Berakhot 56a

אֲמַר לֵיהּ קֵיסָר לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּרַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא: אָמְרִיתוּ דְּחָכְמִיתוּ טוּבָא, אֵימָא לִי מַאי חָזֵינָא בְּחֶלְמַאי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חָזֵית דִּמְשַׁחֲרִי לָךְ פָּרְסָאֵי וְגָרְבִי בָּךְ, וְרָעֲיִי בָּךְ שִׁקְצֵי בְּחוּטְרָא דְּדַהֲבָא. הַרְהַר כּוּלֵּיהּ יוֹמָא, וּלְאוּרְתָּא חֲזָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ שַׁבּוּר מַלְכָּא, לִשְׁמוּאֵל: אָמְרִיתוּ דְּחָכְמִיתוּ טוּבָא, אֵימָא לִי מַאי חָזֵינָא בְּחֶלְמַאי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חָזֵית דְּאָתוּ רוֹמָאֵי וְשָׁבוּ לָךְ, וְטָחֲנִי בָּךְ קַשְׁיָיתָא בְּרִחְיָיא דְּדַהֲבָא. הַרְהַר כּוּלֵּיהּ יוֹמָא, וּלְאוּרְתָּא חֲזָא.

On a similar note, the Gemara relates that the Roman emperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua, son of Rabbi Ḥananya: You Jews say that you are extremely wise. If that is so, tell me what I will see in my dream. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: You will see the Persians capture you, and enslave you, and force you to herd unclean animals with a golden staff. He thought the entire day about the images described to him by Rabbi Yehoshua and that night he saw it in his dream. King Shapur of Persia said to Shmuel: You Jews say that you are extremely wise. If that is so, tell me what I will see in my dream. Shmuel said to him: You will see the Romans come and take you into captivity and force you to grind date pits in mills of gold. He thought the entire day about the images described to him by Shmuel, and that night he saw it in his dream.

בַּר הֶדְיָא מְפַשַּׁר חֶלְמֵי הֲוָה. מַאן דְּיָהֵיב לֵיהּ אַגְרָא — מְפַשַּׁר לֵיהּ לִמְעַלְּיוּתָא, וּמַאן דְּלָא יָהֵיב לֵיהּ אַגְרָא — מְפַשַּׁר לֵיהּ לִגְרִיעוּתָא. אַבָּיֵי וְרָבָא חֲזוֹ חֶלְמָא. אַבָּיֵי יְהֵיב לֵיהּ זוּזָא, וְרָבָא לָא יְהֵיב לֵיהּ. אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: אַקְרִינַן בְּחֶלְמִין ״שׁוֹרְךָ טָבוּחַ לְעֵינֶיךָ וְגוֹ׳״. לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פָּסֵיד עִסְקָךְ וְלָא אַהֲנִי לָךְ לְמֵיכַל מֵעוּצְבָּא דְּלִבָּךְ. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַרְוַוח עִסְקָךְ וְלָא אַהֲנִי לָךְ לְמֵיכַל מֵחֶדְוָא דְּלִבָּךְ.

The Gemara relates: Bar Haddaya was an interpreter of dreams. For one who gave him a fee, he would interpret the dream favorably, and for one who did not give him a fee, he would interpret the dream unfavorably. The Gemara relates: There was an incident in which both Abaye and Rava saw an identical dream and they asked bar Haddaya to interpret it. Abaye gave him money and paid his fee, while Rava did not give him money. They said to him: The verse: “Your ox shall be slain before your eyes and you shall not eat thereof” (Deuteronomy 28:31) was read to us in our dream. He interpreted their dream and to Rava he said: Your business will be lost and you will derive no pleasure from eating because of the extreme sadness of your heart. To Abaye he said: Your business will profit and you will be unable to eat due to the joy in your heart.

אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: אַקְרִינַן ״בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת תּוֹלִיד וְגוֹ׳״ לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ: כְּבִישׁוּתֵיהּ. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בְּנָךְ וּבְנָתָךְ נְפִישִׁי, וּמִינַּסְבָן בְּנָתָךְ לְעָלְמָא, וּמִדַּמְיָין בְּאַפָּךְ כִּדְקָא אָזְלָן בְּשִׁבְיָה.

