Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 40:5/רמב"ן על בראשית מ׳:ה׳
אאִישׁ כְּפִתְרוֹן חֲלוֹמוֹ לְשׁוֹן "פִּתְרוֹן חֲלוֹמוֹת" הוּא הַמִּקְרֶה אֲשֶׁר יִקְרֵנוּ לֶעָתִיד, וְיִקָּרֵא הַמּוֹדִיעַ אוֹתוֹ הֶעָתִיד פּוֹתֵר. וְעַל דַּעַת רַבִּים (הראב"ע והרד"ק) כִּי פִּתְרוֹן הוּא פֵּרוּשׁ, וְטַעַם "אִישׁ כְּפִתְרוֹן חֲלוֹמוֹ", כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד חָלַם חֲלוֹם שֶׁדּוֹמֶה לַפִּתְרוֹן הֶעָתִיד לָבֹא אֵלָיו, זֶה לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית מ':ה'). וּמָה טַעַם שֶׁיֹּאמַר שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים לְפַרְעֹה (בראשית מ"א:י"א) חָלַמְנוּ חֲלוֹם הַדּוֹמֶה לַפִּתְרוֹן, שֶׁיְּמַעֵט בָּזֶה חָכְמַת הַפּוֹתֵר, וְאוּלַי לֹא יִהְיֶה כֵן חֲלוֹם פַּרְעֹה וְלֹא יֵדָעֶנּוּ יוֹסֵף. וְרַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אָמַר (אבן עזרא על בראשית מ':ה') שֶׁרָאָה כָּל אֶחָד בַּחֲלוֹמוֹ מָה שֶׁהָיָה פִּתְרוֹן חֲלוֹמוֹ כָּל מָה שֶׁאֵרַע לוֹ בֶּעָתִיד, לוֹמַר שֶׁהָיָה חֲלוֹם אֱמֶת, לֹא בָּא בְּרֹב עִנְיָן שֶׁלֹּא יִתְקַיֵּם רַק הַמִּקְצָת, וְהוּא הַנָּכוֹן:
1EACH MAN ACCORDING TO THE INTERPRETATION OF HIS DREAM. The expression “interpreting dreams” means relating the events which will happen in the future, and he who foretells that future is called potheir (interpreter). In the opinion of many scholars the word pithron signifies “meaning.”257 And the interpretation of the verse, Each man according to the interpretation of his dream, is that each dreamed a dream consistent with the interpretation258 which foretold the future that was to befall them. This is Rashi’s language.Now what sense does it make for Pharaoh’s chief butler to say, “We have dreamed a dream consistent with the interpretation,” thereby minimizing the wisdom of the interpreter. Besides, Pharaoh’s dream [related later on] may not have been so, [that is, consistent with the interpretation], and Joseph would not know it.259Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra says in explanation of the verse that each saw in his dream the truth concerning the future as the interpretation would indicate, meaning that it was a true dream, not the kind which comes from many worries, of which only a part is fulfilled. This is the correct interpretation.