Berakhot 56b — the Talmud in English

He bent two cedars

—he tied two cedars and bent them toward one another—

with a rope; it is forbidden.

He tied

one leg

his one leg

to one cedar, and one leg to one cedar, and they released

untied

the rope,

and the two cedars straightened up and moved away from one another,

until it was cut

the body of Bar Hedya was cut into two, up to his head.

Rava said: I will not forgive him until it is cut

also

his head and it falls into two

pieces!

They completely released the rope, and

each one went

of the cedars

and stood in its place, and it was cut

also his head,

and it fell into two

pieces.

Ben Dama, the son of Rabbi Ishmael’s sister, asked Rabbi Ishmael: I saw

in my dream

my two cheeks that fell out!

He said

to him: The two cheeks of the mouth are a hint that

two Roman troops plotted evil against you

with their mouths,

and they died!

Bar Kappara said to Rabbi: I saw

in my dream

my nose that fell off!

He said to him

Rabbi: It is a hint that

anger has departed from you!

For anger is recognizable on the nose, for at the time of anger it becomes hot and emits vapor.

Further,

he said to him

Bar Kappara said to Rabbi:

I saw

my

two hands that were cut off!

He said to him

Rabbi: It is a hint that you will become wealthy, and again

you will not need the work of your hands!

He said to him

Bar Kappara said to Rabbi:

I saw

in my dream

my two legs that were severed!

He said to him

Rabbi: It is a hint that

you will ride a horse!

And you will not need to walk on your legs.

Bar Kappara further said to him:

I saw that they said to me

in my dream,

“In Adar you die, and Nisan you will not see!”

You will die in the month of Adar and will not merit to see Nisan.

He said to him

Rabbi: “Adar” is an expression of adarta [honor and splendor], and “Nisan” is an expression of “trial.” And this is the intention of what they said to you:

“In splendor you die, and you will not come into the hands of trial!”

That Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael: I saw

in my dream

that I was giving oil to olives!

He said to him

Rabbi Ishmael:

“You have relations with your mother!”

Just as the oil came out of the olive and then returned and watered it.

Further,

he said to him

that Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael:

I saw

in my dream

that I plucked

that I uprooted

a star!

He said to him

Rabbi Ishmael:

You have stolen a Jew!

For Israel are compared to stars.

Further,

he said to him

that Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael:

I saw that I swallowed a star!

He said

to him Rabbi Ishmael:

A Jew

you stole, and

you sold him and consumed his money

the money from the sale of the Jew.

Further,

he said to him

that Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael:

I saw

in my dream

my eyes kissing one another—

close and touching one another!

He said to him

Rabbi Ishmael:

“You have relations with your sister!”

For only the relationship of siblings is a mutual closeness, since one brother is not considered older in relation to his brother [whereas other relationships are not of the same generation].

Further,

he said to him

that Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael:

I saw that I kissed

the

moon—

that I kissed the moon.

He said to him

Rabbi Ishmael:

“You have relations with a married Jewish woman!”

For Israel are compared to the moon.

He said to him

that Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael:

I saw

in my dream

that I was treading on a myrtle canopy

that I was treading on a canopy of myrtles.

He said to him

Rabbi Ishmael:

“You have relations with a betrothed maiden!”

For they were accustomed to make for her, when she entered the wedding canopy, a canopy of myrtle, and it is called a hinuma.

Further,

he said to him

that Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael:

I saw a burden

a load

above me,

above,

and it

I was

below it

under the burden!

He said to him: It is a hint that

your

your lying

with the betrothed maiden is

reversed,

for she was above and he was below.

Further,

he said to him

that Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael:

I saw ravens circling my bed

ravens seeking my bed!

He said to him

Rabbi Ishmael:

Your wife has committed adultery with many men,

and they appear to you as ravens waiting for you to move away so that they can eat as they wish.

He said to him

that Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael:

I saw doves circling my bed!

