- Q. Over thirty years ago, I was on a flight from Eretz Yisroel to the USA. During the flight, I slept (very novel idea for me) and dreamed an awesome and terrifying dream. I dreamed that a building with a tall antenna on top of it collapsed on itself and caused a huge dust cloud. I thought nothing of it at the time, chocking it up to feeling scared of flying and that it was Dvorim B'teilim caused by my feeling of tension in flying.
When I saw the pictures years later of the collapsing Twin Towers, I was shocked by the fact that I remembered seeing that scene before. And I remembered that I saw it in that dream.
Should my conclusion be still that the dream was Dvorim B'teilim? Or was there a coincidence here?
Everything is a coincidence, as our dear Rebbi, Rav Moshe Carlebach, would say that 'coincidence' comes from the root 'coincide', which means 'Co', or HaShem, is 'inside'.
Should I take care to do HaTavas Chalom whenever I have a terrifying dream, something that occurs with me very infrequently? And what could the Ribono shel Olam want me to take out personally from this experience?
A. As we have mentioned in a number of Shailos, it is proper and correct to do Hatavas Chalom when someone is distressed by a bad dream.
Horav Yaakov Hirschman Shlit”a opinion is that one can also say the tefila recited during duchening (Birchas Cohanim) when the Chazan says Birchas Cohanim before Sim Shalom.
On a recent question 5121 above – (Stuff of Nightmares) - we wrote: Q. Dear Rov Shlita. I’ve had recently a number of very bad dreams, and have some mortifying questions. When someone had a bad dream and wants to recite the proscribed Tefilos with some friends, is it better to do it during that same day or can one wait until he goes to shul on Shabbat?
To what we answered: A. Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion as well as our other Rabbonim is that it should be done on the same day.
See also the “That is my answer” article on Parshas Vayeshev Miketz of last year “It is all about dreams” and in other sites.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit'a
Important Numbers
