Daf 200a (דַּף ר׳ ע״א)

Come and see: regarding Daniel, what is written about him? “Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night” (Daniel 2) (תָּא חֲזֵי, דָּנִיֵּאל מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ: אֱדַיִן לְדָנִיֵּאל בְּחֶזְוָא דִי לֵילְיָא רָזָא גַּלֵּי). And it is written: “Daniel saw a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed, then he wrote the dream” (Daniel 7) (וּכְתִיב: דָּנִיֵּאל חֵלֶם חֲזָה וְחֶזְוֵי רֵאשֵׁהּ עַל מִשְׁכְּבֵיהּ; בֵּאדַיִן חֶלְמָא כְּתַב). And if there were false elements in it, why is it written among the Writings? (וְאִי אִית בֵּיהּ מִלִּין כְּדִיבָן, אַמַּאי אִיכְתִּיב בֵּין כְּתוּבִים).

Rather, those who are meritorious in truth-at the time their souls ascend (אֶלָּא אִינוּן זַכָּאֵי קְשׁוֹט, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּנִשְׁמַתְּהוֹן סָלְקִין), only sacred words connect to them (לָא מִתְחַבְּרָן בְּהוּ אֶלָּא מִלִּין קַדִּישִׁין). For they are made to know words of truth-words that are enduring, that never lie (דְּאוֹדְעִין לֵיהּ מִלֵּי דִּקְשׁוֹט, מִלִּין קָיְימָן דְּלָא מְשַׁקְּרָן לְעָלְמִין). And if you say: But it was taught that King David did not see a good dream (וְאִי תֵימָא, הָא תְּנַן דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא לָא חָמָא חֶלְמָא טָבָא), then it would seem he saw things that were not true (הָא אִשְׁתְּמַע דְּהֲוָה חָמֵי דָּוִד מִלִּין דְּלָא קְשׁוֹט). But indeed-it is because all his days he was engaged in the shedding of blood and pursuing wars (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי, כָּל יוֹמוֹי הֲוָה מִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְאוֹשְׁדָא דָּמִין, וְאַגַּח קְרָבִין), and all his dreams were only evil dreams (וְכָל חֶלְמוֹי לָא הֲווּ אֶלָּא חֶלְמִין בִּישִׁין): destruction, desolation, blood, and visions of bloodshed (חוּרְבָּא וּשׁוֹמְמוּתָא וְדָמָא וְאוֹשִׁידוּ דְּדָמִין), and not a dream of peace (וְלָא חֶלְמָא דִּשְׁלָם).

And if you say: For a good man, why would he be shown an evil dream? (וְאִי תֵימָא: לְבַר נָשׁ טַב אַחֲזִיאוּ לֵיהּ חֶלְמָא בִּישָׁא) this is surely so (הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי). All those evils destined to befall those who transgress the commands of the Orayta (כָּל אִינוּן בִּישִׁין דְּזַמִּינִין לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא עַל אִינוּן דְּעָבְרֵי עַל פִּתְגָמֵי דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), and those punishments destined to be exacted in that world (וְאִינוּן עוֹנָשִׁין דְּזַמִּינִין לְאִתְעֲנָשָׁא בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא) all of them he sees (כֻּלְּהוּ חָמֵי), so that the fear of his Master should always be upon him (בְּגִין דְּכָל שַׁעְתָּא יְהֵא דְּחִילוּ דְּמָרֵיהּ עֲלֵיהּ). And behold-they are aroused, as it is written: “And Elohim has acted so that they should fear before Him” (Ecclesiastes 3) (וְהָא אִתְעָרוּ. דִּכְתִיב: וְהָאֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה שֶׁיִּירְאוּ מִלְּפָנָיו) this is an evil dream (זֶה חֲלוֹם רָע). And therefore, for that righteous one, they showed him an evil dream, as has been said (וְעַל דָּא, לְהַהוּא זַכָּאָה, אַחֲזִיאוּ לֵיהּ חֶלְמָא בִּישָׁא, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר).

