Dreaming Shapes Our Reality

In the pink and green haze that we have been caught in since the Wicked movies have come out, I think it is important to remember that the entire franchise riffs off of a book-turned-musical-turned-movie from one hundred years ago where one midwestern girl bonked her head during a twister and had a really intense dream. Every time I pass Starbucks and see pink and green lattes or walk into Homegoods and find blue-and-white gingham patterns, I am reminded that our intense consumerism as of late is based on a dream. Not that I am complaining about sugary drinks and whimsical gingham patterns, of course, but it is funny how one dream can shift a nation.

And so it is with our biblical Joseph and his dreams! They, too, have shaped the Jewish nation. Joseph, who was the favored son of his father, not only dreamed his dreams, but he interpreted them as well. “Once Joseph had a dream which he told to his brothers; and they hated him even more. He said to them, ‘Hear this dream which I have dreamed:
There we were binding sheaves in the field, when suddenly my sheaf stood up and remained upright; then your sheaves gathered around and bowed low to my sheaf.’ His brothers answered, ‘Do you mean to reign over us? Do you mean to rule over us?’ And they hated him even more for his talk about his dreams.” Throughout the parsha, we see more of Joseph’s dreams of power and praise, abundance and famine, and life and death come true.

Are dreams a sort of prophecy? According to the Talmud, dreams are in fact one-sixtieth of prophecy. Are dreams our subconscious working things out? Certainly Joseph was aware his brothers held animosity toward him. Perhaps his dreams of power were wishful thinking of what could be. In this way, Joseph was endowed with a gift for insight not only into the future, but into himself.

Our dreams, thoughts, and desires shape our reality. Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of Our Forefathers, states that the world stands on three things: Torah, acts of service, and acts of lovingkindness. How can we have our dreams and realities be the same through these avenues of Torah, acts of service, and acts of lovingkindness? We are fortunate enough to be part of a community of people who are gifted in such diverse ways. If we are to use insight like Joseph to not only see the gifts within ourselves and within others, but to encourage people to bring these gifts to our Shaaray Tefila community through these avenues, we will undoubtedly make our dream of a better world, and a better Shaaray Tefila, a reality.