Murder of Rabbi Elazar Abu Hatzira zt"l in Torah Codes

Subtle Slander

"These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Israel" [Devarim 1:1]

Why, asked the Megaleh Amukos [R' Nosson Nota Shapira] does the verse state "...that Moshe spoke to all Israel" and not simply "...that Moshe spoke to Israel"?

The acronym of the word "eileh" he answered is "avak lashon hara" - the dust of evil speech - subtle types of slander.

Chazal state in Maseches Bava Basra [165b] "Most individuals transgress the sin of theft, a small minority transgress the sin of illicit relations, but all transgress the sin of avak lashan hara."  The grave sin of lashon hara is a sin that all of Israel might come to transgress, so all Jews must be cautioned of the danger it presents.  The verse therefore states: "These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Israel."

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Obama's Coup Follows Path of Hitler's Enabling Law

Last night, under the influence of a terror campaign by Obama and his British and Wall Street backers, a majority of the US House of Representative signed off on a Hitler [yemach shemo] coup against the U.S. Constitution. Under this coup, the Congress will, as a first step, no longer have the power to decide on matters of spending—a specific violation of Section 1 of the nation's governing body. And that's just the beginning.

The Obama SuperCongress measure directly mirrors the Hitler Enabling Law [Ermaechtigungsgesetz] of March 1933, by which the German Reichstag "democratically" voted to give Hitler emergency powers by passing the "Law for Removing the Distress of People and Reich," which gave Hitler the right to govern on his own, and in contravention to the Constitution, without consulting the parliament for a period of four years. 

Only a cowardly idiot would not see the handwriting on the wall with Obama's Hitler coup today.

Read the whole thing at  Larouchepac.com

P.S. Remember his first speech in Berlin, 2008?

America's Super Congress Dictatorship

This is how freedom dies,not with a bang but a bureaucratic whimper. [Alex Jones]

The Man in the Black Mercedes

A young man who was unable to pay his grocery bill at the checkout counter Friday received a surprise.

On Friday morning, a young father of a large Chabad family completed his grocery shopping for Shabbos and headed to the checkout line to pay.

Once the total for his purchases was calculated, he took out his credit card and gave it to the cashier to pay the bill, which totaled NIS 850 - $250.

"I'm sorry, sir," said the cashier. "But your credit card did not go through."

Thinking that this was very strange, the young man called his wife and asked her for the number of her credit card over the phone. He then brought the number to the counter, but this didn't work either, as the card was from the same account.

The man didn't know what to do at this point, as it was already 2:30 pm and it was almost closing time. So he called his father for assistance, and returned to the counter a few minutes later with his father's credit card number. However when he returned to the checkout counter this time, he was in for a surprise.

"There's no need for this card," said the checkout girl with a smile. "Someone else has paid for your entire shopping!"

"Who paid for me?" the man asked, in utter amazement. "How is that possible? I've been here for a while already trying to sort this out!"

"It was the guy who just walked out of here and got into a black Mercedes," replied the checkout girl, pointing towards the doorway.

The young man ran outside, where he saw a black Mercedes starting to drive away, and he tried to flag it down. But the car continued to move. After finally convincing the driver to stop, he asked him his name and for a telephone number so that he could contact him and arrange to pay him back.

"There's no need," said the mystery benefactor. "Simply daven for the success of Erez ben Shlomit, and that should be enough!" he said, before hitting the gas pedal and speeding off into Jerusalem.

Source: COLLive

Relax

After the mist clears, sunrise on a lake of English lavender as far as the eye can see

 

 

 

Reporting Abuse

Do not go to your local rabbi, go to the appropriate authorities. Your local rabbi may or may not be sympathetic, as shown by the attitude of  Sydney Rabbi Yosef Feldman who, after immense pressure from other rabbis, has now stood down from his position as President of the Rabbinical Council.

Based on the recent discussions by Rabbinic organizations in the US and Canada regarding reporting child abuse, and the recent standing down of a rabbi in Sydney ...... this article is reprinted from Rav Aviner.com

One's Duty to Immediately Report Child Abuse, at all Costs

When children are battered, whether sexually or "just" physically, anyone who knows about it has to report it to the authorities. The child, after all, is helpless and has no defenses. According to Jewish law, the primary loyalty of anyone who knows what is happening must be to the battered child, and this duty is absolute. Allow me to add that from a legal standpoint, if the person who knows about it is a professional in an associated field, for example a social worker or psychologist, and he does not report it, he is liable to go to prison for half a year.

