לסוף אתא רבא ויהיב ליה אגרא א"ל חזאי אשיתא דנפל א"ל נכסים בלא מצרים קנית א"ל חזאי אפדנא דאביי דנפל וכסיין אבקיה א"ל אביי שכיב ומתיבתיה אתיא לגבך א"ל חזאי אפדנא דידי דנפיל ואתו כולי עלמא שקיל לבינתא לבינתא א"ל שמעתתך מבדרן בעלמא א"ל חזאי דאבקע רישי ונתר מוקרי א"ל אודרא מבי סדיא נפיק א"ל אקריון הללא מצראה בחלמא א"ל ניסא מתרחשי לך
Finally Raba came and gave [Bar Hedja] a fee, and said to him : I dreamt of a wall falling. He replied : Thou wilt acquire a boundless estate. He said to him : dreamt that Abbai's house collapsed and its dust covered me. He replied : Abbai will die and his [Office as Principal of the] College will revert to thee. He said to him : I dreamt that my house collapsed and everybody came to take each a brick. He replied : Thy teachings will be scattered throughout the world. He said to him : I dreamt that my head was split open and my brains fell out. He replied : The stuffing will fall out of thy bolster. He said to him : I dreamt that I was made to read the Hallel of Egypt. He replied : Many miracles will happen to thee. [Once Bar Hedja] went with Raba on a boat; he said [to himself]
Shut min haShamayim
They responded: Do you not know, and have you not heard, that there are some people whose birth-sign accords them poor eyes or tongues? Others are given weak legs. Many sicknesses originate from bad eyes, and many die from it, as it says (cf. Talmud Yerushalmi Shabbat 14:3) "Ninety nine die from the evil eye, and one in the way of the earth." So too, sometimes Satan is given permission to wreak destruction, as in the case of Miriam the Hairbraider Others have well-functioning legs, as it says (Genesis 30:30) "God has blessed you at my feet." Do not wonder, for there are those whose birth-sign allows them to interpret dreams and their interpretation is true, for better or for worse, as long as they fit the issue at hand. Bar Haddaya was such a person, and the interpretations that came true were not because of him but because of his sign. It was for this reason that Rava was angry and cursed him (Berachot 56a:16). As to what he found written in the book, that 'all dreams follow the mouth', only applies to those born under such a sign. All this they responded to me after the third time I asked. After some time they said: Do not ponder too much on our words, for we have informed you the truth and mystery is deep.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
