Pt3 Symbolism of Plants, Animals, Birds, and Nature in Talmudic Dream Interpretations: Over 40 Dream Elements and Their Meanings (Berakhot 56b-57b)

This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.

Part 3

Dates = his transgressions have ceased - Lamentations 4:22 (#8c)

הרואה תמרים בחלום —

תמו עונותיו,

שנאמר:

״תם עונך

בת ציון״.

One who sees palm trees [temarim] in a dream --

has seen a sign that his transgressions have ceased,

as it is stated:

“Your iniquity is finished,¹

O daughter of Zion” (Lamentations 4:22)

Rav Yosef - Goat (single) = his year will be blessed; goats (multiple) = his years will be blessed - Proverbs 27:27 (#9a)

אמר רב יוסף:

• הרואה עז בחלום —

  • שנה מתברכת לו,

• עזים —

  • שנים מתברכות לו,

שנאמר: ״ודי חלב עזים ללחמך״.

Rav Yosef says:

• One who sees a goat in a dream --

  • it is a sign that his year will be blessed;

• one who sees goats --

  • his years will be blessed,

as it is stated: “And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food, for the food of your household; and sustenance for your maidens” (Proverbs 27:27).

Myrtle (‘hadas’) = his property will be successful / receive an inheritance (#9b)

• הרואה הדס בחלום —

  • נכסיו מצליחין לו.

• ואם אין לו נכסים —

  • ירושה נופלת לו ממקום אחר.

[...]

• One who sees myrtle² in a dream --

  • it is a sign that his property will be successful.

• And if he does not own property --

  • it is a sign that he will receive an inheritance.

[...]

Leviticus 23:40 - Citron (‘etrog’) = he is honored before God (#9c)

הרואה אתרוג בחלום —

הדור הוא לפני קונו,

שנאמר:

״פרי עץ הדר,

כפת תמרים״.

One who sees a citron [etrog] in a dream --

has seen a sign that he is honored [hadur] before his Creator,³

as it is stated with regard to the citron:

“The fruit of goodly trees [hadar],

branches of palm trees” (Leviticus 23:40).

Palm branch (‘lulav’) = he has but one heart for God (#9d)

הרואה לולב בחלום —

אין לו אלא לב אחד לאביו שבשמים.

One who sees a palm branch [lulav] in a dream --

it is a sign that he has but one heart for his Father in heaven.

Lulav is interpreted homiletically as lo lev, he has a heart.

Goose = anticipate wisdom - Proverbs 1:20 (#10)

הרואה אווז בחלום —

יצפה לחכמה

שנאמר: ״חכמות בחוץ תרנה״.

[...]

One who sees a goose in a dream --

should anticipate wisdom,

as it is stated: “Wisdoms cry aloud in the streets, she utters her voice in the broad places” (Proverbs 1:20); geese tend to sound their voices.

[...]

Rooster (single) = anticipate a male child; Roosters (multiple) = male children (#11a)

• הרואה תרנגול בחלום —

  • יצפה לבן זכר.

• תרנגולים —

  • יצפה לבנים זכרים.

• One who sees a rooster in a dream --

  • should anticipate a male child.

• One who sees multiple roosters --

  • should expect male children.

Hen = anticipate a beautiful garden (#11b)

תרנגולת —

יצפה לתרביצה נאה וגילה.

[...]

One who sees a hen [tarnegolet] --

should anticipate a beautiful garden [tarbitza na’a] and reason to rejoice [gila],

as tarnegolet is interpreted as an acronym for tarbitza na’a ve-gila.

[...]

Snake = his livelihood is accessible to him (#20)

תני תנא קמיה דרב ששת:

הרואה נחש בחלום --

פרנסתו מזומנת לו.

[...]

The tanna who recited mishnayot before Rav Sheshet taught:

One who sees a snake in a dream --

it is a sign that his livelihood is accessible to him

just as dust is readily accessible to a snake.⁴

[...]

Categories: Wild Animals, Fruit, Vegetables, Colors, Birds

(See footnote.)⁵

Wild Animals, except for an elephant, a monkey and a long-tailed ape = good (57b, #7)

כל מיני חיות יפות לחלום,

חוץ מן

1. הפיל

2. והקוף

3. והקפוד.

[...]

All types of wild animals⁶ are auspicious signs for a dream⁷

except for

1. an elephant,⁸

2. a monkey

3. and a long-tailed ape.

[...]

Fruit, except for unripe dates = good (#8a)

כל מיני פירות יפין לחלום,

חוץ מפגי תמרה.

All kinds of fruit are auspicious signs for a dream

except for unripe dates.

Vegetables, except for turnip heads = good (#8b)

כל מיני ירקות יפין לחלום,

חוץ מראשי לפתות.

[...]

All kinds of vegetables are auspicious signs for a dream

except for turnip heads.

[...]

Colors, except for sky-blue (tekhelet) = good (#8c)

כל מיני צבעונין יפין לחלום,

חוץ מן התכלת

Similarly, all kinds of colors (צבעונין) are auspicious signs for a dream,

except for sky-blue [tekhelet].

Birds, except for an eagle-owl, and an owl, and a kurferai = good (#8d)

כל מיני עופות יפין לחלום,

חוץ מן

1. קריא

2. וקפופא

3. וקורפראי.

All kinds of birds are auspicious signs in a dream

except for

1. an eagle-owl,

2. and an owl,

3. and a kurferai,

all of which are nocturnal and have strange and frightening appearances.

Appendix - Summary Table of Symbols, Interpretations, and Biblical Proof Texts

1. תם - ‘tam’.

Ed. Steinsaltz explains:

as the Talmud likens [the sound of the word] temara (“date”) to tam ra (“evil has ceased”).

2. הדס - hadas.

Note that this section and the following two discuss three of the Four Species taken on the festival of Sukkot: myrtle (hadas), citron (etrog), and palm branch (lulav).

3. קונו.

For another Talmudic play on the word hadar in the context of this verse, see my “From ‘Pitom’ to Pepper: Etrog Requirements and the Interpretation of ‘Pri Etz Hadar’ (Mishnah Sukkah 3:5-7; Sukkah 34b-35a)“, section “Interpretive Re-Readings of Hadar“.

4. On this Talmudic idea, based on the (incorrect) belief that snakes eat and get nutrition from dirt, see my “Bread in the Basket, Eyes on the Plate: Talmudic Psychology (Yoma 74b-75a)“, section “The Serpent’s Punishment: Dirt as Food (Isaiah 65:25)“, and my extended note there.

5. This following macro-section uses the following repeated formula:

All kinds (כל מיני) of [category X] are good (יפות - i.e. an auspicious omen) for a dream,

except for (חוץ מן) [specific sub-type A, [B, and C]

The sections:

1. All kinds of wild animals are good in a dream, except three specific wild animals.

2. All kinds of metal are good, except three specific tools.

3. All fruits are good, except unripe dates.

4. All vegetables are good, except turnip heads (with a story about Rav refining the rule).

5. All colors are good, except tekhelet.

6. All birds are good, except three specific birds.

6. חיות - “wild animals”.

Ed. Steinsaltz here (imprecisely, in my opinion) translates simply “animals”.

7. Note that this seemingly stands in contrast to the earlier statements in Part 1, where many wild animals—namely the dog, lion, ox, and cat—are described as having ambiguous portents.

8. However, compare the seemingly contradictory statement earlier, in Part 2, section “Elephant (single) = miracles will be performed for him; Elephants (multiple) = major miracles (#20)“.