He said to him

Rabbi Ishmael:

You have rendered many women impure!

He said to him

that Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael:

I saw

in my dream

that I was holding

I

two doves

in my hands,

and they flew away!

He said to him

Rabbi Ishmael:

You married two women

you married,

and dismissed them without a bill of divorce!

He said to him

that Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael:

I saw

in my dream

that I was peeling eggs

that I was peeling eggs!

He said to him

Rabbi Ishmael: It is a hint that

you are stripping the dead

that you strip the dead!

The Sadducee said to him

to Rabbi Ishmael:

All of them

the interpretations that you told me,

are present in me, except for this one,

the last one [that I stripped the dead],

for

it

is not present

in me!

Meanwhile

in the meantime,

that woman came,

and she said to him

to the Sadducee:

“This cloak that

you

cover yourself with

in,

belongs to a certain man who died, and I stripped him—

I stripped him of his cloak and dressed you in it!” And it became evident that all Rabbi Ishmael’s words were correct.

Further,

he said to him

the Sadducee said to Rabbi Ishmael:

I saw

in my dream

that they said to me: “Your father left you property in Kapodkia!”

He said to him

Rabbi Ishmael:

Do you have property in Kapodkia?

He said to him: No!

Rabbi Ishmael continued and asked him:

Did your father go to Kapodkia?

He said to him: No!

He said to him:

“If so,

“Kapodkia,” which you heard in your dream, is an acronym of “kafa” and “deika.” And

“kafa”

means

a beam

in the language of Persia and Greece, and

“deika”

means

“ten”

in Greek; and it is a hint that you have money in the tenth beam.

Go see the beam at the head of the tenth row

the beam at the head of the tenth row in your house, and you will find

that it is full of coins!

He went

the Sadducee and examined it, and

found that it was full of coins.

Rabbi Hanina said: One who sees a well in a dream

it is a hint that he will

see peace, as it is stated

Genesis 26:

“Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and they found there a well of living water!”

And the well did not remain in Isaac’s possession until he had peace with the Philistines, and they no longer quarreled with him over it.

Rabbi Natan says: One who sees a well in a dream has found Torah.

As it is stated

concerning the Torah [Proverbs 8]:

“For whoever finds me finds life,” and it is written here

concerning the well [Genesis, there]:

“A well of living water.”

And it is preferable to learn from the wording of Scripture and not merely from its subject matter.

Rava said: One who sees a well in a dream has found actual life!

For water is life for a person.

Rabbi Hanan said: Three

of the

dreams

are tidings of

peace!

And these are they: One who sees

a river,

and one who sees

a bird, and

one who sees

a pot

in his dream!

“A river”

hints at peace, because

it is written

Isaiah 66:12:

“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river.”

“A bird”

hints at peace, because

it is written

there, Isaiah 31:5:

“Like birds flying, so the Lord of Hosts will protect

Jerusalem.”

“A pot”

hints at peace, because

it is written

there, Isaiah 26:12:

“O Lord, establish peace for us!”

And with a pot the expression “establishing” is used, when placing it on the fire.

Rabbi Hanina said: And

when one sees

a pot in which there is no meat

we said this. But a pot in which there is meat is a sign of calamity,

as it is stated

Micah 3:3: “And those who eat the flesh of My people, strip their skin from them, and break their bones,”

“and spread them as in a pot, and as meat within a cauldron,”

and then they will cry out to the Lord, but He will not answer them, etc.—the meaning is that the nations will break them, like meat that is cut into slices to place it inside the pot.

meaning that the gentiles will break them apart, like meat that is sliced into pieces to be placed inside a pot.

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: One who sees a river in a dream should rise early and say: “I will extend peace to her like a river,” before another verse concerning a river precedes it,

which is

“For he will come like a narrow river,”

which is a matter of calamity.

For when one rises early and a verse falls into his mouth, that is like a small prophecy; therefore it is preferable that he say a verse hinting at good before a verse hinting at evil falls to him.

