Dreams, and their interpretation, are a major subject of ancient Jewish inquiry, as anyone who has ever studied Talmud and other rabbinic texts has seen. The mysterious state in which we spend so much of our lives seems that it must somehow be connected to our reality. Thus, theories abound:
One who sees a fig tree in a dream, it is a sign that his Torah is preserved within him, as it is stated: “One who keeps the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 27:18). One who sees pomegranates in a dream, if they were small, his business will flourish like the seeds of the pomegranate, which are numerous; and if they were large, his business will increase like a pomegranate. (BT Berakhot 57a)
The Joseph cycle of stories which we study on this Shabbat is set in motion by a dream, and our displaced migrant ancestor’s big break, and subsequent rise to power, comes from his ability to interpret Pharaoh’s dream – that is, to know how to turn it into a reality.
The poetry of the Psalms offers the picture of Israelites returning from Babylonian captivity as “like dreamers,” so overjoyed that they could hardly believe their homecoming was reality. We still sing the song every Shabbat after dinner in the birkat hamazon, the Blessing after Meals:
שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת בְּשׁ֣וּב יְ֭הֹוָה אֶת־שִׁיבַ֣ת צִיּ֑וֹן הָ֝יִ֗ינוּ כְּחֹלְמִֽים׃
אָ֤ז יִמָּלֵ֪א שְׂח֡וֹק פִּינוּ֮ וּלְשׁוֹנֵ֢נוּ רִ֫נָּ֥ה אָ֭ז יֹאמְר֣וּ בַגּוֹיִ֑ם הִגְדִּ֥יל יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת עִם־אֵֽלֶּה׃
הַזֹּרְעִ֥ים בְּדִמְעָ֗ה בְּרִנָּ֥ה יִקְצֹֽרוּ׃
A song of going up:
When HaShem restores the fortunes of Zion
—we see it as in a dream-
our mouths shall be filled with laughter,
our tongues, with songs of joy.
Then shall they say among the nations,
“HaShem has done great things for them!”
…
They who sow in tears
shall reap with songs of joy.
(Psalms 126.1-2, 5)
For many of us, the hope either of personal prosperity or peace for our people in our ancestral homeland seem as dreams with no foundation in reality, and the sadness and struggle of our lives in these days the only possible waking state.
During these terribly dark days, how are some managing to feed the holy flame of kavanah, of intentionality, and keep it alive and bright on the altars of their hearts? Who are these people who insist on holding on to dreams of peace, of co-existence and of hope? And how can you and I share the power of their hope and belief to support our own attempts to stay focused, to stay hopeful, to dream?
In times of fear and trauma, it may seem that we are alone, and that no one can help us, or perhaps even understand us. But although it is true that we each dream alone, inside our own psyche, yet it is also true that our dreams can only come true when they are shared.
The darkness of these days obscures much that we may have thought was true, or familiar, or even safe. May the darkness bless you with a greater ability to discern the light of others with whom you can still dream, and believe that those dreams will some day bring you to shared joy with others who see you and share that light.
On this erev Shabbat in honor of the last day of the Holiday of Light, I offer you a few Hanukkah gifts, meant to help you stoke the fire of your heart and feed your hope that our brightest dreams for might yet be realized.
1. A recorded webinar by Combatants for Peace
Watch here: Courage in the Unknown Hear from Magen Inon, who lost his parents in the Hamas attack on October 7th. In the midst of tremendous pain, Magen continues to call for an end to the bloodshed and for peace rather than revenge. Combatants for Peace activist Ahmed Helou has currently lost over 50 loved ones as a result of the Israeli bombardment on Gaza. With great courage, Ahmed spoke of the value of every human life and called for nonviolence and an end to the occupation.
2. A live zoom gathering on Sunday, December 17th (10am Pacific time / 8pm Jerusalem), where you’ll meet Palestinian and Israeli members of Standing Together to hear about the work they are doing on the ground to build an alternative of peace, equality, and justice from within Israeli society. Register here: Standing Together
3. Some personal coaching on how to build Brave Space, where we stick with each other with love and compassion even when we’d rather take refuge in our own hurt feelings, by following the rules for Maḥloket L’shem Shamayim (Respectful Disagreeing) –aspiring to honor points of disagreement, maximize humility, and engage in open-minded listening:
Seek to understand rather than convince. You need not agree in order to empathically grasp the humanity of the one you are talking to. Courageously find compassion and even affection for Jews with differing views. Listen first and allow yourself to be moved. Remember that at bottom we all want safety for our people and are too often stuck in ethical and strategic “choiceless choices.” Ask “what’s your worst fear?” Identify, invite, and tolerate the anger of the other, their resentment, fear, and blame. Attend to bonding and ethical concepts, such as trust, care, isolation, shame, and safety. With kindness, explore your own unconscious self-blame. Bravely cultivate a genuine sense of pride in yourself, in your political sub-group, and in your people as a whole.These are challenging but learnable skills; cultivating them takes practice. (Dr Richard Stern, “Blaming Ourselves Is Tearing Us Apart” Tikkun magazine Dec 13 2023)
Torah for the 21st Century by Rabbi Ariel Stone 