Cruelly hitting children is alien to the world of Jewish law. Our halachic authorities viewed the matter so gravely that Ha-Rav Ha-Gaon Yosef Shalom Elyashiv ruled that outside of Israel in the case of a battered child, one must assist the authorities to remove him from his home – even if the child will be moved to a non-Jewish family. The reason is that such treatment could threaten the child's life (see Shut Tzitz Eliezer 19:52 who discusses abused children in Israel and considers the abuser a "Rodef – pursuer" who must be stopped).

The desire not to report it in order to spare the perpetrator may derive from sincere motives, but one must first take pity on the helpless child. His fate comes before all else. In the Crisis Center for Religious Women, it is reported that there are more children who suffer from beatings and sexual abuse among the religious public than among the secular public. This is not because the religious are more violent, but because more often the religious public avoids reporting such incidents, and they make reports only when the matter goes to extremes. Until then, the battered child suffers terrible harm.

It is important to note that there is only one situation in which one is exempt from reporting. If the perpetrator is aware of his problem, is willing to go for appropriate treatment, steadfastly shows up for treatment sessions, and the responsible authorities supervise this process, then the perpetrator is doing what he would be ordered to do anyway. In all other instances, without exception, there is an obligation to report abuse, and quickly. The child's fate depends on us.

I recall a story in which I was personally involved. Someone saw his neighbor kick his small daughter in the head when she was lying on the floor. The man hesitated about whether or not to report what had occurred, when it was clear that he would pay for his deed with a fight with the neighbor. I ruled that he was obligated to report it, and immediately. During the talk it became clear to me that the person asking the question was a social worker. I had trouble believing this and I asked him, "How can it be that you, as a social worker, would ask me such a question?"

He did report what he had seen, and as he feared, he got into a fight with his neighbor, as well as with much of the neighborhood in which he lived, since the violent father incited them against him. I heard about that and I talked to him. I told him, "It will all be worth it. Think about the fact that you saved a Jewish life."

Devarim: A Higher Level

This week we begin reading the fifth book: Devarim.  We have also begun to enter a new level of consciousness and big changes are coming - some people already know and understand this, others will understand soon enough.  Time for some serious soul-searching and cleaning up the messy parts of your life.

The following is from the writings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe:

The Book of Devarim arose from a different form of prophetic revelation than the previous four Books of Moshe.  For unlike the preceding books which were "dictated" directly by God, the Book of Devarim was a Divine revelation which Moshe phrased in his own words [see Ohr HaChayim and Tosfos].

At first glance, this would appear to be a disadvantage, for words arranged by God Himself are surely superior to those composed by Moshe.   However, in truth, the Book of Devarim has its own advantage: that the words of G-d reached a higher level of compatibility with the human mind.

Moshe's contribution to the Book of Devarim did not detract from the validity of the work, for Devarim remains part of the Chumash just as much as the other four books.  But having passed through the "interface" of a human mind, the words of this book were fashioned in a manner that other human beings would find easier to absorb.  Thus:

The Book of Devarim was said to the generation which was about to enter the Land of Israel, where food would not be provided miraculously, and extensive interaction with the mundane world would be necessary.  As a preparation for this, the Jewish people were given the Book of Devarim which contained Godly wisdom that had been brought more "down to earth" by Moshe.

As a Divinely inspired work of the human mind, the Book of Devarim sets the precedent for later prophetic works.  It is also a form of precursor for Rabbinic law, which is humanly conceived and yet is an expression of the will of God.

A ba'al teshuvah is one who returned to God through his own initiative, but God assists the ba'al teshuvah with Divine revelation to his subconscious soul.  This is similar to the way the Book of Devarim was said: Consciously it was Moshe's own words, but on a deeper level it was a product of Divine revelation.  This similarity between teshuvah and the Book of Devarim is the inner reason why the book is characterized by "rebuke" [see Rashi], a way of helping another to do teshuvah.

Source: Based on Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe

The Purpose of Galus

Rav Eliyahu Dessler in Michtav MeiEliyahu [3:207] writes, "It is very important to understand the purpose of each Galus that Am Yisroel went through since we became a nation. Galus - like all things that happen through the ways of Hashem - comes to awaken us, teach us, and bring us to better ourselves. If the purpose of the Galus is not clear to us, we are lacking a fundamental understanding in how to serve Hashem. Certainly we must understand the Galus that we ourselves are in." 

