As I go thorugh the Gemorah, I note that while the rest of Brachos indeed contains a lot of Aggaditah, it is all to bring out Halachic points. I would appreciate some insight as to why the Gemorah digresses in such detail to discuss the interpertaion of dreams.
Thank You ,
Chaim Rubin
chaim rubin, Queens, New York
Dreams are something that affect everybody to a rather large degree, and if interpreted properly, can serve as a form of prophecy. This in itself, makes them a rather important institution. I also once heard that the Gemara want to teach us that the Chachamim were conversant with every form of Chochmah, both the rational and the not so rational.
The above combination should help to explain the length to which the Gemara goes to explain dreams.
The Yosef Da'as (Amud 96) cites the Michtav me'Eliyahu, who explains that the importance of dreams lies in the fact that they sometimes reveal his innermost thoughts, and sometimes decrees that have been issued against him (hence the concept of Ta'anis Chalom). Either way, their purpose is to bring a person to do Teshuvah on his sins.
All of the above are particularly relevant nowadays, when do not have easy access to the word of Hash-m through prophets and the Urim ve'Tumim.
Eliezer Chrysler