They said to him: The verse, “You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity” (Deuteronomy 28:41), was read to us in our dream. He interpreted their dreams, and to Rava he said its literal, adverse sense. To Abaye he said: Your sons and daughters will be numerous, and your daughters will be married to outsiders and it will seem to you as if they were taken in captivity.

אַקְרְיֻין ״בָּנֶיךָ וּבְנֹתֶיךָ נְתֻנִים לְעַם אַחֵר״. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בְּנָךְ וּבְנָתָךְ נְפִישִׁין, אַתְּ אָמְרַתְּ לְקָרִיבָךְ וְהִיא אָמְרָה לְקָרִיבַהּ, וְאָכְפָה לָךְ וְיָהֲבַתְּ לְהוֹן לְקָרִיבַהּ, דְּהָוֵי כְּעַם אַחֵר. לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דְּבֵיתְהוּ שְׁכִיבָא, וְאָתוּ בְּנֵיהּ וּבְנָתֵיהּ לִידֵי אִיתְּתָא אַחֲרִיתִי. דְּאָמַר רָבָא אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַב: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״בָּנֶיךָ וּבְנֹתֶיךָ נְתֻנִים לְעַם אַחֵר״ — זוֹ אֵשֶׁת הָאָב.

They said to him: The verse: “Your sons and your daughters shall be given unto another people” (Deuteronomy 28:32), was read to us in our dream. To Abaye he said: Your sons and daughters will be numerous. You say, that they should marry your relatives and your wife says that they should marry her relatives and she will impose her will upon you and they will be given in marriage to her relatives, which is like another nation as far as you are concerned. To Rava he said: Your wife will die and your sons and daughters will come into the hands of another woman. As Rava said that Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba said that Rav said: What is the meaning of that which is written in the verse: “Your sons and your daughters shall be given unto another people”? This refers to the father’s wife, the stepmother.

אַקְרִינַן בְּחֶלְמִין: ״לֵךְ אֱכֹל בְּשִׂמְחָה לַחְמֶךָ״. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַרְוַוח עִסְקָךְ וְאָכְלַתְּ וְשָׁתֵית וְקָרֵית פְּסוּקָא מֵחֶדְוָא דְלִבָּךְ. לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פָּסֵיד עִסְקָךְ, טָבְחַתְּ וְלָא אָכְלַתְּ וְשָׁתֵית וְקָרֵית לְפַכּוֹחֵי פַּחְדָּךְ.

They said to him: The verse: “Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart” (Ecclesiastes 9:7) was read to us in our dream. To Abaye he said: Your business will profit and you will eat and drink and read the verse out of the joy of your heart. To Rava he said: Your business will be lost, you will slaughter but not eat, you will drink wine and read passages from the Bible in order to allay your fears.

אַקְרִינַן ״זֶרַע רַב תּוֹצִיא הַשָּׂדֶה״. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ מֵרֵישֵׁיהּ, לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִסֵּיפֵיהּ.

They said to him: The verse: “You shall carry much seed out into the field, and shall gather little in; for the locust shall consume it” (Deuteronomy 28:38), was read to us in our dream. To Abaye he said from the beginning of the verse, that he will enjoy an abundant harvest. To Rava he said from the end of the verse, that his harvest will be destroyed.

אַקְרִינַן ״זֵיתִים יִהְיוּ לְךָ בְּכׇל גְּבוּלֶךָ וְגוֹ׳״. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ מֵרֵישֵׁיהּ, לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִסֵּיפֵיהּ.

They said to him: The verse: “You shall have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives shall drop off” (Deuteronomy 28:40), was read to us in our dream. And again, to Abaye he said from the beginning of the verse. To Rava he said from the end of the verse.

אַקְרִינַן ״וְרָאוּ כׇּל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ׳״. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ: נָפֵק לָךְ שְׁמָא דְּרֵישׁ מְתִיבְתָּא הָוֵית, אֵימְתָךְ נְפַלַת בְּעָלְמָא. לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בֵּדַיְינָא דְּמַלְכָּא אִתְּבַר, וּמִתְּפַסַתְּ בְּגַנָּבֵי, וְדָיְינִי כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא קַל וָחוֹמֶר מִינָּךְ. לִמְחַר אִתְּבַר בֵּדַיְינָא דְּמַלְכָּא וַאֲתוֹ וְתָפְשִׂי לֵיהּ לְרָבָא.

