Dreams
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Of Bags and Brothers (Audio)
Rabbi Chanoch Waxman | 24 minutesThe brothers’ sacks should contain grain, or cash, but not both. When they find their money (which Yosef had slipped into the sacks) along with the grain in their sacks, they worry. What is Yosef doing? Does he wish to harshly punish, or to kindly provide a way to achieve atonement? Yosef ultimately demonstrates that pursuing morality trumps realizing dreams.
The First Dream and Its Interpretation (Part 1)
Rabbi Yaakov MedanThe verb that is used to describe Pharaoh when he has an uninterpreted dream is contrasted with the verb used to describe Nevukhadnetzar when he forgets his dream. The commentators debate Daniel’s status as a prophet. This leads to a broader question of prophecy versus prophetic dreams. A prophetic dream includes inner thoughts and subjective interpretations – even when it includes God's word. Prophecy, on the other hand, is solely God's word (although delivered in a style unique to the individual prophet involved), with no mixture of human thoughts.
The First Dream and Its Interpretation (Part 2)
Rabbi Yaakov MedanDaniel’s ability to determine and interpret Nevukhadnetzar's dream stems from Divine inspiration and is not mundane psychological proficiency. Both Daniel and Yoseph use Divine inspiration – a combination of faith and intelligence – to interpret the dreams. Prophecy was not an option for them as they both operated in foreign lands, removed from the sanctity and prophetic spirit of Eretz Yisrael.
The First Dream and Its Interpretation (Part 3)
Rabbi Yaakov MedanWhile Pharaoh’s dreams are a detail in the main story line of Yoseph’s rise to power, the story in Sefer Daniel stresses that God’s interest in communicating with Nevukhadnetzar is the primary purpose of his dreams. Nonetheless, since Nevukhadnetzar is such a sinful person, God cannot communicate with him, and therefore the dream is forgotten and Daniel is necessary. Daniel thanks God both for the content of Nevukhadnetzar’s dream and for revealing it to Daniel. God’s knowledge of man’s secrets is viewed differently by Iyov, who believes this reality damns man to fail in judgement before God – and by David as expressed in Tehillim, who views the knowledge as an opportunity for man to do better.
Nevukhadnetzar's Second Dream
Part 1
Rabbi Yaakov MedanNevukhadnetzar’s second dream seems easy to interpret. The special skill needed by Daniel, that Nevukhadnetzar’s other servants lacked, was the courage to say the harsh message to the king. Nevukhadnetzar’s arrogance demanded humiliation. The legitimacy and correctness of Daniel’s advice to him to give charity is questionable. Twelve months later, once the charity ceases and Nevukhadnetzar’s arrogance is still in place, as is seen by his rooftop statement, the punishment is carried out. His rooftop show of arrogance raises an association to David’s rooftop arrogance prior to his sin with Bat Sheva.
The Vision of the Four Beasts
Rabbi Yaakov MedanThe Sages and many commentators are in agreement that the four beasts in Daniel’s dream parallel the four kingdoms described in Nevukhadnetzar’s dream. An alternative interpretation suggest that that the first three beasts are parables for Nevukhadnetzar - the lion, his son Evil Merodakh - the bear, and his son Belshatzar – the final king of Babylon - represented by the leopard. The fourth beast represents the kingdom of Persia and the ten horns of the beast represent the ten successive rulers of Persia. The new horn that sprouts and uproots the existing one represents Alexander the Great and the Greek Empire.
The He-Goat
Rabbi Yaakov MedanIn contrast with the beasts of prey seen in Daniel’s previous dream, Daniel sees a ram and a he-goat. In contrast with the previous dream, the nations represented by the animals are mentioned explicitly: the ram represents Persia, which possesses great forces and quantities of weapons, and the he-goat represents Macedonia-Greece which possesses speed and flexibility to adapt itself to any situation. Daniel sees that 2300 years is the time of the final redemption, and various interpretations exists as to when that time will arrive. An alternative interpretation suggests that the number 2300 corresponds with the number of daily offerings which were not sacrificed during the Greek occupation of the Beit HaMikdash until the successful rebellion of the Hashmonaim.
Angels and Ladders
Rabbi Alex Israel | 38 minutesWhen Yaakov embarks on his journey of exile to escape Esav’s wrath, he falls asleep and dreams of angels and a ladder, followed by God’s revelation to him. Yaakov immediately realizes that the dream and the location are significant, but do we? This shiur uses traditional parshanut and knowledge of the Ancient Near East to analyze the significance of the angels in Yaakov’s dream.
Visions of Disaster and Solutions: Yirmiyahu's Figs and Pharaoh's dreams
Rabbi David SabatoYosef's Prophetic Dreams
Rabbi David SilverbergWhy Were Yosef's Dreams Different than Pharaoh's?
Rabbi David SilverbergHow Yosef Descended Through a Dream and Rose through a Dream
Rabbi David SilverbergDreams and Dialogues in Shir Hashirim
Rabbi Moshe Taraginתאריך פרסום: 5777 | | Hour and 11 minutes
In this shiur, we look at the four main poems in Shir HaShirim: the song of longing and wistfulness, the wedding preparations, the frustrated expectations, and the search for renewal (as well as the chorus of the “oaths”). We consider the nature of the communication in Shir Hashirim, and explore the multiple perspectives within the songs and within the midrash and commentaries on Shir HaShirim. As we navigate the blending of time and blurred consciousness in the dream sequences, we ask:What messages about Am Yisrael can we uncover from the dream metaphors in Shir HaShirim? What roles do the dreams play in expressing emotions, and how many characters are really in Shir HaShirim?
Vayeshev: Sibling Rivalry
Rabbi Jay Kelman