One who sees a bird in a dream should rise early and say: “Like birds flying, so the Lord of Hosts will protect

Jerusalem,”

before another verse precedes it

that is not for good, written concerning birds, and it is [Proverbs 27:8]:

“Like a bird wandering from its nest

so is a man wandering from his place”!

One who sees a pot in a dream should rise early and say, “O Lord, establish peace for us,” before another verse precedes it,

and it is [Ezekiel 24:3]:

“Set up the pot,

set it up,

and also pour water into it”! This is a parable for the punishment with which the Lord will punish them through the king of Babylonia, for Jerusalem will be like a pot, and Nebuchadnezzar will place it on the fire.

One who sees grapes in a dream should rise early and say, “Like grapes in the wilderness

I found Israel”!

before another verse precedes it

of calamity. And it is [Deuteronomy 32:32]:

“Their grapes are grapes of poison,

clusters of bitterness for them.”

One who sees a mountain in a dream should rise early and say:

Isaiah 52:7:

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the herald,” before another verse precedes it,

and it is [Jeremiah 9:9]:

“Upon the mountains I will raise weeping and lamentation.”

One who sees a shofar in a dream should rise early and say

Isaiah 27:13:

“And it shall be on that day, a great shofar shall be sounded,” before another verse precedes it

of calamity, and it is [Hosea 5:8]:

“Sound the shofar in Gibeah,

the trumpet in Ramah; sound the alarm, Beth-aven; after you, Benjamin!” And they sounded in order to warn against the sword of the armies coming upon them.

One who sees a dog in a dream should rise early and say:

Exodus 11:7:

“But among all the Children of Israel no dog shall sharpen its tongue,” before another verse precedes it,

and it is [Isaiah 56:11]:

“And the dogs are greedy,

they do not know satiety.”

One who sees a lion in a dream should rise early and say:

Amos 3:8

“A lion has roared; who will not fear?” before another verse

of calamity precedes it, namely [Jeremiah 4:7]:

“A lion has risen from its thicket,

and a destroyer of nations has set out; he has departed from his place, to make your land desolate; your cities shall be burned, without an inhabitant!” This is an allusion to Nebuchadnezzar, who was compared to a lion.

One who sees shaving in a dream should rise early and say [

Genesis 41:14]:

“And he shaved himself and changed his garments!”

for it is stated for good, referring to shaving for honor and greatness,

before another verse

stated for evil, concerning Samson [Judges 16:17]:

“If I am shaved, my strength will depart from me,”

for his shaving caused him weakness and fear of others.

One who sees a well in a dream should rise early and say: “A well of living water,” before a verse

containing calamity precedes it, namely [Jeremiah 6:7]:

“As a well keeps its waters

a well

of water,

so she keeps her evil.”

One who sees a reed in a dream should rise early and say [

Isaiah 42:3]:

“A bruised reed he shall not break,” before another verse

and it is [II Kings 18:21]:

“Behold, you have trusted in the support of this bruised reed.”

The Sages taught: One who sees a reed in a dream should await wisdom, as it is said [

Proverbs 4:7]

“The beginning of wisdom: acquire wisdom!

But one who sees

reeds

many

should await understanding,

as it is said [

there]:

“And with all your acquisitions acquire understanding!”

And “with all your acquisitions” is an expression of plurality, and plurality is hinted at by many reeds.

Rav Huna said:

One who sees in his dream

kera [

pumpkin], or

kora [

the soft part that grows on the branches of a palm in its first year and hardens in the second year], or

kira [

wax], or

kenya [

reed],

all of them are good for a dream,

and they are a favorable sign!

It was taught: Squashes are shown in a dream only to one who fears Heaven with all his strength!

One who sees an ox in a dream should rise early and say [

Deuteronomy 33:17]:

“The firstborn of his ox, majesty is his,”

which indicates his importance,

before another verse

hinting at evil precedes it, namely [Exodus 21:28]:

“For when an ox gores a man,”

and this is harm that comes through the force of pride caused to him by his importance.