They said to him: The verse: “All the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon you; and they shall be afraid of you” (Deuteronomy 28:10), was read to us in our dream. To Abaye he said: Your name will become well-known as head of the yeshiva, and you will be feared by all. To Rava he said: The king’s treasury was broken into and you will be apprehended as a thief, and everyone will draw an a fortiori inference from you: If Rava who is wealthy and of distinguished lineage can be arrested on charges of theft, what will become of the rest of us? Indeed, the next day, the king’s treasury was burglarized, and they came and apprehended Rava.

אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: חֲזַן חַסָּא עַל פּוּם דַּנֵּי. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ: עִיף עִסְקָךְ כְּחַסָּא. לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מָרִיר עִסְקָךְ כִּי חַסָּא.

Abaye and Rava said to him: We saw lettuce on the mouth of the barrels. To Abaye he said: Your business will double like lettuce whose leaves are wide and wrinkled. To Rava he said: Your work will be bitter like a lettuce stalk.

אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: חֲזַן בִּשְׂרָא עַל פּוּם דַּנֵּי. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בָּסֵים חַמְרָךְ, וְאָתוּ כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא לְמִזְבַּן בִּשְׂרָא וְחַמְרָא מִינָּךְ. לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ: תָּקֵיף חַמְרָךְ, וְאָתוּ כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא לְמִזְבַּן בִּשְׂרָא לְמֵיכַל בֵּיהּ.

They said to him: We saw meat on the mouth of barrels. To Abaye he said: Your wine will be sweet and everyone will come to buy meat and wine from you. To Rava he said: Your wine will spoil, and everyone will go to buy meat in order to eat with it, to dip the meat in your vinegar.

אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: חֲזַן חָבִיתָא דִּתְלֵי בְּדִיקְלָא. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מִדְּלֵי עִסְקָךְ כְּדִיקְלָא. לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲלֵי עִסְקָךְ כְּתַמְרֵי.

They said to him: We saw a barrel hanging from a palm tree. To Abaye he said: Your business will rise like a palm tree. To Rava he said: Your work will be sweet like dates which are very cheap in Babylonia, indicating that you will be compelled to sell your merchandise at a cheap price.

אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: חֲזַן רוּמָּנָא דְּקָדְחָא אַפּוּם דַּנֵּי, לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ: עֲשִׁיק עִסְקָךְ כְּרוּמָּנָא. לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ: קָאוֵי עִסְקָךְ כְּרוּמָּנָא.

They said to him: We saw a pomegranate taking root on the mouth of barrels. To Abaye he said: Your business will increase in value like a pomegranate. To Rava he said: Your work will go sour like a pomegranate.

אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: חֲזַן חָבִיתָא דִּנְפַל לְבֵירָא. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מִתְבְּעֵי עִסְקָךְ, כִּדְאָמַר ״נְפַל פִּתָּא בְּבֵירָא וְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח״. לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פָּסֵיד עִסְקָךְ וְשָׁדֵית לֵיהּ לְבֵירָא.

They said to him: We saw a barrel fall into a pit. To Abaye he said: Your merchandise will be in demand as the adage says: Bread falls in a pit and is not found. In other words, everyone will seek your wares and they will not find them due to increased demand. To Rava he said: Your merchandise will be ruined and you will throw it away into a pit.

אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: חֲזֵינַן בַּר חֲמָרָא דְּקָאֵי אַאִיסָדַן וְנוֹעֵר. לְאַבָּיֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַלְכָּא הָוֵית, וְקָאֵי אָמוֹרָא עֲלָךְ. לְרָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״פֶּטֶר חֲמוֹר״ גְּהִיט מִתְּפִילָּךְ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לְדִידִי חֲזֵי לִי וְאִיתֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וָאו דְּ״פֶטֶר חֲמוֹר״ וַדַּאי גְּהִיט מִתְּפִילָּךְ.

They said to him: We saw a donkey foal standing near our heads, braying. To Abaye he said: You will be a king, that is to say, head of the yeshiva, and an interpreter will stand near you to repeat your teachings to the masses out loud. To Rava he said: I see the words peter ḥamor , first-born donkey, erased from your phylacteries. Rava said to him: I myself saw it and it is there. Bar Haddaya said to him: The letter vav of the word peter ḥamor is certainly erased from your phylacteries.

