תהלים, פרק קכ״ו, פסוק א׳

The shift from the sadness of exile to the great joy of redemption is a profound emotional journey. The historical and spiritual transformation of the people is so intense that the boundaries between reality and imagination begin to blur. The primary approach among commentators is that this transformation is an act of restoration, where God brings the exiles back to their land and grants them rest from their troubles [רד״ק, מצודת ציון, מאירי]. Another perspective suggests that God Himself returns from exile alongside His people [מאירי]. This restoration takes on several forms. It is understood as the physical return of the captives [מצודת ציון], a spiritual return of the people to God [רד״ק], or the Divine Presence returning to its natural and powerful place [חומת אנך].

At the heart of this experience during the redemption from the Babylonian exile is the profound sensation of living in a dream [רש״י]. Because of the immense joy and goodness of returning to the land, the long years of hardship will simply fade away. The past troubles will feel as though they were nothing more than a bad dream that has finally passed [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מאירי, חומת אנך]. Alternatively, it is the sheer wonder of the redemption itself that feels like a dream. The miracle of salvation is so extraordinary that a waking person could hardly believe it is actually happening in reality [אבן עזרא, מאירי].

This dreamlike state also reflects the very nature of exile, which functions as a form of deep sleep. The seventy years of the Babylonian exile are compared to a person slumbering for a long time [תורה תמימה]. While in exile, much like someone caught in a dream, people tend to accept a distorted reality as the natural order of the world. Only when redemption arrives do these distortions vanish, revealing that the entire exile was merely a nightmare [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Yet, the dream also serves as a powerful expression of hope. Even in the depths of exile, the people never gave up on salvation. Their minds were so occupied with thoughts of redemption that they would daydream about it [מאירי]. In a similar way, the prophets experienced the future redemption through visions that felt completely real, allowing them to rejoice in their hearts long before the events actually took place [מלבי״ם].

Alongside these expressions of joy, there is a more critical perspective regarding the days when the exiles returned to build the Second Temple. In this context, the dream imagery represents a sense of disappointment. Just as a person might dream of great fortune only to wake up to a lacking reality, those who returned to Zion discovered that the Second Temple did not have the greatness and perfection of the First Temple. Consequently, their joy remained incomplete [אלשיך].