A Tale of Two Dreams – The Importance of Human Effort

“Nothing you have acquired is real unless you worked for it. If you were born a nice guy, the niceness isn’t yours. If you started off not so nice, and now you do a little, that’s Divine.”

– Tzvi Freeman, Be Within Stay Above

“Nothing of real substance comes without work. Our pioneer forebears could never plow a field by turning it over in their minds. They had to put their hands to the plow and walk forward. The work is, by and large, easier now than in earlier times, but the principle is the same. There must be work, and what a great and wonderful privilege it is. . . When pleasure or recreation becomes an end in itself, we are in danger. We are in trouble. We simply cannot expect to refine the substance of character from hunks of pleasures.”

– Gordon Hinckley, Standing For Something

Never having flown before, an old-timer was about to embark on his first such venture. Standing at the check-in counter he queried the ticketing agent: ”Nu, so tell me, how does the plane stay up in the air?”

“There are four engines which impel the jet,” said the agent, “the force of the impulsion combined with its aerodynamic design keep it from falling.”

“Please don’t mind my asking, but I am curious to know what would happen if two of the engines were to go-out?” The agent continued to assure the apprehensive passenger that there was no need to worry: “The plane could surely be brought to a safe landing on two engines.” “What would happen if three engines falter?” persisted the old-timer. “Sir, you really have nothing to worry about,” replied the agent, whose patience was beginning to wear a bit thin: “You can take my word for it; you will not remain suspended in the air!”

In expounding the Biblical account of Yosef’s and Pharaoh’s respective dreams and their stark contrasts, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, sheds extraordinary light on the nature and reality of holy versus unholy existence. Let us explore the Rebbe’s intuitive observations, beginning with the basic narratives as related in the Book of Genesis:

. . . Then Yosef had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. “Listen to the dream I had” he said to them. “We were binding sheaves in the field, when my sheaf suddenly stood up erect. Your sheaves formed a circle around my sheaf, and bowed down to it.”

. . . He had another dream and he told it to his brothers. “I just had another dream,” he said. “The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” – Genesis 37:6-10

Two full years passed. Then Pharaoh had a dream. He was standing near the Nile, when suddenly seven handsome healthy-looking cows emerged from the Nile, and grazed in the marsh-grass. Then another seven, ugly, lean cows emerged from the Nile, and stood next to the cows already on the riverbank. The ugly, lean cows ate up the seven handsome, fat cows. Pharaoh woke up.

He fell asleep again and had a second dream. He saw seven fat, good ears of grain growing on a single stalk. Then suddenly, another seven ears of grain grew behind them, thin, and scorched by the [hot] east wind. The seven thin ears swallowed up the seven fat, full ears. Pharaoh woke up and realized that it had been a dream . . . – Genesis 41: 1-7

Why, is the narration of Pharaoh’s dreams presented in such length and detail? The point of the discussion is seemingly simple: Yosef by interpreting the dreams, predicted the advent of the seven years of plenty and the seven of famine; as a result, he was appointed viceroy to Pharaoh. What then is the significance of all the minutiae?

The Rebbe suggests that an important lesson is being conveyed in all this; one that goes well beyond the immediate storyline. The lesson lies in the radical distinction between the structure and detail of Pharaoh’s dreams and the formerly related dreams of Yosef.

Yosef’s dreams begin with an image of service; of bread earned by labor: “We were binding sheaves.” This idea is wholly absent from the dreams of Pharaoh. Pharaoh is merely a passive bystander observing the events that transpired around him. In Pharaoh’s dreams, food is seen as coming without effort.

Blessings that come from G-d are only derived as the result of effort. Man must work to be worthy of receiving them, just as Yosef was actively involved in binding the sheaves in his dream.

Consistent with Divine blessings, Yosef’s dreams were furthermore characterized by an upward progression. After he dreamt about earthly matters; sheaves of grain, he dreamt about celestial matters; the sun, the moon and the stars.

Pharaoh’s dreams – indicative of unholy existence – were characterized by a downward progression. First he dreamt of cows; the animal kingdom, then of corn; a lower category of life. Moreover, the dreams themselves were descending in nature. Seven healthy cows followed by seven sickly cows, and seven robust ears of corn followed by seven blighted ones.

The fulfillment of Pharaoh’s dreams came about in a descending order as well. First came the years of plenty, followed by a famine that made the years of abundance seem as if they had never existed. Every detail concerning Pharaoh’s dreams was marked by decrease and descent.