The Sages taught: Five things were said concerning one who

sees

an ox

in his dream, and these are they: If he saw that he was

eating of its flesh,

he will

become wealthy .

And if he saw that the ox

gored him,

the ox

he will have sons who gore

one another

in Torah.

And if he saw that the ox

bit him,

the ox,

suffering will come upon him. And if he saw that the ox

And if he saw that the

kicked him,

the ox,

a distant road has presented itself to him

to travel upon. And if he saw that he

rode it [

that he was riding upon the ox], he will

rise to greatness.

rode it, he

The Gemara raises an objection:

But it was taught: “If one saw in a dream that

he

rode it,

he will

die?”

The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult; this

which indicates that he will rise to greatness is when he saw

that he rode the ox, and

whereas

that

which indicates death is when he saw

that the ox rode him.

[Zechariah 9:9]: “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; raise a shout, daughter of Jerusalem!

One who sees a donkey in a dream should await salvation, as it is said [

Zechariah 9:9]: “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; shout, daughter of Jerusalem,

behold, your king shall come to you, righteous and saved is he, humble and riding upon a donkey,

and upon a foal, the son of she-asses.” This verse was said concerning the King Messiah.

One who sees a cat in a dream, in a place where they call

the cat

“shunra,”

it is a sign that

a fine song

will be made for him.

But in a place where they call the cat

“shinra,”

it is a sign that

a bad change will be made for him!

if the grapes are white — whether in their season or not in their season, they are favorable for those who see them, and this is a good sign for him. If he saw grapes that are black, if he saw them

One who sees grapes in a dream,

if the grapes

are white,

then

whether in their season or not in their season, they are good

for those who see them, and it is a favorable sign for him. And if he saw

black

grapes, if he saw them

in their season,

they are

good

for him, but if he saw them

not in their season, they are bad

for him.

One who sees a white horse in a dream, whether

he sees it

at rest or

whether he sees it

in

a state in which the horse is

running [

fleeing], it is

a good

sign

for him.

And if he sees a

red horse, if he sees it

horse, if he sees it

at rest, it is

the sign

a good sign for him, but if he sees it

for him; but if he sees it

in

a state of

running, it is

is

a difficult sign

for him.

One who sees

a person whose name is

Ishmael in a dream, his prayer is heard!

Just as Ishmael’s prayer was heard, as it is said [Genesis 21:17]: “And God heard the voice of the lad.”

Specifically

when he sees

Ishmael son of Abraham

himself.

But

one who sees

an Arab [

an Arab] from the descendants of Ishmael

in general, no —

there is no favorable sign in this, because even if his name is “Ishmael,” he is not called after the verse “for the Lord has heard.”

One who sees a camel in a dream,

it is a sign that

death was decreed upon him from Heaven, and they saved him from it!

Rabbi Hanina said: What is the verse?

The source for this sign? As it is said [Genesis 46:4]:

“And I shall descend with you to Egypt, and I shall also surely bring you up!”

And “I shall also bring you up” is close to an acrostic of “camel.”

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said: From here

they derived that a camel alludes to being saved from death, as it is said [II Samuel 12:13]:

“The Lord has also removed your sin; you shall not die!”

And “also” is gimel in Greek, and gimel resembles gamal.

One who sees

Pinhas

in a dream, a wonder will be performed for him!

Just as many miracles were performed for Pinhas at the incident of Zimri.

One who sees an elephant in a dream,

it is a sign that many

wonders will be performed for him!

are for seeing them in a dream, except for the elephant and the monkey,” whose appearance is strange?

And one who sees several

elephants

in a dream,

wonders of wonders will be performed for him!

That is, many miracles will be performed for him.

The Gemara raises an objection:

But it was taught: “All kinds of animals

are

good

signs

for

seeing them in a

dream, except for the elephant and the monkey,”

whose appearance is strange?

The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult,