A dream question (Hebrew: She'elat Halom) is a form of divination where one attains a prophetic state during sleep, receiving divine answers to questions meditated on before rest. Rooted in Kabbalah, it involves the subconscious mind emerging as consciousness fades, rejuvenating the soul. Medieval scholar Hai Gaon described methods including fasting and meditation on texts like Exodus 14:19-21, identified by Moshe Idel as containing mystical Hebrew letter sequences representing God’s true name. Idel’s research links this practice to the Babylonian Talmud, where God promises to communicate through dreams despite being hidden, emphasizing the spiritual significance of dream questions.
The process of She'elat Halom
Hai ben Sherira Gaon, a medieval Jewish Rabbi and scholar living from 939 to 1038, recounted experiences of elders confronting the dream question. He recalls several pious elders who fasted, prayed, meditated, in order to go to sleep and receive prophetic revelations. Moshe Idel comments on this, noting that the practice of She’elat Halom calls for the aspirant to fast, pray, and recite verses. He referred to several elders who would fast for a few days, maintain a state of purity through prayer, and recite the letters of verses by their numbers. In their dreams, they would encounter wondrous answers, comparable to prophetic visions.
In some cases, however, questions have been answered in dreams without prior fasting and ritual purification involved. During the high middle ages, the dream question was often utilized by (mainly Ashkenazi) Rabbis to determine Jewish law. This process was highly at odds with the Sephardic (halakhic) rationalism that was represented by Maimonides. R. Eliezer B. Nathan (Raban) of Mainz recorded his experience with the dream question in 1152. On Shabbat, he had inquired out loud, wondering if a glass used to drink wine by a gentile could then be used for Jewish wine consumption. He then took a nap and in a dream, his late father in law came to him and recited verses from the books of Amos and Isaiah that answered the question he asked earlier. The glass was not fit for Jewish wine consumption because residue from the wine consumed by a Gentile was still present on the glass.4
In medieval Jewish literature, there is a distinct difference between the dreams from the She'elat Halom practice that occur in the beginning of the night versus at the end of the night. Dreams at the beginning of the night tended to lack prophetic contents whereas dreams at the end of the night were usually revelatory with divine interventions.5
In their autobiographical writings from the early 17th century, both mystic Hayyim Vital and rabbi Leon of Modena claim matter-of-factly to have asked a dream question.
The use of numbers
Ezekiel 1 1:1 refers to visions of God saying, "And it was in the thirtieth year in the fourth, on the fifth day of the month, as I was in the midst of the exile by the river Chebar- the heavens opened up, and I saw visions of God”. Kabbalists often believe that by reciting the numeric associations, or the Gematria, associated with this verse, one can access visions of God. This verse contains 72 Hebrew letters and chanting the letters is believed to solicit prophetic dreams. While there are 72 total Hebrew letters in Ezekiel 1:1, there are only 17 initial letters (not containing the vowels). The Gematria of the 17 initial letters (or Reshei Tevot) adds up to be 597 which is also the numerical value of the phrase combining the Hebrew words for prophecy, the name of God, and spirit guide. Thus, this "formula" is seeking to receive a revelation from a spirit guide.6
See also
- 1. "The Kabbalah of Sleep". Chabad.org.
- 2. Idel: On 'She'elat Halom'[permanent dead link] in 'Hasidei Ashkenaz': Sources and influences.
- 3. "Chagigah 5b". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
- 4. Kanarfogel, Ephraim. "Dreams As a Determinant of Jewish Law and Practice in Northern Europe during the High Middle Ages". Studies in Medieval Jewish Intellectual and Social History: 111–143.
- 5. R. Ariel bar Tzadok. The Dream Question & Vision Quest: Using the methods of the Prophetic Kabbalah. KosherTorah School. 2020
References
"The Kabbalah of Sleep". Chabad.org. https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/559460/jewish/The-Kabbalah-of-Sleep.htm ↩
Idel, Moshe. Hasidei Askenaz : Sources and Influences. pp. 99–109. ↩
"Chagigah 5b". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2022-10-28. https://www.sefaria.org/Chagigah.5b?lang=bi ↩
Kanarfogel, Ephraim (2012). "Dreams As a Determinant of Jewish Law and Practice in Northern Europe during the High Middle Ages". Studies in Medieval Jewish Intellectual and Social History: 111–143. doi:10.1163/9789004222366_008. ISBN 9789004222366. 9789004222366 ↩
Idel, Moshe. Hasidei Askenaz : Sources and Influences. pp. 99–109. ↩
R. Ariel bar Tzadok. The Dream Question & Vision Quest: Using the methods of the Prophetic Kabbalah. KosherTorah School. 2020 ↩