The differences between the dreams of Yosef and of Pharaoh underscore the difference between the true and sacred reality and its opposite. G-dly existence is eternal and unchanging. In the realm of holiness and truth, if there are changes, they are always ascents, going from strength to strength – which is in essence, not a change at all, but a more perfect realization of something that it genuine and authentic.

Against this is the realm of secular and ephemeral existence. This realm is in fact subject to change, indeed, to continual decline. For whatever is not holy does not exist in and of itself. It is at most a means to an end, to test man and to evoke his highest powers of sanctity. The more man responds to the test; becomes stronger and elevated in his service, the less he needs to be tested. And automatically, the existence of un-sanctity becomes weaker and more tenuous.

There is an important message in this for all of mankind, concludes the Rebbe: One must be aware that what comes without effort, merely as a result of chance, lacks not only in spirituality and holiness but in actual vitality and substance – it is in a continual state of decline. In other words, that which stems from the natural and default state of existence is intrinsically transitory and temporary rather than of enduring character.

The person whose life revolves around this type of reality will, in the end, be left with nothing. On the other hand, the one who labors in the service of the eternal G-d is assured of the promise, “you have toiled and you have found.” He will find from Heaven more than he has labored for.

It is abundantly clear from the above discussion that all things of true value and goodness require deliberate effort and planning. Yet, the question that seems to linger is, why so? Why must all matters of intrinsic good come as a result of effort and exertion?

The short answer is that G-d desired a world in which man, through his effort, should perfect and complete His creation. Given the above, it is fair to suggest that the Almighty would incorporate a law into nature that would facilitate this ultimate purpose. For if it is man’s participation that G-d desires, He would surely have designed a world in which the laws of nature support this ultimate end – He would no doubt have built a universe in which effort and exertion beget reward and blessing and versa visa.

Given the fact that effort and blessing are inherently intertwined, it is only logical that the lack of positive and proactive measures in itself constitute a form of decline and deterioration. A good example of this is the simple law of gravity.

Gravity dictates that when the force that moves an object upwards depletes, the object does not remain suspended in midair, instead it comes falling down rather abruptly. This reality is very much the rule of life in general.

Because the Almighty desires human participation He has instilled into every dimension of creation a gravity-like quality. Effort and exertion are the forces of true existence and progression. Should the force be depleted, the free-fall begins. Without positive exertion and effort, we tend to find ourselves in an inevitable state of decline.

Sure, G-d could have made a world in which man’s efforts, let alone toil, would not be necessary – a world in which bread falls from heaven, clothes grow on trees, and man’s every need is attended-to automatically. Only a fool would suggest that a G-d, who is able to create a universe from nothingness (ex nihilo), lacks the capacity to finish the job.

Only an ignoramus would recommend that the G-d who created all the ingredients i.e., the seed, the water and the soil, lacks the ability to create a loaf of bread. Anyone with intelligence understands that G-d does not need man to help Him with the creation of the world. G-d has rather deliberately designed it to be this way, so as to evoke man’s participation and partnership.

The world was brought into being with goodness and the ultimate good for man is that he should not be dishonored but feel as a partner in the fulfillment of the Divine plan. Free bread is “bread of shame.” That’s why nothing good comes without toil. And according to the toil, can be known the harvest that will be reaped in the end.

Effort and exertion are then inevitable prerequisites for achieving goodness and blessing. This reality is ubiquitous. It is true concerning the pursuit of knowledge, as it is regarding the pursuit of the fine arts.
The world-class pianist for example, does not become a world-class pianist inadvertently, neither does the accomplished artist. Notwithstanding their innate talent, a painstaking process of cultivation and development is necessary.

In an age where anything a person could ever want is as close as the local supermarket-shelf, this reality is not always that obvious. It is easy to forget the travail involved in producing something as simple as a loaf of bread or glass of orange-juice. In reality however, these things are anything but easy. They require enormous labor and preparation on multiple levels.

G-d, as it turns out, desired a world in which man – the creature with whom He shared His image – is to be His partner in creation. Man accomplishes this by lending his effort, talent, and ability to G-d’s world. In doing so, man brings blessing to himself and the entire universe.

May our efforts hasten the ultimate purpose of creation with the coming of the righteous Moshiach.