The Dream
Chagall's Jew in Green
Meant to Be
Grandmother Tzeitel appeared in Tevye's dream, or so he reports to Golde. She has some very persuasive arguments in favor of Motel Kamzoil, the Tailor, being Tzeitel's husband.
Primarily, she uses terms such as "meant to be", "for such a match I prayed", and "In heaven it was made." These all get at the concept of "Bashert", which is often used to refer to a sort of "soulmate", or someone's predestined, fated, or otherwise divinely predetermined spouse.
Important Takeaways
-
A combination of two dead women "visiting" Tevye convinces Golde that Motel is the choice that is Meant to Be, rather than the richer Lazar Wolf.
-
Golde references Evil Spirits. For an in depth dive into Jewish Demonology, check out this article, or to lose a good chunk of time (but learn tangentially related knowledge), I recommend the podcast "Throwing Sheyd".