Berakhot 57b — the Talmud in English

Furthermore,

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One who rises early

to get up in the morning

and a verse falls into his mouth, this is a minor prophecy!

The Sages taught: There are three kings

whose appearance in a dream comes as an indication, as follows, and these

are: One who sees

the

king David

in a dream

should anticipate piety!

As it is stated concerning David [in Psalms 86:2]: “Guard my soul, for I am pious.” One who sees

Solomon

the king

should anticipate wisdom!

For Solomon was wiser than every other person. And one who sees the king

Ahab should fear

calamity,

because in the end he was killed and the dogs devoured him, and he also has no share in the World to Come.

Three

books of

Prophets

whose appearance in a dream comes as an indication, as follows, and these

are: One who sees the Book of Kings should anticipate greatness!

For it mentions the kings of Judah and Israel. One who sees the Book of

Ezekiel should anticipate wisdom!

For it contains the account of the Creation and the account of the Divine Chariot, which may be expounded only to a wise person who understands on his own. One who sees the Book of

Isaiah

should anticipate consolation!

For most of the Book of Isaiah speaks of consolations. And one who sees the Book of

Jeremiah

should fear calamity, because most of the Book of Jeremiah speaks of the destruction.

Three major Writings [

that is, books of the Writings that are not Scrolls], whose appearance in a dream comes as an indication, as follows, and these

are: One who sees the Book of Psalms should anticipate piety!

For David was pious, as stated above. One who sees the Book of

Proverbs should anticipate wisdom!

For it was written by Solomon, who was wise, as stated above. One who sees the Book of

Job should fear calamity!

For Job was a man of suffering.

Three minor Writings [

that is, the Scrolls that are included among the Writings, although they are not called “books”], whose appearance in a dream comes as an indication, as follows, and these

are: One who sees

the Scroll of

“Song of Songs” in a dream should anticipate piety!

For it consists entirely of fear of Heaven and love of the Omnipresent. One who sees the Scroll of

“Ecclesiastes” should anticipate wisdom .

One who sees the Scroll of

“Lamentations” [

Eikha],

should fear calamity!

For it deals with the destruction of the Temple.

One who sees the Scroll of

“Esther”]]

is an indication that

a miracle has occurred for him!

Like the Purim miracle recorded in this Scroll.

Three sages [

who were ordained to issue rulings], whose appearance in a dream comes as an indication, as follows, and these

are: One who sees

the

Rabbi

Judah the Patriarch

in a dream should anticipate wisdom .

One who sees

Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya should anticipate wealth.

And one who sees

Rabbi

Yishmael ben Elisha should fear calamity!

For he was among those killed by the ruling authorities, and the skin of his scalp was flayed while he was alive.

Three Torah scholars [

who were not ordained to issue rulings], whose appearance in a dream comes as an indication, as follows, and these

are: One who sees

они: увидевший

Ben Azzai in a dream should anticipate piety!

One who sees

Ben

Zoma should anticipate wisdom!

One who sees

“Aḥer” [

Elisha ben Avuya ],

should fear calamity!

All kinds of beautiful animals

are

a

person who sees them in a

dream, to dream,

meaning that seeing them is a good sign for him,

except for an elephant, a monkey, and a porcupine!

For these three have unusual appearances, and an unusual thing is not good.

The Gemara raises a difficulty:

But the Master said: “One who sees an elephant in a dream—a wonder will be performed for him!”

The Gemara answers:

This is not difficult. It is not difficult:

because

this—

the case in which seeing an elephant is considered a good sign—is when

the

elephant

is saddled,

meaning that it has a saddle on its back or is tied with a bridle, and as a result it appears like the other animals. Whereas

that—

the case in which they said it is not a good sign—is when

it is not saddled,

so that its appearance is unlike that of all other animals.

All kinds of metal

are

good

signs

for

one who sees them in a

dream, except for a spade [

a digging tool],

a hoe [

a mattock],

and an axe!

This applies

when these three are not a good sign specifically when

he saw them with their handles [

when they were attached to their wooden handles], because only in that condition are they fit for their work of damaging and destroying.

All kinds of beautiful fruits

are

for

one who sees them in a

dream, except for unripe dates,

because the body does not benefit from eating them, as follows.

All kinds of beautiful vegetables

are

for

one who sees them in a

dream, except for turnip tops!

Since they are as thick as a stick, they are a sign that he will receive lashes, as Bar Hedya said to Rava above, on page 56a.

The Gemara raises a difficulty:

Is that so?

Are turnip tops not a good sign?

But Rav said: “I did not become wealthy” [

I became rich]

until I saw

in my

dream turnip tops!”

