Sweet Dreams of Fruit
With all of the learning meditations on fruit that we
enter into on Tu B'Shvat, the New Year's Day for Fruit Trees in Israel,
you may have sweet dreams that may require some of the following Talmudic
interpretation [compiler's explanations in square brackets]!
Wheat:
Said Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba: One who sees wheat in a dream, has encountered
the peace [that will descend upon him in the future]. As it is written
[Psalms 147:14], "He has placed peace in your borders; He will satiate
you with the fat of wheat."
Barley:
One who sees barley in a dream, his transgressions have been removed,
as it is written (Yeshayahu 6:7), "And your transgression has been
removed, and your sin has been atoned." [The word for barley, 'se-orin'
can be seen as the abbreviation of the expression, 'removal of transgression,
sar avon'.] Said Rabbi Zeira: I did not go up from Bavel to the
Land of Israel, until I had seen barley in a dream. [For then I knew all
my sins had been forgiven.]
Grapevine:
One who beholds a laden vine in a dream, [has seen a sign that] his wife
will never miscarry. As it is written [Psalms 128:3], "You wife is
as a fruitful vine…[your children are as planted olives surrounding
your table]." One who beholds the branch of a grapevine in a dream,
should look forward to the Messiah, as it is written (Bereishit 49:11),
"He shall tie his donkey to the small grapevine, and to the grapevine,
his donkey's foal." [Targum Onkelos interprets this verse
as describing the Days of the Messiah's coming, "His donkey's foal"
being translated as, "when he shall build His palace," (based
on verse 40:15 in Yehezkel), which is an allusion to the Third Temple.]
Fig:
One who sees a fig in a dream, [it is a sign that] his Torah will be preserved
within him [i.e. he will not forget the Torah he has learned]. As it is
written [Proverbs 27:18], "One who protects the fig shall eat its
fruit." [The Torah is likened to a fig in the Gemara Eruvin 54a.]
Pomegranate:
One who sees pomegranates in a dream: [If he saw] small ones, [it is a
sign that] his business will flourish like a pomegranate's seeds. [I.e
he will have many customers. If he saw] big ones, it is a sign that his
business will increase like a pomegranate's [large size. I.e. his customers
will make large orders. And if he saw] halved pomegranates, if he is a
Torah scholar he should anticipate Torah, as it is written in Song of
Songs 8:2], "I shall give you to drink from the spiced wine, from
the juice of my pomegranate." [Both wine and pomegranate are allusions
to Torah.] And if he is unlearned, he should anticipate [the opportunity
to perform] mitzvot, as it is written, [Song of Songs 4:3], "Your
forehead is as half of a pomegranate." [Our Sages tell us:] What
is 'your forehead' [referring to]? That even the simplest amongst you
are full of mitzvot like a pomegranate [is full of seeds].
Olive:
One who sees olives in a dream: [If they are] small ones, [it is a sign
that] his business will be fruitful, multiply, and be stable - like olives.
And this interpretation [i.e. that the dream refers to business] is true
only if he saw the fruit, [that is, the olives themselves, but if he saw
olive] trees, [then it is a sign that] he shall have many children, as
it is written [Psalms 128:3], "your children are as planted olives
surrounding your table." Some say: One who sees an olive in a dream
will garner a good reputation, as it is written [Jeremiah 11:16], "A
succulent olive, beautiful exquisite fruit, has Hashem called your name."
One who sees olive oil in a dream should anticipate the light of Torah,
as it is written [Exodus 27:20], "And you shall take for yourself
pure olive oil [pressed, for light." "For light" is a reference
to Torah, as it is written (Mishlei 6:23), "For a mitzvah is a candle,
and the Torah, light."]
Dates:
One who sees dates in a dream [has seen a sign that] his transgressions
have ceased, as it is written [Lamentations 4:22], "Your transgressions
have ceased, daughter of Zion." [The Hebrew word for date, "tamar,"
is a contraction of the words, "tamu hamorim," which
means "the sinners have ceased."] One who sees a myrtle in a
dream [has seen a sign that] his assets will appreciate in value. [The
myrtle's leaves sprout from the branch in sets of three, and give it a
braided look. This alludes to his ability to bequeath his possessions
to his children after him and suggests that his assets will increase in
value over his lifetime.] But if he has no assets, [then the myrtle is
a sign that] an inheritance will fall to him from somewhere else. [I.e.
he will inherit someone else's fortune.] Said Ulla, and some say it was
taught in a Baraita: And this [sign of the myrtle is only true if] he
saw them in their position [i.e. attached to the myrtle bush].
Etrog:
One who sees an etrog in a dream [has seen a sign that] he is magnificent
before his Maker [as it is written regarding the etrog in Vayikra 23:40],
"The fruit of a magnificent tree, branches of dates." One who
sees a lulav in a dream [has beheld a sign that] his heart is singularly
dedicated to his Father in Heaven [i.e. he is completely devoted to Hashem.
The word 'lulav' can be understood to be a combination of the two Hebrew
words, 'lo lev', meaning 'to Him, the heart', and suggests this man has
only a Yetzer Tov, a Good Inclination, and no longer possesses an Evil
Inclination as do most people.]
Nuts:
One who sees eggs in a dream [indicates tha]t his request [is hanging
in the balance before the Holy One. The edible part of the egg is hidden,
and so is the answer to his request.] Cracked [eggs is a sign that] his
request will be granted [as the egg is now visible.] And this similarly
[holds true for one who saw] nuts, or squash, or glass vessels, or any
similar breakable item.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the e-book, ""TREE OF LIFE" (Sefer "Eitz Hayyim
Hee") by Rachmiel-Hayyim Drizen -- available from our
KabbalaOnline-shop site
(adapted by the author from //chavruta.org based on Talmud Berakhot 57a).
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