“We told him, and he interpreted [our dreams] for us.” There was an incident involving a certain woman who came before Rabbi Elazar. She said to him: ‘In my dream, I saw the ceiling beam of my house broken.’ He said to her: ‘You will bear a male child and he will live.’

She went, and so it was for her. She came another time to ask him. She found his students sitting there, but their rabbi was not with them. She said to them: ‘Where is your rabbi?’

They said to her: ‘Tell us your inquiry and we will tell you [the answer].’ She said to them: ‘In my dream, I saw the ceiling beam of my house broken.’ They said to her: ‘This woman will bury her husband.’ When she went out from before them, she began wailing.

Rabbi Elazar heard her voice. He said to them: ‘What did you say to that woman?’ They said: ‘It is that woman who came to ask you.’ He said to them: ‘What did you say to her?’

They said to him: ‘Such and such.’ He said to them: ‘You have eliminated a man. Is it not written: “It was, as he interpreted to us, so it was”? (Genesis 41:13).21The implication is that what occurred came about because of the Joseph’s interpretation (Matnot Kehuna). And did Rabbi Yoḥanan not say: Everything follows the interpretation except for wine – there are those who drink it and it is good for them, and there are those who drink it and it is bad for them: If a Torah scholar drinks it is good for him, and if an ignoramus drinks it is bad for him?’22If a Torah scholar dreams that he is drinking wine it is a good sign; if an ignoramus dreams that he is drinking wine it is a bad sign. Rabbi Abahu said: The content of dreams makes no difference.