The Gemara answers:

When Rav saw

the turnip tops, he

saw them growing [

in the place where they were attached to the ground]

—he saw them!

Only in that condition were they a good sign, because it appeared that they belonged to him, and their growth alluded to good produce. But the baraitha speaks of when he saw them detached, in which case they are a sign that they will be like a stick in the hands of others and will be used to harm him.

All kinds of colors [

colors] are

good

signs

for

one who sees them in a

dream, except for sky-blue!

For it is a green shade, and a green face is a sign of illness.

All kinds of birds are good in a dream, except for the kera [

an owl],

the kipofa [

a little owl],

and the korperai [“

a bat,” a type of creeping creature resembling a bat], because these three have elongated jaws like the cheeks of a human being and are therefore repulsive.

(“The body, the body, answers and expands

—a sign

for a group of subjects mentioned below.)

Three

foods

enter the body, but the body does not benefit from eating them,

and these are:

gudgudniyot [

cherries],

kafniyot [

a type of inferior dates ], and

unripe dates!

Three

things

do not enter the body, but the body benefits from them, and these are: bathing, anointing, and marital relations!

Three

things are

a taste of the World to Come. And these are: Shabbat,

sunlight [

sunrise],

and marital relations!

The Gemara discusses this:

What kind of “marital relations” is meant? If we say it means intercourse, that weakens a person’s strength,

and it cannot be said that it is “a taste of the World to Come.”

The Gemara explains:

Rather,

the reference is to

the use of bodily orifices [

relieving oneself].

Three

things

restore a person’s clarity of mind.

When he is worried and immersed in grief, these things remove his sigh from him,

and these are: sound,

the sound of musical instruments or a woman’s pleasant voice,

sight,

a beautiful sight,

and scent,

a pleasant fragrance!

Three

things

broaden a person's mind,

and these are: a beautiful dwelling, a beautiful wife, and beautiful utensils!

(Five, Six, and Ten —

a sign

for a group of subjects mentioned below).

Five

things are considered

one-sixtieth

of another thing,

and these are: fire, honey, Shabbat, sleep, and a dream!

And the Gemara explains the intention of the statement:

Fire,

it is

one-sixtieth of Gehenna

of the fire of Gehenna]!

Honey,

it is

one-sixtieth of

the taste of the

manna!

Shabbat,

it is

one-sixtieth of the World to Come!

Sleep,

it is

one-sixtieth of death!

A dream,

it is

one-sixtieth of prophecy!

Six things

are

a good sign for a sick person. And these are: sneezing, perspiration, diarrhea, a seminal emission, sleep, and a dream!

And the Gemara explains the sources for the benefit of these things:

Sneezing, as it is written

Job 41:10]

“His sneezings flash light!”

For with every sneeze that he sneezes, light shines for him.

Perspiration, as it is written

Genesis 3:19]

“By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread!”

And it implies that one who perspires is destined to live and eat bread.

Diarrhea, as it is written

Isaiah 51:11]

“Quickly the one who crouches will be opened, and he will not die in the pit!”

And “the one who crouches” means the emptying of the intestines, for emptying is called “evacuation.”

A seminal emission, as it is written

Isaiah 53:10]

“He will see seed; he will prolong days!”

Sleep, as it is written

Job 3:13]

“Then I would have lain down; then I would have rested!”

A dream, as it is written

Isaiah 38:16, concerning Hezekiah]

“Restore me to health and preserve me alive!”

That is, through the dream, “restore me to health.”

Six things heal the sick person from his illness, and

through them his

healing will be a complete healing

;

and these are: cabbage, spinach, and dried sisin [

a type of herb ],

the stomach and the womb [

the uterus],

and the liver lobe

of an animal!

And some say: also small fish!

Moreover, small fish make fertile and make healthy [

make healthy]

a person's entire body!

Ten things return the sick person to his illness, and

cause his

illness to become severe.

And

these are: one who eats ox meat,

and

fatty meat, roasted meat, bird meat, and a roasted egg, shaving, and shahal [

a type of vegetable],

and milk, and cheese, and a bathhouse.

And some say: also nuts.

And some say: also cucumbers [

cucumbers].

The Sages of the house of Rabbi Ishmael taught: Why are they called “cucumbers?” —

Because they are as hard on the body as swords!

The Gemara objects:

Is it so

that cucumbers harm the body?

But it is written, “And the Lord said to her: Two nations are in your womb,”

and we expound:

Do not read “nations,” but “proud ones” [

for this is how the word is spelled in this expression], from the language of pride and greatness.

And

concerning this

Rabbi Judah said

Rav: Two “proud ones”

—

these

are

Antoninus and Rabbi,

who emerged from Jacob and Esau; and they were called “proud ones” because

they

were wealthy, and

neither radish nor horseradish ceased from their table,

nor cucumbers, neither in the summer nor in the winter!

It follows that cucumbers are a superior food.

The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult. This

— what they said, that cucumbers are bad for the body, refers to

large

cucumbers;

and that

which

this

— those that did not cease from the tables of Rabbi and Antoninus — were

small cucumbers.

The Sages taught:

One who sees in a dream that there is

a dead person in the house

— this is a sign that

there will be peace in the house,

like a dead person who “rests in peace.” And if he sees that the dead person

ate and drank in the house,

and appeared to be established in the house, this is

a good sign for the house. And if he saw that the dead person

But if he sees that

took

from the house

utensils,

this is

a bad sign for the house!

Rav Pappa interpreted

what they said, “he took utensils” — -

that is, specifically

in

the case where he saw that the dead person took

shoes [

shoes]

and sandals,

but if he saw that he took other utensils, it is a good sign. For

everything

that

a dead person takes [

a dead person] from the house is

beneficial

to the house,

apart from shoes and sandals!

For this shows that those present in the house went outside [to the place to which the dead person is going], since a person does not remain without his shoes; but if he takes out other utensils, it is a sign that the members of the household will remain in it, and only utensils will be taken out.

And

everything

that he sees in his dream that he

gives to the house through a dead person is

is

beneficial

to the house, except

for earth and mustard!

For earth is a bad sign, because it hints at another burial in this house.

We learned in the Mishna: One who sees

a place from which idolatry has been uprooted

says: “Blessed is He who uprooted idolatry from our land”!

The Sages taught: One who sees

the idolatry of

Mercurius,

says: “Blessed is He who has granted long-suffering

to those who transgress His will!”

And one who sees

a place from which idolatry has been uprooted says: “Blessed is He who uprooted idolatry from our land,

and just as it has been uprooted from this place, so may it be uprooted from all the places of Israel, and return the hearts of its worshippers to serve You!”

And one who sees a place from which idolatry has been uprooted

one who sees a place from which idolatry has been uprooted

outside the Land of Israel need not say, “and return the hearts of its worshippers to serve You,” because most

of outside the Land of Israel is inhabited by

idolaters!

And this prayer was instituted only to return the hearts of Jewish sinners.

Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Even outside the Land of Israel

one must say this, because they are destined

to convert.

As it is stated [

Zephaniah 3:9],

“Then I shall transform the peoples to a pure language!”

So that they will not utter in their language the name of other gods, but all will call in the name of the Lord, which is a pure language; therefore one should pray for them that their hearts return to serve the Lord.

Rav Hamnuna expounded: One who sees

the following places, which are located in

wicked Babylonia, must recite five blessings,

and these are:

If he saw Babylonia

in its entirety,

he says: “Blessed is He who destroyed wicked Babylonia!”

If he saw the house of Nebuchadnezzar, he says: “Blessed is He

who destroyed the house of wicked Nebuchadnezzar!”

If he saw the lions' den

into which Daniel was thrown,

or

the pit in which

the fiery furnace

of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah was heated,

he says: “Blessed is He who performed miracles for our ancestors

in this place!”

If he saw

the idolatry of

Mercurius, he says: “Blessed is He who has granted long-suffering to those who transgress His will!”

And there is a place in Babylonia where, if an animal enters there, it cannot move from its place until they place upon it earth from that place, and if he

saw the place

from which

they take earth

to place upon the animal so that it can walk,

he says: “Blessed is He who says and performs, decrees and fulfills!”

For this act is a sign of the destruction of the place, and it is among the curses of Babylonia [as below]; therefore he recites a blessing there, for He decreed its destruction and fulfills His decree.

When Rava would see donkeys carrying earth [

donkeys carrying earth] from Babylonia, he

would strike them with his hand on their backs

of the donkeys,

and he would say

to them:

“Run” [

run]

righteous ones, to perform the will [

will]

of your Master!”

For you are fulfilling the decree of destruction that the Lord decreed against Babylonia, that its earth should be removed.

When Mar, the son of Ravina, would reach Babylonia, he would take earth in his cloth and throw it outside [

outside Babylonia], in order

to fulfill what is stated [

Isaiah 14:23]

“And I shall sweep it with the broom of destruction!”

And “sweeping” means scattering the earth.

Rav Ashi said: As for this that

said

Rav Hamnuna —

that one who sees these places in Babylonia must recite five blessings —

I did not hear it

from him,

but I recited all of them on my own understanding!