Berakhot 57b (נז:) — the Talmud in English

With the support of the Sages the editor noted that above, on page 55b, Rashi did not explain this statement, whereas here he wrote that the person rose from his bed. He explained that here Rashi wished to clarify that Rabbi Yoḥanan was not referring to everything stated above—“He should rise early and recite [a verse] before another verse precedes him”—but that even if he had not seen anything, once a verse fell into his mouth, this was a minor prophecy. And the Tziyyun le-Nefesh Ḥayya wrote that Rashi is clarifying that this is a separate statement of Rabbi Yoḥanan and does not refer to his words concerning one who drinks wine; that is, he does not mean that if the verse “Wine gladdens” fell into his mouth, he could interpret his dream favorably. And Rabbi Avraham Moshe Horowitz explained that Rabbi Yoḥanan means that the fact that reciting a verse does not help to improve the interpretation of a dream about drinking wine—as explained in the preceding note—applies only when one rises early and deliberately recites a particular verse. But if a verse falls into his mouth, it is like a minor prophecy and does help him. [In the gloss of Rabbi Shimon Toybush it is written that Rashi means that it is considered a minor prophecy only if the verse fell to him after he arose and washed his hands, but not before he washed his hands]. Rabbeinu Baḥya [ Genesis 41:1] wrote that we find [in Bava Batra 12a] the expression “minor prophecy,” which was granted to fools and children. This means a true imaginative perception, applicable only to those who lack understanding and, while awake, have not exerted their senses to comprehend tangible things and retain them in their imagination. Even while asleep, they imagine true things that come to pass, and dreams of this type come both to the righteous and to the wicked, without a person having thought about the matter at all. And the Maharal [ Part One, Bava Batra, there] already explained that a wise person nullifies the power of imagination through his intellect and therefore does not receive prophecy, unlike a fool, who does not operate through his intellect; all his knowledge comes from what is conveyed to the appointed heavenly beings. See the Zohar, Part Two, 258a. And in Torat Ḥayyim [ Bava Kamma 55a] it was explained that it is called “minor prophecy” because it is one-sixtieth of prophecy. And Rabbi Moshe Shapira explained that its meaning follows the general principle stated [in Bava Metzia 12b]: “An adult who relies on his father’s table is considered a minor.” The “prophecy” that he recognizes upon arising, when he already possesses self-awareness, is caused by and dependent on the revelation he received in his sleep. It is also not a new prophecy revealed to him; rather, it depends on a verse, which is a prophecy that had already been stated to a prophet.

the

in a dream

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

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

the

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

Ben Azzai in a dream should anticipate piety

—

—

are

are

signs

a bat a type of creeping creature resembling

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.

Naḥmanides [ 51b; see there, note 5] maintained that the reason one does not recite a blessing over these pleasures is that the Sages instituted blessings only for pleasures that enter the body, but not for enjoyment of heat, cold, or light. The Magen Avraham in the name of [ 216:1, in the name of Mateh Moshe] wrote that according to their reasoning, the reason one does not recite a blessing over a pleasant sound is that it has no physical substance. And the Maharsham [ Da’at Torah, there] asked: We find [in Yoma 76b] that bathing and anointing are absorbed into the bones. It is possible that the bathing and anointing themselves are absorbed, but the pleasure from them is in a part outside his body, and the blessing depends only on the pleasure. And in Derekh Pikudekha [ positive commandment 1, statement 6] and Mor u-Ketzi’a [ section 240] they wrote that one does not recite a blessing over the pleasure of marital relations because they were given not for pleasure but for the sake of a mitzva, and also because they weaken his strength.

Three

things

expand a person’s mind,

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

(Five, Six, and Ten —

a mnemonic

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!

The Gemara explains the meaning of the statement:

Fire,

it is

one sixtieth of Gehenna of the fire of Gehenna]!

from the fire of Gehenna!

Honey,

it is

one sixtieth of the

flavor 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,

they are

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

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

Sneezing, as it is written Job 41:10]

in Job:

“His sneezes flash light!”

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

Perspiration, as it is written Genesis 3:19]

in Genesis:

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

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

Diarrhea, as it is written Isaiah 51:11]

in Isaiah:

“The one who is hurrying to open will not die to destruction!”

And “hurrying” means emptying the bowels, because emptying is called “evacuation.”

