ירמיהו, פרק כ״ג, פסוק כ״ח

A strict boundary exists between human imagination and divine revelation, demanding absolute honesty from anyone claiming to speak on behalf of God. When a person experiences a regular, imaginary dream, they must present it simply as an ordinary story [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. They should share it as normal, everyday talk, without attempting to give it the authority or weight of a divine message [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. On the other hand, someone who has actually received a message from God must deliver that truth clearly, without mixing in nonsense or false dreams [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. This distinction highlights a deep difference in the nature of these experiences. Dreams are merely products of the human imagination that are casually recounted. True prophecy, however, engages a person's intellect and logic alongside the vision, requiring the message to be spoken with deliberate purpose and clarity [רד״ק].

To illustrate this vast gap, a comparison is drawn between simple straw and clean grain meant for human consumption [מצודת ציון]. The primary approach among commentators views this as a profound contrast, questioning how lies can ever be compared to truth. Straw is fit only for animal feed or physical labor, while grain provides essential nourishment for people. Similarly, ordinary dreams are products of the imagination containing almost no truth, whereas divine prophecy is pure, unadulterated truth [רד״ק]. A true prophet recognizes that an authentic message from God contains no fabricated waste, but only clean grain [מלבי״ם].

While this perspective completely separates the two concepts, other approaches find different meanings in the agricultural metaphor. The Sages [חז״ל] focus on the physical reality of how crops grow. They note that just as it is impossible to grow grain without straw, it is impossible to have a dream without some idle, meaningless thoughts mixed in. Taking a completely different direction, the Targum shifts the focus of the metaphor away from the prophetic message and onto the people themselves. In this view, just as the useless straw is ultimately separated from the nourishing grain, the wicked are separated from the righteous [רד״ק].