Jewish Dreams

This book examines the evolution of Jewish dream interpretation from antiquity through the modern era. The sources highlight a fundamental shift between the pre-Freudian view, which treated dreams as divine portents or external messages about the future, and the psychoanalytic perspective, which views them as internal windows into the human psyche. Extensive excerpts from the Babylonian Talmud illustrate how ancient sages used scriptural puns and verbal associations to decode symbolic visions. Central to these traditional accounts is the belief that all dreams follow the mouth, meaning their real-world impact is determined by the specific interpretation provided. The documents also explore medieval rituals used to neutralize ominous omens and the competitive, sometimes dangerous, nature of the interpreter’s trade. Ultimately, the material bridges theological tradition and modern psychology by showing how both systems rely on language to unlock the meaning of sleep. 

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