ירמיהו, פרק כ״ט, פסוק ח׳

God issues a strict warning against relying on false hopes and deceptive prophecies that promise a quick redemption and an early return to Jerusalem, as these illusions directly contradict His Divine plan [מצודת דוד]. This deception is framed as a deep temptation and incitement, echoing the very first human sin when the serpent deceived Eve [רש״י, מצודת ציון]. False prophets, working alongside diviners who practice various forms of sorcery [מצודת ציון], actively try to seduce the people, leading them astray into believing empty promises [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

At the heart of this warning is a command to ignore the dreams that the people themselves bring about. Rather than being passive recipients, the people are viewed as the actual cause of these visions [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. There are a few ways to understand how the people are responsible for generating these dreams. One approach explains that the people actively initiate the process by demanding that the prophets seek answers for them through dreams [מצודת דוד]. Furthermore, their eagerness to listen fuels the deception. If the false prophets did not have such a willing and captive audience, they would not produce these dreams at all. Therefore, the responsibility for the visions falls squarely on the people [רד״ק].

Offering a more psychological perspective, another approach suggests that the people cause these dreams by constantly dwelling on their desperate hopes throughout the day. These intense daytime thoughts naturally produce the false dreams they experience at night [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, a more straightforward reading maintains that the warning simply refers to the ordinary dreams that the people experience themselves [ביאור שטיינזלץ].