He continues. According to all the signs given by Chazal, our generation is the Ikvisa D'Mishicha. We now stand at the moment in time just before the coming of the Bias Go'el Tzedek. It is a great loss if we don't learn to understand where Hashem is leading the world and why. For if not we won't know how to properly respond at this moment to the specific obligations put on us.

Source: Revach L'Neshama

Kapparah in the death of a Tzaddik

by Rabbi Elchanan Lewis


Question: How can the death of a Tzaddik become a Kapparah [atonement]?

Answer: The Tzadik is not a personal individual that has an impact only on himself, he is a public figure who impacts on all those around him; the loss of a Tzadik is therefore a public loss, not an individual or family one. The Tzadikim are here not for themselves, rather for others - that is how they live their lives and that is how they also die; Just as the death serves as atonement to the deceased himself, so the departure of a Tzadik does to his community.

Torah Codes and Moshiach

Rabbi Glazerson shows how the discovery of the Torah Codes plays a major role before Moshiach: A code which validates the de-coders. ["Bible Code in the Secret of Kabbalah" - video]

Journeys

Written by Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

"These are the journeys of the Children of Israel" [Masei 33:1]

אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

This verse alludes to the four exiles that the Jewish nation would endure:

אֵלֶּה - Eileh - Edom [Rome]

מַסְעֵי - Masei - Madai and Paras [Medes and Persia]

בְנֵי - Bnei - Bavel [Babylonia]

יִשְׂרָאֵל - Yisrael - Yavan [Greece]

Why, asks Rashi, was it necessary to enumerate all of the different journeys?

To answer this question, Rashi quotes the words of the Midrash Tanchuma: "This can be compared to the case of a king whose son was ill and he took him to a distant place to cure him. Once they started back, his father began to enumerate all the stages [of their journey] saying to [his son]: "Here we slept. Here we felt cold. Here you had a headache, etc."

What is the nimshal [the application] of this parable? asked the Imrei Emes [R' Avraham Mordechai of Gur]. Is the Torah merely telling us that the Jews rested or cooled themselves in these places? Isn't it obvious that they had to do these things? What, then, is the Midrash coming to teach us by listing the places where they slept or felt cold?

These verses and Chazal's parable, answered the Rebbe, have deep meaning and contain hidden admonishments.

"Here we slept" - this is an allusion to the time of the Giving of the Torah. For on that monumental morning when the Torah was to be given, the Jewish nation overslept.

"Here we felt cold" - this alludes to when Amalek "cooled down" the Jewish nation's enthusiasm for serving Hashem, as the verse states "That he happened [karcha, "made you cold"] upon you on the way" [Devarim 25:18]

"Here you had a headache [chashasta es roshecha]" - this is an allusion to the sin of the Golden Calf, when the Jewish people had uncertainties [chashashos] regarding the whereabouts of their leader [rosh] Moshe Rabbeinu.

This is why, concluded the Rebbe, the Torah specified each journey, in order that the Jewish nation should remember what transpired at each place and repent wholeheartedly.

Tisha B'Av, Exile and Anti-Semitism

A new video from Rabbi Pinchas Winston:

There is a reason why Tisha B'Av falls out on the same day of the week as Pesach does, and it has everything to do with why the Jewish people are still in exile, and anti-Semitism is increasing.

Obama's Temptation

The Last Laugh

Mann tracht und Gott lacht   -    Men plan and God laughs.

As a result of Yaakov's having taken the blessings, Eisav hated him with an unquenchable hatred that sought revenge. He devised a plan whereby he could dominate the world.

Eisav thought:

Kayin killed his brother Hevel before his father Adam died. That was his mistake. After Hevel was removed, Adam had another son Shais. Therefore I will do better, I will make sure that both my father and my brother are dead.

Pharoah thought:

Eisav waited until Yitzchak died before attempting to kill his brother. Did he not realize that his brother would meanwhile have children? I will be smarter, I will drown all newborn boys in the river.

Haman thought:

Pharoah didn't realize that the girls would marry and bear children. He should have wiped out the girls as well as the boys. I will be the one to wipe out all of them.

At the end of days, Gog and Mogog will say:

Didn't Haman know that they have a Protector in Heaven? We will first overcome their Protector and then destroy them.

But Hashem answers them all: "I have many messengers to frustrate your plans". Then Hashem will go out to wage war against the nations, and on that day Hashem will be the sole King of the Earth.

Source:  The Midrash Says

Returning to Dust

The Talmud [Shabbat 152b] relates the following discussion regarding the body's return to dust after leaving this world:

"There were grave-diggers who dug in the earth belonging to Rav Nachman and were rebuked by Rav Achai bar Yashia (whose grave the diggers disturbed). They came and said to Rav Nachman: "We were rebuked by a dead man".

Rav Nachman went there and asked him: "Who are you, master?"

He responded: "I am Achai bar Yashia".

"Has not Rav Mari said that "In the future, the bodies of the righteous will return unto dust?" said Rabbi Nachman (and why therefore is your body preserved?).

"Who is Mari? I know him not" said the dead one.

Rav Nachman replied "But it is said that when the dust will return to the earth as it was..."

The dead one responded "He who read with you Kohelet did not, however, read with you Mishlei, where it is written "But jealousy is the rottenness of the bones" which means that only he who has jealousy in his heart, his bones shall rot after death."

Then Rav Nachman tried to feel the dead body's substance and he found it to be real. Rav Nachman then said to him: "Let the master arise and go to his home." The dead one responded saying "You show that you have not even read the Prophets, for it is written "And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and when I cause you to come out of your graves, O my people."

"But" said Rav Nachman, "it is written "For dust you are, and unto dust shall you return".

Then Rav Achai explained to him, saying "This is meant for one moment before the final resurrection of the dead (that all dead, including tzadikim, will return to dust).

The Rif says that since the last verse mentioned was told to Adam Harishon, it applies to everybody, whether they are tzadikim or not, for everyone is a descendent of Adam. The Maharsha explains that the return of every body to dust is necessary, so every body will be recreated from nothing at the time of resurrection, comparable to the original creation of man.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Commentary: Why is it so important to return to dust and to be recreated at the time of resurrection?

Creation, and the soul's descent into the body, were both intended for the purpose of elevating the body and the vital soul, and through them the entire world. Moreover, this objective is reached primarily through the mitzvot involving action, inasmuch as these mitzvot are performed by the body. The body hosts and serves the neshama. The soul, being so spiritual, needs the body to perform mitzvot in a physical form. [See Tanya Ch 37]

When the neshama leaves the body, the dead person cannot do anymore mitzvot since all the mitzvot are associated with something material. Hence, in Heaven the souls can study Torah in a spiritual form but cannot perform any of its commandments [Berachot 17a]. The body then serves no more purpose so it disintegrates.

A similar idea can be understood from the analogy found in Rashi [Devarim 10:7] between the breaking of the tablets (of the Ten Commandments) and the death of tzaddikim. The Ten commandments were engraved in stone by Hashem. When Moshe came down from Mt Sinai and saw the golden calf that the Jews had made, the letters flew away [see Pesachim 87b] and the stones became too heavy for Moshe to carry. Consequently, they fell from his hands and broke. The letters are comparable to the soul and the stone to the body which hosts it. When the letters flew away, the stones served no more purpose, hence they shattered.

The life of a tzaddik is not a physical one but rather a spiritual one [Tanya Igeret Hakkodesh Ch 27]. His body is as holy as his neshama. He elevates and sanctifies his body and all the physical world around him. Even after his neshama leaves this earth, his body remains holy, so it remains intact. [Eliyahu Hanavi elevated his body to the point that it was comparable to the sanctity of his soul. Therefore, he was not buried but he ascended to the sky. The gematria of Eliyahu is 52, equal to the value of the Hebrew word "beheima" which means animal. He sanctified the animalistic part of his being (ie his body) to transform it into Eliyahu - G-dliness]

Why then is it necessary for Tzaddikim to return to dust even for a moment before resurrection?

The Admur Hazaken explains this through a parable [Torah Ohr]. In order to pick up a house, it must be lifted from the bottom. If the house is picked up from the top, only the top will be lifted and the bottom part will remain below.

Every creature is composed of four basic elements, namely fire, water, air and dust [see Tanya end of Ch 1]. By returning to dust, the tzadik elevates the lost sparks of holiness found in the lowest of these elements, completing the elevation of all parts of his being. [The Baal Shem Tov said that he could have ascended to heaven like Eliyahu HaNavi did, but he wanted to return to dust so he could elevate the other basic components of his being]

Nevertheless, there is a way to avoid the need to return to dust, even for a moment. We say in our prayers [Liturgy, end of the Shemonei Esrei prayer] "My soul should be as (humble as) dust for all". By annulling ourselves with humility towards others, we are fulfilling the verse of "and you shall return to dust" in a spiritual manner. Then when Moshiach comes during our lifetime, we will be able to live an eternal life without a moment of interruption.

Source: Written by the students of Seminary Bais Menachem Montreal, Canada and based on the Sichos of 20 Av 5735 Ch. 3 Acharei-Kedoshim 5724 Ch. and Maamar Ze Yitnu 5748

Tikkun for Amy

Amy Winehouse lived a tragic life, which ended suddenly last week.  Her funeral was held yesterday, after which her body was taken to the Golders Green Crematorium and cremated.

According to Jewish law, a person is only held accountable for his/her actions when they are done willingly, and with full cognizance of their implications. I doubt that Amy had much input into her lack of a proper Jewish burial - a spokesman for the family said "Cremation is part of the family's tradition"

"Shiva - the Jewish ceremony of bereavement - will be observed for two days starting at 5pm today at the Schinder Hall at Southgate Progressive Synagogue."  

Southgate Progressive Synagogue should be totally ashamed of themselves for allowing this family to go ahead with the cremation of their daughter.     

Here are the reasons why Jews are not cremated.  May the learning of this topic be a tikkun for Amy's soul:

Jewish law ("Halachah") is unequivocal that the dead must be buried in the earth.

As a deterrent measure, cremated remains are not interred in a Jewish cemetery. Furthermore, we are told that many of the traditional laws of mourning are not observed after the passing of an individual whose body was cremated. Kaddish, however, is recited for such individuals, and it is certainly appropriate to give charity and do mitzvot in memory of their souls.

Responsibility for the deceased's proper burial lies with the next of kin. While ordinarily Jewish law requires the deceased's children to go to great lengths to respect the departed's wishes, if someone requests to be cremated or buried in a manner which is not in accordance with Jewish tradition, we nevertheless provide him/her with a Jewish burial. It is believed that since the soul has now arrived to the World of Truth it surely sees the value of a proper Jewish burial, and thus administering a traditional Jewish burial is actually granting what the person truly wishes at the moment. Furthermore, if anyone, all the more so your father and mother, asks you to damage or hurt their body, you are not allowed to do so. For our bodies do not belong to us, they belong to G-d.

Learn more at: Why Does Jewish Law Forbid Cremation

Temporary World

We are sent down to this world for a short period of time.  This world is temporary, it is just the entry hall to the World of Truth, Olam HaBa.  All our personal journeys are individually designed to ensure we find our way to the ultimate destination.  The tougher the journey, the greater the reward will be at the end.

"They journeyed from Kivros-hata'avah and camped in Chatzeros" [Masei 33:17]

From this verse, remarked R' Yitzchak of Vorka, we learn that for an individual to break the yetzer hara within him, he must constantly recall the fact that this world is but a temporary one intended to be utilized in preparation for the World to Come.

This is hinted in the verse: "They left Kivros-hata'avah" - how will one be able to bury [likvor] his lust [ta'avah] and subdue his yetzer hara?  By remembering that this world is no more than "Chatzeros", a yard [chatzer] in front of a house, a hallway leading to a palace."

A person who ingrains this thought in his heart, said the Rebbe, will triumph in his war against the yetzer hara.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

The Last Thing Created

The Mishna in Pirkei Avot 5:8 says that ten things were created during twilight on Erev Shabbos, the sixth and final day of creation. The last thing mentioned in the Mishna is tongs, a work tool to build things. What is the significance of the twilight creations, and what is with the tongs out of all things? Moreover it says "also tongs with the original tongs were created", what does this mean? 

The Meforshim explain that twilight is the time that things are wrapping up and all major work is already completed, except for the finishing touches. With this understanding maybe we can offer as follows. The whole point of the world is to create a situation that masks Hashem's control over every facet of the natural world, and every detail and happening in our life. To this end for six days Hashem created a nature that is used to deny his presence. Nature, to the blind, screams that a system is in place that runs on its own. Hashem need not control everything all the time. He can take a break and let it run on auto pilot, which although terribly incorrect, seems to be the case to the undiscerning eye. 

The last key to the ability to deny Hashem's control is the power of man himself. Each and every day we fight for our self survival and use serious brain power to accomplish it. Our power to think deludes us into believing that we are masters of our own fate. Where did this notion come from? The tongs! Animals do not need to work to earn a living and their needs are naturally supplied without much effort. Rebbi Shimon B"R Elazar says [Kidushin 82b], in my life I have never see a wise fox operate a store, yet the fox and all the animals sustain themselves without toil, while man, who they are meant to serve, toils to survive. 

