The Dream of Butler and the Baker

חלום שר המשקים ושר האופות

 Beraishit 40.5  בראשית

5.’ And they dreamt a dream, both of them, each one his dream, on one (the same) night, each one according to the interpretation of his (the others) dream; the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were imprisoned in the prison-וַיַּחַלְמוּ חֲלוֹם שְׁנֵיהֶם אִישׁ חֲלֹמוֹ בְּלַיְלָה אֶחָד אִישׁ כְּפִתְרוֹן חֲלֹמוֹ הַמַּשְׁקֶה וְהָאֹפֶה אֲשֶׁר לְמֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר אֲסוּרִים בְּבֵית הַסֹּהַר(5275=19=10=1).

It was 1 Dream

The verse can be divided so:

·         And they dreamt a dream, both of them, each one his dream, on one (the same) night, each one according to the interpretation of his (the others) dream-וַיַּחַלְמוּ חֲלוֹם שְׁנֵיהֶם אִישׁ חֲלֹמוֹ בְּלַיְלָה אֶחָד אִישׁ כְּפִתְרוֹן חֲלֹמוֹ (3995=26=8 counting final Nun and Mems as 700 and 600);

·         The butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were imprisoned in the prison- הַמַּשְׁקֶה וְהָאֹפֶה אֲשֶׁר לְמֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר אֲסוּרִים בְּבֵית הַסֹּהַר(3050=8).

Rashi comments here that the simple meaning of the verse is that each one dreamt a dream. However according to Midrash (Beraishit Rabbah 88.4) each man dreamt his own dream and the interpretation of the others dream. Thus one understands what is written in verse 16 below that the baker saw that Joseph had correctly interpreted the dream of the butler. Moreover they each had dreamt a dream which showed the interpretation which was destined to come upon the other.

In other words each man had dreamt his own dream and the interpretation of the others dream on the same night. Thus the butler saw that the baker would be executed and the baker saw that the butler would be returned to the service of Pharaoh. But they were aggrieved and confused as the interpretations were not related to their own dream. The two men had in fact dreamt one whole double dream in two halves. This is the deepest level of Torah understanding:

Whole = Double = Half

שלם = כפול =חצי

608=14=8 or +3 words=611=8

Torah=611= תורה

The Torah writes:

·         BOTH OF THEM- שְׁנֵיהֶם- they both had half of the same dream.

·         ONE- אֶחָד

·         DREAM- חֲלוֹם

And they dreamt a dream both of them each man dreamed at night,one [dream]

  וַיַּחַלְמוּ חֲלוֹם שְׁנֵיהֶם אִישׁ חֲלֹמוֹ בְּלַיְלָה אֶחָד

1074+7 words=1081=10=1

One Dream

חֲלוֹם אֶחָד

657=18

Both of them were One Dream

שְׁנֵיהֶם חֲלוֹם אֶחָד

502+3 words=505=10=1

1622+3 words=14=8

The second part of the sentence –“each one according to the interpretation of his dream”- אִישׁ כְּפִתְרוֹן חֲלֹמוֹ and the Midrash reaffirms this conclusion as each one dreamt the continuation of the others dream. Thus the butler dreamt about the vine but he dreams the continuation of the baker’s dream- being executed by Pharaoh. The baker dreams of the baskets of bread and the continuation of the butler’s dream-the returning of the butler to his position.

ONE DREAM BY TWO PEOPLE, EACH DREAM WAS IN TWO HALVES AND EACH ONE DREAMT HALF RELEVANT TO HIM AND HALF RELEVANT TO THE OTHER

 One dream in two halves reversed.

This is why when Joseph appears to them in the morning they were aggrieved. They were confused as they did not know what the interpretation of their own dream was. The butler had a bad ending to his dream (for the baker) and the baker had a good ending to his dream (for the butler)!

And they dreamt a dream both of them

וַיַּחַלְמוּ חֲלוֹם שְׁנֵיהֶם

1089=18 (Mems 600)

Each one his dream

אִישׁ חֲלֹמוֹ

395=17=8 or + 2 words=19=10=1

On one (the same) night

בְּלַיְלָה אֶחָד

90=1+8

The gematria of the word “at night”- בְּלַיְלָה is 77=14=8.

The word “one”- אֶחָד corresponds to the number 1.

Thus the words “on one (the same) night”- בְּלַיְלָה אֶחָד can also be understood as 1 and 8.

Moreover the gematria of the words “one night”- לַיְלָה אֶחָד is 88 or + 2 words=1+8.

Each one according to the interpretation of his (the others) dream

אִישׁ כְּפִתְרוֹן חֲלֹמוֹ

1151=8 or 1801=10=1 (Nun 700)

Solution or interpretation

פִתְרוֹן

736+1 word = 17 =8