Come and see: for we have learned, that when a man sees a dream, he should open his mouth about it before those who love him (תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָא תָּנִינָן, דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּחָמֵי חֶלְמָא, בָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְמִפְתַּח פּוּמֵיהּ בֵּיהּ קַמֵּי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּרַחֲמֵי לֵיהּ), so that their Desire will ascend toward him for good (בְּגִין דְּיִסְתַּלַּק רְעוּתָא דִלְהוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ לְטַב), and they will open their mouths for good (וְיִפְתְּחוּן פּוּמַיְיהוּ לְטַב), and the Desire and the matter will all be found for good (וְיִשְׁתַּכַּח רְעוּתָא וּמִלָּה כֹּלָּא לְטַב). Desire, which is thought-the beginning of all (רְעוּתָא דְאִיהִי מַחֲשָׁבָה, שֵׁרוּתָא דְכֹלָּא), and milah, which is the conclusion of all (וּמִלָּה דְאִיהִי סִיּוּמָא דְכֹלָּא). And thus, it is found that wholeness exists in the supernal secret (וְעַל דָּא אִשְׁתַּכַּח דְּהָא שְׁלִימוּ אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה). And therefore, all is fulfilled-through the love of man (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִתְקַיֵּים כֹּלָּא, וּבְעִינָן רְחִימִין דְּבַר נָשׁ) [Some say: the love that a man has toward him (נ״א: רְחִימִין עֲלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּגִין) so that it may be fulfilled through that good interpretation (לְאִתְקַיֵּימָא בְּהַהוּא פִּשְׁרָא טָבָא), and all is as it ought to be (וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). And for this reason Kudsha Berikh Hu reveals to man, each one according to his level, as he is (וּבְגִין כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹדַע לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, כָּל חַד וְחַד, בְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דִילֵיהּ, כְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ). And in that manner of each one, the dream is declared (וּבְהַהוּא גַוְונָא דְּכָל חַד וְחַד, אָמַר דִּיהֵא חֶלְמָא).

That Jew said: truly, a dream is only for a meritorious man, who sees a dream as it ought to be seen (אָמַר הַהוּא יוּדָאָי: וַדַּאי דְּחֶלְמָא לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא לְבַר נָשׁ זַכָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ חָמָא חֶלְמָא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי). And come and see: when a man lies asleep on his bed, his Neshamah goes out and roams in the world above, and it enters into whatever place it is permitted to enter (וְתָּא חֲזֵי, דְּכַד בַּר נָשׁ נָאִים עַל עַרְסֵיהּ, נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ נָפְקָא וְשַׁטְיָא בְּעָלְמָא לְעֵילָא, וְעָאלַת בְּאַתְרָא דְּעָאלַת). And many pure hosts travel and walk in the world and encounter that soul (וְכַמָּה חֲבִילֵי טְהִירִין, קָיְימִין וְאָזְלִין בְּעָלְמָא, וּפָגְעִין בָּהּ בְּהַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא). If it is meritorious, it ascends above and sees what it sees (אִי זַכָּאָה הִיא, סַלְקָא לְעֵילָא וְחָמַאת מַה דְּחָמַאת).

And if not, it is attached to that other side, and they inform it of false matters, or matters that are destined to come soon (וְאִי לָאו, אִתְאַחֲדַת בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא, וּמוֹדִיעִין לָהּ מִלִּין כְּדִיבָן, אוֹ מִלִּין דְּזַמִּינִין לְמֵיתֵי לִזְמַן קָרִיב). And when that soul reawakens into its body, it informs him what it saw (וְכַד אִתְעַר הַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא דְּבֵיהּ, אִיהִי מוֹדְעָא לֵיהּ מַה דְּחָמַאת). And for this reason, to a man who is not meritorious, they show a good dream which is not true (וְעַל דָּא, לְבַר נָשׁ דְּלָאו אִיהוּ זַכָּאָה, מוֹדִיעִין לֵיהּ חֶלְמָא טָבָא דְּלָאו אִיהוּ קְשׁוֹט) all in order to lead him astray from that path of truth (כֹּלָּא בְּגִין לְאַסְטָאָה לֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא אֹרַח קְשׁוֹט). Since he strayed from the path of truth, they defile him (כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהוּ אַסְטֵי אוֹרְחֵיהּ מֵאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט, מְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ).

