Paroh's Dream and its Retelling

Introduction

THIS TOPIC HAS NOT YET UNDERGONE EDITORIAL REVIEW

Dreams in Tanakh

It is rare to find records of people's dreams in Tanakh and even more rare to find those dreams' interpretations.1 Paroh's dream is unique in that it is recorded, not once but twice – first in the narrative voice and then in Paroh's own words when he repeats it to Yosef.2 Is there any meaning to this doubling? What is the Torah trying to tell us by repeating the dreams?

Differences between the dream and its retelling

The retelling differs from the dream in several aspects:

  • Larger Additions and Omissions
    • Paroh's evaluation of the cows: "לֹא רָאִיתִי כָהֵנָּה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לָרֹעַ" is missing from the initial account of the dream.
    • Paroh's retelling adds this detail: "וַתָּבֹאנָה אֶל קִרְבֶּנָה וְלֹא נוֹדַע כִּי בָאוּ אֶל קִרְבֶּנָה וּמַרְאֵיהֶן רַע כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּתְּחִלָּה".
    • Paroh's version is missing the statement that the two sets of cows stood one beside the other at the edge of the Nile ("וַתָּבֹאנָה אֶל קִרְבֶּנָה וְלֹא נוֹדַע כִּי בָאוּ אֶל קִרְבֶּנָה וּמַרְאֵיהֶן רַע כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּתְּחִלָּה").
  • Substitutions and Smaller Changes
    • "עַל שְׂפַת הַיְאֹר" instead of "עַל הַיְאֹר".
    • "בְּרִיאוֹת בָּשָׂר וִיפֹת תֹּאַר" instead of "יְפוֹת מַרְאֶה וּבְרִיאֹת בָּשָׂר".
    • "דַּלּוֹת וְרָעוֹת תֹּאַר מְאֹד וְרַקּוֹת בָּשָׂר" instead of "רָעוֹת מַרְאֶה וְדַקּוֹת בָּשָׂר".
    • "הָרַקּוֹת וְהָרָעוֹת" instead of "רָעוֹת הַמַּרְאֶה וְדַקֹּת הַבָּשָׂר".
    • "הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת הַבְּרִיאֹת" instead of "יְפֹת הַמַּרְאֶה וְהַבְּרִיאֹת".
    • "מְלֵאֹת וְטֹבוֹת" instead of "בְּרִיאוֹת וְטֹבוֹת".
    • "צְנֻמוֹת דַּקּוֹת שְׁדֻפוֹת קָדִים" instead of "דַּקּוֹת וּשְׁדוּפֹת קָדִים".
    • "הַטֹּבוֹת" instead of "הַבְּרִיאוֹת וְהַמְּלֵאוֹת".

What, if any, is the significance of all of these differences?

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