לְסוֹף אֲזַל רָבָא לְחוֹדֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזַאי דַּשָּׁא בָּרָיְיתָא דִּנְפַל. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִשְׁתְּךָ שָׁכְבָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזַאי כַּכַּי וְשִׁנַּי דִּנְתוּר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בְּנָךְ וּבְנָתָךְ שָׁכְבָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזַאי תַּרְתֵּי יוֹנֵי דְּפָרְחָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: תְּרֵי נְשֵׁי מְגָרְשַׁתְּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזַאי תְּרֵי גַּרְגְּלִידֵי דְלִפְתָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: תְּרֵין קוּלְפֵי בָּלְעַתְּ. אֲזַל רָבָא הָהוּא יוֹמָא וִיתֵיב בֵּי מִדְרְשָׁא כּוּלֵּיהּ יוֹמָא. אַשְׁכַּח הָנְהוּ תְּרֵי סַגִּי נְהוֹרֵי דַּהֲווֹ קָמִנְּצוּ בַּהֲדֵי הֲדָדֵי. אֲזַל רָבָא לְפָרוֹקִינְהוּ, וּמְחוֹהוּ לְרָבָא תְּרֵי. דְּלוֹ לְמַחוֹיֵיהּ אַחֲרִיתִי, אֲמַר: מִסְתַּיי, תְּרֵין חֲזַאי.

Ultimately, Rava went to bar Haddaya alone. Rava said to him: I saw the outer door of my house fall. Bar Haddaya said to him: Your wife will die, as she is the one who protects the house. Rava said to him: I saw my front and back teeth fall out. He said to him: Your sons and daughters will die. Rava said to him: I saw two doves that were flying. He said to him: You will divorce two women. Rava said to him: I saw two turnip heads [ gargelidei ]. He said to him: You will receive two blows with a club shaped like a turnip. That same day Rava went and sat in the study hall the entire day. He discovered these two blind people who were fighting with each other. Rava went to separate them and they struck Rava two blows. When they raised their staffs to strike him an additional blow, he said: That is enough for me, I only saw two.

לְסוֹף אֲתָא רָבָא וִיהֵיב לֵיהּ אַגְרָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזַאי אֲשִׁיתָא דִּנְפַל. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: נְכָסִים בְּלֹא מְצָרִים קָנֵית. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזַאי אַפַּדְנָא דְּאַבָּיֵי דִּנְפַל וְכַסְּיַין אַבְקֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אַבָּיֵי שָׁכֵיב וּמְתִיבְתֵּיהּ אָתְיָא לְגַבָּךְ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזַאי אַפַּדְנָא דִידִי דִּנְפַל, וַאֲתוֹ כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא שְׁקוּל לְבֵינְתָּא לְבֵינְתָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: שְׁמַעְתָּתָךְ מִבַּדְּרָן בְּעָלְמָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזַאי דְּאִבְּקַע רֵישִׁי וּנְתַר מוּקְרִי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אוּדְרָא מִבֵּי סָדְיָא נָפֵיק. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אַקְרְיוּן הַלֵּלָא מִצְרָאָה בְּחֶלְמָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: נִיסֵּי מִתְרַחְשִׁי לָךְ.

Ultimately, Rava came and gave him, bar Haddaya, a fee. And then Rava said to him: I saw my wall fall. Bar Haddaya said to him: You will acquire property without limits. Rava said to him: I saw Abaye’s house [ appadna ] fall and its dust covered me. Bar Haddaya said to him: Abaye will die and his yeshiva will come to you. Rava said to him: I saw my house fall, and everyone came and took the bricks. He said to him: Your teachings will be disseminated throughout the world. Rava said to him: I saw that my head split and my brain fell out. He said to him: A feather will fall out of the pillow near your head. Rava said to him: The Egyptian hallel , the hallel that celebrates the Exodus, was read to me in a dream. He said to him: Miracles will be performed for you.

