Ritual for Judging Bad Dreams for Good • the Open Siddur Project

Categories: Dreaming, Well-being, health, and caregiving, Repenting, Resetting, and Forgiveness

Excerpt: If one has had a terribly disturbing and potentially auspicious dream, this ritual recorded in the Talmud Bavli (Berakhot 55b) provides a remedy in the form of a means by which the dream itself is judged positively by a small court of one's peers. . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
אמר רב הונא בר אמי אמר ר׳ פדת אמר רבי יוחנן	Rav Huna bar Ammi said in the name of Rav Pedath who had it from Rebbi Yoḥanan:
הרואה חלום ונפשו עגומה ילך ויפתרנו בפני שלשה יפתרנו והאמר רב חסדא חלמא דלא מפשר כאגרתא דלא מקריא אלא אימא יטיבנו בפני שלשה	If one has a dream which disturbs them he should go and have it interpreted in the presence of three.^[1] in the presence of three friends He should have it interpreted! Has not Rav Ḥisda said: “A dream which is not interpreted is like a letter which is not read? — Say rather then, he should have a good turn given to it in the presence of three.”
ליתי תלתא ולימא להו חלמא טבא חזאי	Let him bring three and say to them: “I have seen a good dream.”
ולימרו ליה הנך טבא הוא וטבא ליהוי רחמנא לשוייה לטב שבע זימנין לגזרו עלך מן שמיא דלהוי טבא ויהוי טבא	and they should say to him, “Good it is and good may it be. May the Compassionate One turn it to good; seven times may it be decreed from heaven that it should be good and may it be good.”
ולימרו ג׳ הפוכות וג׳ פדויות ושלש שלומות	They should say three verses with the word hapakh [turn], and three with the word padah [redeem], and three with the word shalom [peace].
שלש הפוכות ‏הָפַ֣כְתָּ מִסְפְּדִי֮ לְמָחֹ֪ול לִ֥י פִּתַּ֥חְתָּ שַׂקִּ֑י וַֽתְּאַזְּרֵ֥נִי שִׂמְחָֽה׃ (תהלים ל:יב) אָ֣ז תִּשְׂמַ֤ח בְּתוּלָה֙ בְּמָחֹ֔ול וּבַחֻרִ֥ים וּזְקֵנִ֖ים יַחְדָּ֑ו וְהָפַכְתִּ֨י אֶבְלָ֤ם לְשָׂשֹׂון֙ וְנִ֣חַמְתִּ֔ים וְשִׂמַּחְתִּ֖ים מִיגֹונָֽם׃ (ירמיהו לא:יג)‏ ‏וְלֹֽא־אָבָ֞ה יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיַּהֲפֹךְ֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֧יךָ לְּךָ֛ אֶת־הַקְּלָלָ֖ה לִבְרָכָ֑ה כִּ֥י אֲהֵֽבְךָ֖ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ (דברים כג:ו)	Three with the word ‘turn’, namely, You turned for me my mourning into dancing, You loosened my sackcloth and gird me with gladness;^[2] Psalms 30:12 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoice from their sorrow;^[3] Jeremiah 31:13 Nevertheless HaShem your elo’ah would not listen to Bilaam; but HaShem your elo’ah turned the curse into a blessing for you, because Hashem your elo’ah loved you.^[4] Deuteronomy 23:6
שלש פדויות דכתיב ‏פָּ֘דָ֤ה בְשָׁל֣וֹם נַ֭פְשִׁי מִקֲּרָב־לִ֑י כִּֽי־בְ֝רַבִּ֗ים הָי֥וּ עִמָּדִֽי׃ (תהלים נה:יט)‏ ‎‎‏וּפְדוּיֵ֨י יְהוָ֜ה יְשֻׁב֗וּן וּבָ֤אוּ צִיּוֹן֙ בְּרִנָּ֔ה וְשִׂמְחַ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם עַל־רֹאשָׁ֑ם שָׂשׂ֤וֹן וְשִׂמְחָה֙ יַשִּׂ֔יגוּ וְנָ֖סוּ יָג֥וֹן וַאֲנָחָֽה׃ (ישעיהו לה:י)‏ ‏וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הָעָ֜ם אֶל־שָׁא֗וּל הֲיֽוֹנָתָ֤ן ׀ יָמוּת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָ֠שָׂה הַיְשׁוּעָ֨ה הַגְּדוֹלָ֣ה הַזֹּאת֮ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל֒ חָלִ֗ילָה חַי־יְהוָה֙ אִם־יִפֹּ֞ל מִשַּׂעֲרַ֤ת רֹאשׁוֹ֙ אַ֔רְצָה כִּֽי־עִם־אֱלֹהִ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ה הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּפְדּ֥וּ הָעָ֛ם אֶת־יוֹנָתָ֖ן וְלֹא־מֵֽת׃ (‏שמואל א׳ יד:מה)	Three verses with the word ‘redeem’, namely, He has redeemed my soul in peace, so that none came near me;^[5] Psalms 55:19 And the redeemed of HaShem shall return and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; They shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away;^[6] Isaiah 35:10 And the people said to Shaul, ‘Shall Yonatan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far from it; as HaShem lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has wrought with Elohim this day.’ So the people rescued Yonatan, that he died not.^[7] 1 Samuel 14:45
שלש שלומות דכתיב ‏בּוֹרֵ֖א נוב [נִ֣יב] שְׂפָתָ֑יִם שָׁל֨וֹם ׀ שָׁל֜וֹם לָרָח֧וֹק וְלַקָּר֛וֹב אָמַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה וּרְפָאתִֽיו׃ (ישעיהו נז:יט‏) ‏וְר֣וּחַ לָבְשָׁ֗ה אֶת־עֲמָשַׂי֮ רֹ֣אשׁ השלושים [הַשָּׁלִישִׁים֒] לְךָ֤ דָוִיד֙ וְעִמְּךָ֣ בֶן־יִשַׁ֔י שָׁל֨וֹם ׀ שָׁל֜וֹם לְךָ֗ וְשָׁלוֹם֙ לְעֹ֣זְרֶ֔ךָ כִּ֥י עֲזָרְךָ֖ אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ…׃ (דברי הימים א יב:יט חלק) ‏וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֥ם כֹּ֖ה לֶחָ֑י וְאַתָּ֤ה שָׁלוֹם֙ וּבֵיתְךָ֣ שָׁל֔וֹם וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם׃ (שמואל א׳ כה:ו‏)	Three verses with the word ‘peace’, namely, Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, says HaShem that created the fruit of the lips; and I will heal him;^[8] Isaiah 57:19 Then the spirit clothed Amasai who was chief of the captains: Yours are we, David, and on your side, you son of Yishai: Peace, peace, be unto you and peace be to your helpers, for your elo’ah helps you;^[9] 1 Chronicles 12:19 part Thus you shall say: ‘All hail! and peace be both unto you, and peace be to your house, and peace be unto all that you have.'^[10] 1 Samuel 25:6

From the Talmud Bavli Berakhot 55b. English translation by Maurice Simon.

Notes[+]

Notes
1	in the presence of three friends
2	Psalms 30:12
3	Jeremiah 31:13
4	Deuteronomy 23:6
5	Psalms 55:19
6	Isaiah 35:10
7	1 Samuel 14:45
8	Isaiah 57:19
9	1 Chronicles 12:19 part
10	1 Samuel 25:6

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