The finishing touch of the world, which is meant to be a test for us, is the tongs. Without the tongs we would know that only Hashem sustains us. However with tongs in our hands, we ply our trade, thinking it is the tongs that sustain us. This was Hashem's final creation before he sent our Neshamas down for their big test. 

Yet like everything else in the world, Hashem makes the truth abundantly clear to all who look past the surface, otherwise we'd be doomed to fail our test. In this case the Mishna teaches us by answering the question that we all need to ask, who made the first tongs? Obviously Hashem. Every subsequent tongs and all the fruits of our labor are nothing more than His decree and His will. As we play the game called Hishtadlus and survival in Olam HaZeh we need to ask ourselves, who made the first tongs? For He is the one who, with or without our hard work, is controlling everything, and our tongs are just a show.

Source: Revach L'Neshama

Interpreting Dreams

Art: Sharon Tomlinson

written by Chanan Morrison

The Sages made a remarkable claim regarding dreams and their interpretation: "Dreams are fulfilled according to the interpretation" [Berachot 55b]. The interpreter has a key function in the realization of a dream. His analysis can determine how the dream will come to pass!

The Talmud substantiated this statement with the words of the chief wine-butler: "Just as he interpreted, so (my dream) came to be" [Gen. 41:13].

Do dreams foretell the future? Does the interpreter really have the power to determine the meaning of a dream, and alter the future accordingly?

The Purpose of Dreams

Clearly, not all of our dreams are prophetic. Originally, in humanity's pristine state, every dream was a true dream. But with the fall of Adam, mankind left the path of integrity. Our minds became filled with wanton desires and pointless thoughts, and our dreams became more chaff than truth.

Why did God give us the ability to dream? A true dream is a wake-up call, warning us to correct our life's direction. Our eyes are opened to a vivid vision of our future, should we not take heed to mend our ways.

To properly understand the function of dreams, we must first delve into the inner workings of Divine providence in the world. How are we punished or rewarded in accordance to our actions?

The Zohar [Bo 33a] gives the following explanation for the mechanics of providence: The soul has an inner quality that naturally brings about those situations and events that correspond to our spiritual and moral level. Should we change our ways, this inner quality will reflect that change, and will lead us towards to a different set of circumstances.

Dreams are part of this system of providence. They constitute one of the methods utilized by the soul's inner quality to bring about the appropriate outcome.

The Function of the Intepreter

But the true power of a dream is only realized once it has been interpreted. The interpretation intensifies the dream's impact. As the Sages taught, "A dream not interpreted is like a letter left unread" [Berachot 55b]. When a dream is explained, its images become more intense and vivid. The impact on the soul is stronger, and the dreamer is more primed for the consequential outcome.

Of course, the interpreter must be insightful and perceptive. He needs to penetrate the inner message of the dream, and detect the potential influences of the soul's inner qualities that are reflected in the dream.

Multiple Messages

All souls have imperfections. All souls contain a mixture of good and bad traits. A dream is the nascent development of the soul's hidden traits, as they are beginning to be realized. A single dream may contain multiple meanings, since it reflects contradictory qualities within the soul.

When the interpreter gives a positive interpretation to a dream, he helps develop and realize positive traits hidden in the soul of the dreamer. A negative interpretation, on the other hand, will promote negative traits. As the Zohar [Miketz 199b] admonishes:

"A good dream should be kept in mind and not forgotten, so that it will be fulfilled. ... Therefore Joseph mentioned his dream (to his family), so that it would come to pass. He would always anticipate its fulfillment."

It is even possible to interpret multiple aspects of a dream, all of which are potentially true. Even if they are contradictory, all may still be realized! Rabbi Bena'a related that, in his days, there were 24 dream-interpreters in Jerusalem. "Once I had a dream," he said, "and I went to all of them. No two interpretations were the same, but they all came to pass!" [Berachot 55b]

Dreams of the Nation

These concepts are also valid on the national level.

Deliverance of the Jewish people often takes place through the medium of dreams. Both Joseph and Daniel achieved power and influence through the dreams of gentile rulers. The Jewish people have a hidden inner potential for greatness and leadership. As long as this quality is unrealized, it naturally tries to bring about its own fulfillment — sometimes, by way of dreams.

When a person is brought before the Heavenly court, he is asked, "Did you yearn for redemption?" [Shabbat 31a] Why is this important? By anticipating and praying for the redemption, we help develop the inner quality of the nation's soul, thus furthering its advance and actualization.