Commentary for Ecclesiastes 5:6

For in the multitude of dreams, etc. For all that they tell you — dreams, false prophets, and idle chatter — to separate from the Omnipresent.

“So it is with a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words; rather, fear God” (Ecclesiastes 5:6).
“So it is with a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words; rather, fear God” – Rabbi said: If you saw harsh dreams or harsh and unnatural visions, or if you fear them, jump to three matters and you will be saved from them, as Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: There are three matters that abrogate evil decrees, and they are: Prayer, charity, and repentance. All three are in one verse; this is what is written: “My people, upon whom My name is called, will submit, and pray, and seek My countenance, and repent their evil ways; I will hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin and heal their land” (II Chronicles 7:14). “And pray” – this is prayer; “and seek my countenance” – this is charity, as you say: “I will behold your countenance in righteousness” (Psalms 17:15);¹⁵The same Hebrew root, tzedek, or tzedaka, can be translated as either charity or righteousness. “and repent their evil ways” – this is repentance. Then, “I will hear from the heavens…” Rabbi Mona said: Fasting as well, as it is stated: “The Lord will answer you on your day of trouble” (Psalms 20:2).¹⁶From the fact that the verse says, “day,” and not time of trouble, the midrash understands that the reference is to a day of fasting.
Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Yosei say: A change of name and a change of action, as well. Some say even a change of place, as it is written: “Go for yourself from your land” (Genesis 12:1). A change of name [is derived] from Abraham our patriarch, as it is stated: “Your name will no longer be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham” (Genesis 17:5). Abram cannot beget, Abraham can beget; Sarai cannot bear a child, Sarah can bear a child.¹⁷God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah when they were ninety-nine and eighty-nine years old respectively and bereft of children. In the same context, He promised them that they would have many descendants (see Genesis 17:1–16). The implication is that although Abram and Sarai could not have children, their name changes would enable them to do so. A change in action, from Nineveh, as it is stated: “God saw their actions, [that they turned from their evil way; and God reconsidered the harm that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it]” (Jonah 3:10).
Rabba bar Meḥseya and Ḥama bar Gurya say: A fast is effective for a dream like fire for tow. Rav Ḥisda said: On that day. Rav Yosef said: Even on Shabbat. Likewise, you find regarding Hezekiah king of Judah; when Hezekiah fell ill, the Holy One blessed be He said to Isaiah: ‘Go say to him: “Set your house in order, as you will die and will not live”’ (Isaiah 38:1). Hezekiah said to Isaiah: ‘Isaiah, the way of the world is that a person who goes to visit the ill says to him: May they have mercy upon you from Heaven, and the doctor goes to him and says: Eat this item and do not eat that item; drink this and do not drink that. Even if he sees him approaching death, he would not say to him: Set your house in order, so he will not be discouraged; yet you say to me: “Set your house in order, as you will die and will not live”? I, too, do not ascribe importance to you and I will not heed your words, and I adopt only what my ancestor¹⁸Solomon said: “So it is with a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words…”’¹⁹Even prophetic dreams can be nullified and thereby rendered vanity, if one fulfills the conclusion of the verse, which states to “fear God.” This can be expressed via prayer, fasting, and repentance (Maharzu).
Immediately, “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall [hakir] [and prayed to the Lord]” (Isaiah 38:2). To which wall did he direct his face? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He directed his face to the wall of Raḥav, as it is written: “Because her house was upon the side of [bekir] the wall” (Joshua 2:15). He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, Raḥav rescued two souls for You and how many souls did You rescue for her?’ It was taught that Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: Even if her family numbered two hundred people and they cleaved to two hundred [additional] families [through marriage], they were all rescued by her merit. It is not written here, “all her family,” but rather, “they took out all her families” (Joshua 6:23). ‘My ancestors who assembled all the converts to You,²⁰See II Chronicles 2:16. all the more so.’²¹By their merit, You should rescue me.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: It was to the wall of the Shunamite woman that he directed his eyes, as it is written: “Let us make a [small] walled attic” (II Kings 4:10). He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, this Shunamite woman made one wall for Elisha, and you revived her son; my ancestors who did all this tribute for you,²²This is a reference to the building of the Temple. all the more so.’
Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: It was to the walls of his heart that he directed his eyes, as it is stated: “My innards, my innards, I am trembling; the walls of my heart, my heart is murmuring” (Jeremiah 4:19). “His heart”²³This is interpreted as an allusion to the fact that Hezekiah turned to his own heart. is written.²⁴In standard editions of the Bible, it is in fact written “my heart,” not “his heart” as stated in the midrash. He said before him: ‘Master of the universe, I have surveyed the two hundred and forty-eight limbs that You formed in me, and I did not find that I angered You with any of them; all the more so that my life should be granted to me.’²⁵He said: Since it is Your way to forgive those who sin to You, all the more so should You grant me life given that I have not sinned (Etz Yosef).
The Rabbis say: He directed his eyes to the walls of the Temple, as it is written: “By their placing their threshold near My threshold…[with but a wall between Me and them]” (Ezekiel 43:8). He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, my ancestors were great men, but were unable to pray in the Temple at all times;²⁶As they were married, they would become impure when they would have relations with their wives, and it would then be prohibited for them to enter the Temple. rather they would stand in their houses and pray, with a wall between them and the Temple. I, when I pray, have no wall between me and the Temple;²⁷Hezekiah had not married; see Berakhot 10a. all the more so that my life should be given to me.’
Immediately, “the word of the Lord was to Isaiah” (Isaiah 38:4),²⁸The following verses state: “Go, and say to Hezekiah…thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold.… I will add to your days fifteen years.” [when] he had not [even] departed from there. Isaiah said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, initially, you said this to me and now you say that to me. How can I go and say so?’ [God] said to [Isaiah]: ‘He is humble and will accept it from you. Moreover, what you spoke has not yet become public, as it is written: “It was, Isaiah had not departed…”’ (II Kings 20:4). When Isaiah went to him, [Hezekiah] said to him: ‘Did I not say this to you initially: I do not ascribe importance to you and I will not heed your words; [I adopt] only what my ancestor said: “So it is with a multitude of dreams and vanities…”’

Man should fear God. [The word] כִּי is an expression of “rather,” [i.e.,] do not obey the dreams, rather, “fear God.”