger's life, written in 2005. Then nothing.
My toddler loves tofu. So when she learned the song "Ma Tovu", she thought everyone was singing "My Tofu"!
Then my chevruta partner posted that she was sad that "tofuvavohu" was already taken. It was a short leap to "matofu", and here I am.
I intend to post here divrei Torah that I prepare for the Shabbat minyan I attend, as well as other topics I learn about.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Vayeshev: Dreams v. Prophecy
D'var for Vayeshev
December 5, 2015
D'var text: 7th aliyah of Vayeshev, Genesis 40:1-23
The cupbearer and bakers' dreams are the middle of three sets of dream-pairs forming the axis of the Joseph story: Joseph’s dreams, the cupbearer and bakers' dreams, and Pharaoh's dreams. All have fantastical elements, with personification, that make them clearly in the realm of dream-stuff.
The Egyptians had a strong tradition of dream interpretation, whereas this was apparently not a common practice among the Hebrews. The only other dream interpreter in the Tanakh is Daniel, who also served a foreign power, in this case Babylon, where this was also traditional. In every case where Joseph interprets a dream for someone else, he makes sure to credit the interpretation to God.
It seems that some information about future events is being gleaned by Joseph, information that is not obvious to the dreamer. Interestingly, the exceptions to this obliviousness by the dreamer are Joseph’s own dreams: they are not interpreted by another party, but their meaning seems obvious and consistent to Joseph, his brothers, and his father alike.
The Talmud, in tractate Berachot (55-57), says that dreams are 1/60th of prophecy, but on the other hand, no dreams are without nonsense, a juxtaposition which I love.
So what is the difference between prophecy and dreams, that dreams are just a touch prophetic? Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld, who writes for Aish.com, explains that dreams are an experience of a possible future as if it were the present, whereas for prophecy, the prophet is conscious of both the present moment and the future that is being shown — it’s a vision, not an experience.
If either prophecy or dreams showed a pre-ordained future, we would have no free will. Maimonides addressed this in his "Laws of Fundamentals of Torah" by saying that negative prophecies are intended as warnings, and may not actually occur. Therefore, it must be that dreams must be acted upon to bring their reality into fruition in the world — perhaps that is why Joseph publicized his dreams, and asked about Pharaoh’s ministers’ dreams? Even interpretation is an act, a lens that brings a distorted message into focus in the world in a particular way, as a clearer thought that can be acted upon.
So what about our own dreams?
The Talmud says dreams require interpretation — “an uninterpreted dream is like an unread letter” (Talmud), but also, interpretation of dreams is in the hands of the interpreter. Joseph’s dream interpretations are special, because he has a close relationship with God, but the rest of us are left more in the dark.
In an Orthodox prayerbook, you can find a prayer called “amelioration of a dream”, for use in the company of three friends after a bad nightmare. In it, the dreamer recites verses relating to rescue, peace, and the transformation of distress to relief, calling the dream “a good dream”.
The ritual consciously chooses a “good” interpretation.
Sources:
Judaism and Dreams
Significance of Dreams
The Complete Artscroll Siddur
December 5, 2015
D'var text: 7th aliyah of Vayeshev, Genesis 40:1-23
The cupbearer and bakers' dreams are the middle of three sets of dream-pairs forming the axis of the Joseph story: Joseph’s dreams, the cupbearer and bakers' dreams, and Pharaoh's dreams. All have fantastical elements, with personification, that make them clearly in the realm of dream-stuff.
The Egyptians had a strong tradition of dream interpretation, whereas this was apparently not a common practice among the Hebrews. The only other dream interpreter in the Tanakh is Daniel, who also served a foreign power, in this case Babylon, where this was also traditional. In every case where Joseph interprets a dream for someone else, he makes sure to credit the interpretation to God.
It seems that some information about future events is being gleaned by Joseph, information that is not obvious to the dreamer. Interestingly, the exceptions to this obliviousness by the dreamer are Joseph’s own dreams: they are not interpreted by another party, but their meaning seems obvious and consistent to Joseph, his brothers, and his father alike.
The Talmud, in tractate Berachot (55-57), says that dreams are 1/60th of prophecy, but on the other hand, no dreams are without nonsense, a juxtaposition which I love.
So what is the difference between prophecy and dreams, that dreams are just a touch prophetic? Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld, who writes for Aish.com, explains that dreams are an experience of a possible future as if it were the present, whereas for prophecy, the prophet is conscious of both the present moment and the future that is being shown — it’s a vision, not an experience.
If either prophecy or dreams showed a pre-ordained future, we would have no free will. Maimonides addressed this in his "Laws of Fundamentals of Torah" by saying that negative prophecies are intended as warnings, and may not actually occur. Therefore, it must be that dreams must be acted upon to bring their reality into fruition in the world — perhaps that is why Joseph publicized his dreams, and asked about Pharaoh’s ministers’ dreams? Even interpretation is an act, a lens that brings a distorted message into focus in the world in a particular way, as a clearer thought that can be acted upon.
So what about our own dreams?
The Talmud says dreams require interpretation — “an uninterpreted dream is like an unread letter” (Talmud), but also, interpretation of dreams is in the hands of the interpreter. Joseph’s dream interpretations are special, because he has a close relationship with God, but the rest of us are left more in the dark.
In an Orthodox prayerbook, you can find a prayer called “amelioration of a dream”, for use in the company of three friends after a bad nightmare. In it, the dreamer recites verses relating to rescue, peace, and the transformation of distress to relief, calling the dream “a good dream”.
The ritual consciously chooses a “good” interpretation.
Sources:
Judaism and Dreams
Significance of Dreams
The Complete Artscroll Siddur
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