In his book "The Interpretation of Dreams," Sigmund Freud suggested that the content of dreams is related to wish fulfillment. Freud believed that the manifest content of a dream, or the actual imagery and events of the dream, served to disguise the latent content or the unconscious wishes of the dreamer. Another prominent researcher, G. William Domhoff, suggests that dreams most likely serve no real purpose. Lauri Quinn Loewenberg, another recognized dream analyst, explained: “Dreaming is a thinking process. In fact, it is a continuation of your thoughts from the day. That chatter in your head that goes on all day long continues as you drift off to sleep, and, once you enter REM sleep, when dreaming takes place, those thoughts continue in symbols and metaphors instead of in words. During REM, the brain is working differently to when we are awake; certain parts of the brain have become dormant, such as the prefrontal cortex which controls rational thought, while other parts become highly active, such as the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls emotions. Through the dreaming process, you are continuing your thoughts about your day: your mistakes, your achievements, your hopes for tomorrow. Your dream thoughts are actually more focused and significantly more profound because your dreams provide you metaphoric commentary on yourself.”
Now this may seem like a frivolous discussion. We have a hard enough time dealing with our daily challenges, why should we worry or be concerned about dreams. Indeed, this is a discussion that is not new- it is the very discussion that Rashi alludes to in explaining Yaakov’s reaction to Yosef sharing his dreams with his brothers. Yosef’s brothers disparagingly refer to him as “the dreamer” -
(Bereshit 37:19). וַיֹּאמְרוּ, אִישׁ אֶל-אָחִיו: הִנֵּה, בַּעַל הַחֲלֹמוֹת הַלָּזֶה--בָּא.
Behold this dreamer is coming!
Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz writes “Yosef’s life was, in fact, inextricably tied to dreams. He engendered the envy of his brothers when he shared his two dreams with them. He correctly interpreted the dreams of the ministers of Pharaoh, and later rose to glory when he was called upon to shed light on the dreams of Pharaoh himself. The two original dreams of Yosef and their significance in the events of the lives of the children of Yaakov compel us to study them carefully and glean important messages from their meaning.”
Usually when dreams are mentioned in the Tanach we understand them to be the conduit through which Hakadosh Baruch Hu is granting a prophecy. In Masechet Brachot 55a - Chazal question whether dreams have validity.
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי: כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבַר בְּלֹא תֶּבֶן, כָּךְ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לַחֲלוֹם בְּלֹא דְּבָרִים בְּטֵלִים.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai: Just as it is impossible for the grain to grow without straw, so too it is impossible to dream without idle matters. Even a dream that will be fulfilled in the future contains some element of nonsense.
This is what Rashi in fact is referring to in his explanation of Yaakov’s reaction to Yosef’s sharing of his dream with his brothers. Rashi explains that Yaakov on one hand is trying to calm the brothers so that they shouldn’t be jealous by saying “ מָה הַחֲלוֹם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר חָלָמְתָּ: הֲבוֹא נָבוֹא, אֲנִי וְאִמְּךָ וְאַחֶיךָ, לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת לְךָ, אָרְצָה- What will I and Rachel bow down?! Rachel has already died And yet at the same time we learn that Yaakov understood that the dream was indeed a nevuah and therefore the Torah continues וְאָבִיו, שָׁמַר אֶת-הַדָּבָר. As Rashi says - Yaakov waited and anticipated for the time when the dream would come true.
In Sha’arei Bina we have a message on the wall which reads Girls with Dreams become Women with Vision. We encourage our students to dream big, to have lofty goals and to continue to strive for accomplishments. At the same time, we guide our students in relating properly to others, not to encourage jealousy or sinat chinam. We teach them that all we have or will accomplish, our talents, our beauty, our successes are all thanks to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. We need to Dream Big but remain Humble and Kind.
So my wish for all of you on this Shabbat Chanuka is that what you wish for that is good should be fulfilled speedily - May there be peace, health, parnassah and success.
Shabbat Shalom and Chanuka Sameach!
Rochelle Brand, Ed.D
Head of School
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