Dreaming of fish in Judaism: meaning
In Judaism the fish is an image of fertility and protection. Jacob blesses his grandsons that they will multiply like fish, and the Talmud says that fish, hidden under water, are not touched by the evil eye.
Within this tradition
At the end of his life Jacob blesses his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh. He wishes that they will grow into a multitude, with a Hebrew verb related to the word for fish. Rabbinic commentators read in it: may your descendants be as numerous as fish. That blessing is still spoken by many Jewish parents over their sons on Friday evening.
The Talmud adds a second thought. Just as fish live under water and are not seen by the eye, so the descendants of Joseph were said to be protected from the evil eye, ayin hara. That made the fish a protective sign in Jewish folk art, on amulets and in art.
Fish also has a fixed place on the Sabbath table. It is a dish that belongs to the festive meal, and some link it with abundance and blessing. A dream about eating fish at a laid table can thus be read as rest, community and blessing.
And the prophet Jonah, swallowed by a great fish, also belongs to the Hebrew Bible. His story is read on Yom Kippur, as a story of repentance. A dream in which a fish swallows you can thus be about a period of anguish that leads to repentance and a new beginning.
Common variations
Many fish
In the line of Jacob's blessing: fertility and descendants.
Fish under water you cannot see well
Protection from the evil eye, according to the Talmud.
Eating fish on the Sabbath
Rest, community and blessing at the laid table.
Being swallowed by a great fish
The story of Jonah, read on Yom Kippur: repentance and a new beginning.
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Write your dream in the appFrequently asked questions
Why does fish stand for fertility in Judaism?
Because of Jacob's blessing to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they will multiply, with a verb related to the word for fish.
What does fish have to do with the evil eye?
The Talmud says fish, hidden under water, are not touched by the evil eye. That is why the fish became a protective sign.