חלומות מתוקים Sweet Dreams

(10) Jacob left Beer-sheba, and set out for Haran. (11) He came upon a certain place and stopped there for the night, for the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of that place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. (12)He had a dream; a ladder was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and angels of God were going up and down on it.(13) And Hashem was standing upon him and said, “I am YHWH, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac: the ground on which you are lying I will assign to you and to your offspring.

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto a.k.a. The Ramchal (1707-1746 Italy)What happens when a person dreams? “God decreed that the bond between body and divine soul should be loosened (disconnected a bit) while we sleep. The portions of the soul from the level of ruach and above rise and sever from the body. Only the nefesh remain with the animal soul. The freed portions of the soul can move about in the spiritual realm and associate with spiritual beings such as angels who oversee natural phenomena, other angels associated with prophecy and shedim (demons), god forbid, depending on variety of factors. When the higher levels of soul perceive something, they can transmit it step by step until it reaches the animal soul. (Jacobs ladder) The imagination is then stimulated and forms images in its normal manner. A dream can be true or false or blurry…A person can receive info about his future if G-d decrees it... Dreams can arise either solely from the imagination or from the stimulation of soul/neshama.”

Thus our Sages say, that dream is 1/60th of prophecy: ... In Bereshit Rabba (sect. xvii.) our sages say, "A dream is the נבלת novelet (the unripe fruit) of prophecy." This is an excellent comparison, for the unripe fruit (novelet) is really the fruit to some extent, only it has fallen from the tree before it was fully developed and ripe. In a similar manner the action of the imaginative faculty during sleep is the same as at the time when it receives a prophecy, only in the first case it is not fully developed, and has not yet reached its highest degree.

Rabbi Birayim said in the name of one elder, and who is he, Rabbi Bena’a: There were twenty-four interpreters of dreams in Jerusalem. One time, I dreamed a dream and went to each of them to interpret it. What one interpreted for me the other did not interpret for me, and, nevertheless, all of the interpretations were realized in me, to fulfill that which is stated: All dreams follow the mouth of the interpreter.

(25) Jacob was left alone. And a figure^° wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (26) When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. (27) Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” (28) Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.” (29) Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven^* with beings divine and human,^* and have prevailed.”

Rav Huna bar Ami said that Rabbi Pedat said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One who sees a dream from which his soul is distraught, should go and have it interpreted before three. The Gemara is surprised by this: Interpreted? Didn’t Rav Ḥisda say: A dream not interpreted is like a letter not read? If one is concerned about a dream, why would he actively promote its fulfillment? Rather, say as follows: He should make it better before three. He should bring three people and say to them: I saw a good dream. And they should say to him: It is good, and let it be good, may God make it good. May they decree upon you from heaven seven times that it will be good, and it will be good. Afterwards they recite three verses of transformation from bad to good, three verses of redemption, and three verses which mention peace.