הֲוָה קָא אָזֵיל בַּהֲדֵיהּ בְּאַרְבָּא. אָמַר: בַּהֲדֵי גַּבְרָא דְּמִתְרְחִישׁ לֵיהּ נִיסָּא לְמָה לִי. בַּהֲדֵי דְּקָא סָלֵיק נְפַל סִיפְרָא מִינֵּיהּ. אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ רָבָא וַחֲזָא דַּהֲוָה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ ״כׇּל הַחֲלוֹמוֹת הוֹלְכִין אַחַר הַפֶּה״. אֲמַר: רָשָׁע, בְּדִידָךְ קָיְימָא, וְצַעַרְתַּן כּוּלֵּי הַאי. כּוּלְּהוּ מָחֵילְנָא לָךְ, בַּר מִבְּרַתֵּיה דְּרַב חִסְדָּא. יְהֵא רַעֲוָא דְּלִמְּסַר הַהוּא גַּבְרָא לִידֵי דְּמַלְכוּתָא דְּלָא מְרַחֲמוּ עֲלֵיהּ.

Bar Haddaya was going with Rava on a ship; bar Haddaya said: Why am I going with a person for whom miracles will be performed, lest the miracle will be that the ship will sink and he alone will be saved. As bar Haddaya was climbing onto the ship a book fell from him. Rava found it and saw: All dreams follow the mouth, written therein. He said to bar Haddaya: Scoundrel. It was dependent on you, and you caused me so much suffering. I forgive you for everything except for the daughter of Rav Ḥisda, Rava’s wife, whom bar Haddaya predicted would die. May it be Your will that this man be delivered into the hands of a kingdom that has no compassion on him.

אָמַר: מַאי אַעֲבֵיד? גְּמִירִי דְּקִלְלַת חָכָם, אֲפִילּוּ בְּחִנָּם הִיא בָּאָה, וְכׇל שֶׁכֵּן רָבָא דִּבְדִינָא קָא לָיֵיט. אָמַר: אֵיקוּם וְאֶגְלֵי, דַּאֲמַר מָר: גָּלוּת מְכַפֶּרֶת עָוֹן.

Bar Haddaya said to himself: What will I do? We learned through tradition that the curse of a Sage, even if baseless, comes true. And all the more so in the case of Rava, as he cursed me justifiably. He said to himself: I will get up and go into exile, as the Master said: Exile atones for transgression.

קָם גְּלִי לְבֵי רוֹמָאֵי. אֲזַל יְתֵיב אַפִּתְחָא דְּרֵישׁ טוּרְזִינָא דְּמַלְכָּא. רֵישׁ טוּרְזִינָא חֲזָא חֶלְמָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזַאי חֶלְמָא דְּעָיֵיל מַחְטָא בְּאֶצְבַּעְתִּי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הַב לִי זוּזָא, וְלָא יְהַב לֵיהּ. לָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְלָא מִידֵּי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזַאי דִּנְפַל תִּכְלָא בְּתַרְתֵּין אֶצְבְּעָתִי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הַב לִי זוּזָא, וְלָא יְהַב לֵיהּ, וְלָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזַאי דִּנְפַל תִּכְלָא בְּכוּלַּהּ יְדָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: נְפַל תִּכְלָא בְּכוּלְּהוּ שִׁירָאֵי. שָׁמְעִי בֵּי מַלְכָּא, וְאַתְיוּהּ לְרֵישׁ טוּרְזִינָא קָא קָטְלִי לֵיהּ. אָמַר לְהוּ: אֲנָא אַמַּאי? אַיְיתוֹ לְהַאי דַּהֲוָה יָדַע וְלָא אֲמַר. אַיְיתוּהוּ בַּר הֶדְיָא, אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: אַמַּטּוּ זוּזָא דִידָךְ חֲרַבוּ

He arose and exiled himself to the seat of the Roman government. He went and sat by the entrance, where the keeper of the king’s wardrobe stood. The wardrobe guard dreamed a dream. He said to bar Haddaya: I saw in the dream that a needle pierced my finger. Bar Haddaya said to him: Give me a zuz . He did not give him the coin so bar Haddaya said nothing to him. Again, the guard said to him: I saw a worm that fell between my two fingers, eating them. Bar Haddaya said to him: Give me a zuz . He did not give him the coin, so bar Haddaya said nothing to him. Again, the guard said to him: I saw that a worm fell upon my entire hand, eating it. Bar Haddaya said to him: A worm fell upon and ate all the silk garments. They heard of this in the king’s palace and they brought the wardrobe keeper and were in the process of executing him. He said to them: Why me? Bring the one who knew and did not say the information that he knew. They brought bar Haddaya and said to him: Because of your zuz , ruin came upon