Vision and Resilience: How Dreams Have Shaped Jewish History

Throughout their history, the Jewish people have faced countless challenges—exile, the destruction of their temples, dispersions, and the horrors of the Holocaust. 

Yet, despite these trials, they have not only survived but thrived, continuing to make a profound and positive impact on every aspect of life.

To any inquisitive observer, the question must be: What is the secret to this profound and enduring resilience?

The answer lies in a recurring theme that emerges as our story unfolds in the Book of Genesis. Throughout the narrative, we see that their lives were inspired and shaped by the dreams they experienced at pivotal moments.

The ability to dream enables humans to transcend the harshness of the present moment, inspiring belief in a better tomorrow.

King David, in his Psalms, describes the Jewish people as living on the cusp of a utopian era, using the phrase “we were like dreamers.”

A dreamer looks to an ideal future as their reference point. They are not constrained by the narrative of the past or the harsh realities of the present. Instead, they are anchored to a better tomorrow through their ability to visualise the future.

This is why the Shabbat before the ninth of Menachem Av, a day that captures the ‘black whole’ in Jewish history, is called the ‘Shabbat of Vision.’

It is through our collective ability to envision the Messianic age, despite the challenges we face, that we will merit seeing that vision become a reality.

Yosef Vogel