Dreaming About Teeth

I had a dream that my tooth fell out and some of my teeth were black and rotting. I heard that this is a symbolic dream but I really don’t know what to do - what exactly would it mean?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question!

There is an entire chapter in the Talmud that focuses heavily on dreams and dream interpretation.

There is indeed a passage in dreaming about teeth that goes something like this:

The Talmudic sage Rava once dreamed that his teeth were falling out. He went to a fellow named Bar Hedya, who was known as a professional dream interpreter, to ask him about the meaning of the dream

Bar Hedya told him that the dream foretells that his sons and daughters would die. Furthermore, as a result of the tragedy, he would forever lose his appetite, never truly needing teeth again.

But here’s the bigger picture.

The Talmudic passage just quoted is part of a much larger passage in which the sages Abaya and Rava were frequently dreaming similar dreams. Each one would go to Bar Hedya to interpret the dream.

Bar Hedya would always issue favorable interpretations to Abaye’s dreams but to Rava he would always issue negative interpretations. All interpretations always came true!

They were the same dreams! Different interpretations? Why the difference?

It is explained that Abaya would always pay Bar Hedya for his services while Rava did not. Bar Hedya was inclined favorably to those who would pay him but bore a grudge to those who didn’t, hence the conflicting interpretations!

We are told that the way a dream is interpreted will indeed have an effect on the outcome. If one (anyone) interprets a dream as being bad, it will be bad. If one interprets a dream for good, it will come out good!

The lesson: Think good and it will be good! Interpret everything for the best and good will come your way! It is as well advisable to give some tsedakah.

Talmud, Berachot 56a.