For whoever comes to purify himself, they purify him (דְּכָל מַאן דְּאָתֵי לְאִתְדַּכָּאָה, מְדַכְּאִין לֵיהּ), and whoever comes to defile himself, they defile him (וּמַאן דְּאָתֵי לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא, מְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ). This has certainly been taught (הָא וַדַּאי אִתְּמַר הָכִי). They remained sitting until the morning rose (יָתְבוּ עַד דְּסָלִיק צַפְרָא).

Rabbi Yose said: Certainly the name of Yosef was not remembered among those who bore the banners (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי: וַדַּאי לָא זָכַר שְׁמֵיהּ דְּיוֹסֵף בְּאִינוּן דְּגָלִים), as it is written: “The banner of the camp of Ephraim,” and it is not written “the banner of the camp of Yosef” (דִּכְתִיב דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה אֶפְרַיִם, וְלָא כְּתִיב דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה יוֹסֵף), because he showed pride over his brothers (בְּגִין דְּאִתְגָּאֵי עַל אֲחוֹי), and this has already been stated (וְהָא אִתְּמַר).

That Jew said: Truly, I have heard that Yosef belongs to the world of male, and all the tribes are from the world of female (אָמַר הַהוּא יוּדָאָי: וַדַּאי שְׁמַעְנָא דְּיוֹסֵף אִיהוּ בְּעָלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ שִׁבְטִין בְּעָלְמָא דְּנוּקְבָא אִינוּן). And because of this, Yosef is not included among them, for he is from the world of dichura apart from them (וְעַל דָּא לָא אִתְכְּלִיל יוֹסֵף עִמְּהוֹן, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ בְּעָלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא עִמְּהוֹן) [Some say: apart from them (נ״א: ל״ג עִמְּהוֹן). What is written? “We are all the sons of one man” (Bereshit 42) (מַה כְּתִיב: כֻּלָּנוּ בְּנֵי אִישׁ אֶחָד נָחְנוּ). Nachnu (“we rested”) is written, but it should have said Anachnu (“we”) (נָחְנוּ, אֲנַחְנוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Why is the Alef missing? (אַמַּאי חָסֵר א׳) Because the secret of the covenant was not found among them-therefore, the Alef was removed from there (אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּרָזָא דִּבְרִית לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח עִמְּהוֹן, אִסְתַּלַּק מִתַּמָּן א׳). For the Alef is male (דְּהָא א׳ דְּכוּרָא אִיהוּ), and the Beit is female (וְעַל דָּא ב׳ אִיהִי נוּקְבָא, א׳ דְּכוּרָא). And because of this, the Alef was removed, and they remained feminine toward the Shekhinta (וּבְגִין דָּא אִסְתַּלַּק א׳ מִתַּמָּן, וְאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ אִינוּן נוּקְבֵי לְגַבֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא). And afterward they said, “We are honest men”-the Alef was restored (וּלְבָתַר אָמְרוּ: כֵּנִים אֲנַחְנוּ, אִתּוֹסַף א׳). They said it without knowing what they were saying (אָמְרוּ וְלָא יָדְעֵי מַה קָאֲמְרוּ).

Because Yosef was present among them, the word was completed, and they said “anachnu”(‘We) (בְּגִין דְּיוֹסֵף אִשְׁתַּכַּח תַּמָּן, וְאַשְׁלִימוּ מִלָּה, וְאָמְרוּ אֲנַחְנוּ). From where do we know this? As it is written: “We are twelve brothers, the sons of one man” (Bereshit 42) (מְנָלָן, דִּכְתִיב: וַיֹּאמְרוּ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר עֲבָדֶיךָ אַחִים אֲנַחְנוּ). Yosef was included in the count-when he entered the count, they said “anachnu”(‘We) (וְיוֹסֵף אִיהוּ בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא, כַּד עָאל בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא, אָמְרוּ אֲנַחְנוּ), and when he was not in the count, they said nachnu [We have been comforted] (וְכַד לָא עָאל בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא, אָמְרוּ נָחְנוּ).