A seminal emission, as it is written Isaiah 53:10]

in Isaiah:

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

Sleep, as it is written Job 3:13]

in Job:

“Then I would have lain down and been at rest!”

A dream, as it is written Isaiah 38:16], regarding Hezekiah:

in Isaiah, concerning Hezekiah:

“You have restored me and revived me!”

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

Six things heal a sick person of his illness, and through

them his

healing will be a complete healing

:

and these are: cabbage, beets, and dried sisin a type of herb ],

a type of grass ,

the gizzard and the womb the uterus],

the uterus,

and the liver lobe

of an animal!

And some say: small fish as well!

Moreover, small fish increase and restore the health of

heal

a person’s entire body!

Ten things cause a sick person to relapse, and

they 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 shahlav a type of vegetable],

a type of vegetable,

milk, cheese, and a bathhouse.

And some say: nuts as well.

And some say: cucumbers as well melons].

cucumbers.

The tanna of the school of Rabbi Ishmael said: Why are they called “cucumbers”? —

Because they are as harsh to the body as swords!

The Gemara challenges this:

Is that so?

Are cucumbers harmful to the body?

But is it not written: “And the Lord said to her: Two nations are in your womb,”

and we interpret this,

“Do not read it as ‘nations,’ but as ‘exalted ones’” for that is how the word is spelled here], from a term denoting pride and greatness.

as this word is spelled in that verse, from a term meaning pride and greatness.

And

concerning this

Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of

Rav: The two “exalted ones”

are

these

—

Antoninus and Rabbi,

who descended from Jacob and Esau and were called “exalted ones” because

they

were wealthy, and

neither radish nor lettuce

nor cucumbers were ever absent from their table, neither in the summer nor in the winter!

This shows that cucumbers are a superior food.

The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult. This

—the statement that cucumbers are harmful to the body—refers to

large

cucumbers,

whereas

those

other

cucumbers that were never absent from the table of Rabbi and Antoninus were

small ones.

The Sages taught:

One who sees in a dream that there is a

dead person in the house

has 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 settled in the house, this is

a good sign for the house.

But if he sees that the dead person

took

the

utensils from the house,

this is

a bad sign for the house!

Rav Pappa interpreted

the statement that the dead person “took utensils”: —

That is, only

in

a case where he saw that the dead person took

shoes footwear]

shoes

and sandals

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

everything

that

a dead person takes from the house] is

from the house

beneficial

for the house,

except for shoes and sandals!

This is because it indicates that those present in the house will go outside [to the place where the dead person is going], for no person remains without his shoes. But if he takes other utensils, it is a sign that the members of the household will remain there and only utensils will be removed.

And everything that he sees in his dream and

everything

that he sees being given by a dead person to the house,

given by a dead person to the house,

this is

beneficial

for 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 exercises patience

with those who violate 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

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

of the Land of Israel is inhabited by

idol worshippers!

This prayer was instituted only to return the hearts of Jewish transgressors.

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]:

in Zephaniah:

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

They will not utter the names of other gods with their mouths; rather, they will all 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 taught: 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 den of lions

into which Daniel was thrown,

or

the pit in which

the fiery furnace

of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah was kindled,

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

in this place!”

If he saw

the idolatry of

Mercurius, he says: “Blessed is He who exercises patience with those who violate His will!”

And there is a place in Babylonia where, if an animal enters, it cannot move from its place until they place upon it earth from that location, 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 speaks and acts, decrees and fulfills!”

For this phenomenon is a sign of the destruction of the place and is among the curses of Babylonia [as follows]. 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

from Babylonia, he would

would slap them on their backs

of the donkeys,

and he would say

to them:

“Run,

run,

righteous ones, to fulfill the will

desire

of your Master!”

For you are carrying out the decree of destruction that the Lord decreed upon Babylonia, that its earth should be removed.

When Mar, son of Ravina, would arrive in Babylonia, he would take earth in his scarf and throw it outside outside Babylonia], in order

outside Babylonia, in order

to fulfill what is stated Isaiah 14:23]:

in Isaiah:

“I will sweep it with the broom of destruction!”

And “sweeping” means scattering the earth.

Rav Ashi said: As for what

was

said by Rav Hamnuna —

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

I did not hear it

from him;

rather, I recited all of them on my own!