22a (כ״ב:א׳)

And he gave a sign as to what will happen before this: “And Edom shall be a possession, and Se’ir shall be a possession for his enemies” (וְנָתַן סִימָן מַה יִּקְרֶה קֹדֶם זֶה - ״וְהָיָה אֱדוֹם יְרֵשָׁה וְהָיָה יְרֵשָׁה שֵׂעִיר אֹיְבָיו״) (Numbers 24); meaning, many lands of Edom shall be taken as inheritance (יִרְצֶה, שֶׁהַרְבֵּה מֵאַרְצוֹת אֱדוֹם יִהְיוּ יְרוּשׁוֹת), along with the power of Se’ir, which is Rome (וְעִמָּם כֹּחַ שֵׂעִיר שֶׁהִיא רוֹמִי), for there is the strength of the prince of Edom (שֶׁשָּׁם הוּא כֹּחַ שַׂרוֹ שֶׁל אֱדוֹם). And from whom will it be inherited? From his enemies - these are Yishmael (וּמִמִּי תִּהְיֶה יְרֻשָּׁה מֵאֹיְבָיו, שֶׁהֵם יִשְׁמָעֵאל). And immediately: “And Yisrael shall do valiantly” (וּמִיָּד ״וְיִשְׂרָאֵל עָשָׂה חָיִל״) (Numbers 24), to destroy and annihilate all the nations mentioned below (לְאַבֵּד וּלְהַחֲרִים כָּל הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁמַּזְכִּיר לְמַטָּה), and among them you will find the Keni, which we will explain below (וּבְתוֹכָם תִּמְצָא הַקֵּינִי, שֶׁנְּפָרֵשׁ לְהַלָּן). And who is this, and who is he that shall survive in that time? As it says: “Woe, who shall live from El putting it forth?” (וּמִי הוּא זֶה וְאֵי זֶה הוּא שֶׁיִּחְיֶה בָּאֹתוֹ הַזְּמַן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר ״אוֹי מִי יִחְיֶה מִשֻּׂמוֹ אֵ-ל״) (Numbers 24).

The intention is: when Hashem, may He be blessed, brings many troubles and calamities upon the inhabitants of the earth (שֶׁהַכַּוָּנָה, כְּשֶׁיָּשִׂים ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ צָרוֹת רַבּוֹת וָרָעוֹת עַל יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ), and humiliates them - and with them the sinners of Yisrael who do not repent (וִיכַלֵּם, וְעִמָּם פוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אוֹתָם שֶׁלֹּא יָשׁוּבוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה). For it is a time of distress for Ya'akov to be afflicted (כִּי עֵת צָרָה הִיא לִהְיוֹת נַעֲנֶה יַעֲקֹב)p1-6, and regarding this it is said: “May Hashem answer you in the day of distress” (וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר ״יַעַנְךָ ה׳ בְּיוֹם צָרָה״) (Psalms 20).

And the affliction will be with Mashiach ben Ephraim alone (וְהָעִנּוּי יִהְיֶה עִם מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן אֶפְרַיִם בִּלְבַד), for at that time the salvation of The Holy One Blessed Be He will not yet have come (שֶׁעֲדַיִן בָּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה לֹא הִגִּיעַ עֵת יְשׁוּעַת הקב״ה), which will be accomplished through Mashiach ben David (שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה עַל יְדֵי מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד), as you find at the end of the psalm: “Hashem will save - the king will answer us on the day we call” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁתִּמְצָא בְּסוֹף הַמִּזְמוֹר, ״ה׳ הוֹשִׁיעָה, הַמֶּלֶךְ יַעֲנֵנוּ בְּיוֹם קָרְאֵנוּ״) (Psalms 20). And know, that Job is a parable for Yisrael (וְדַע, כִּי אִיּוֹב הוּא נִמְשָׁל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), and his value in mispar katan equals Yisra’el (וְחֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹ בְּמִסְפָּר קָטָן עוֹלֶה יִשְׂרָאֵל). And Elihu - this is Eliyahu the prophet (וְאֵלִיָּהוּ(אֱלִיהוּא) זֶה אַלְיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא). And Elifaz haTeimani is Edom, who is the son of Esav (וֶאֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי הוּא אֱדוֹם שֶׁהוּא בֶּן עֵשָׂו). And Bildad haShuchi is Yishma’el (וּבִלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי הוּא יִשְׁמָעֵאל), and Tzofar haNa‘amati are Ammon and Moav (וְצוֹפַר הַנַּעֲמָתִי הֵם עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב), and they are three (וְהֵם שְׁלֹשָׁה), for these nations are the nations that Yisrael is destined to inherit (שֶׁאֵלּוּ הָאֻמּוֹת הֵן הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עֲתִידִים לִירֵשׁ), as Rashi wrote in the parashah of “Lech Lecha” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב רַשִ״י בְּפָרָשַׁת ״לֶךְ לְךָ״): The Holy One Blessed Be He promised Avraham to give to his children ten nations - the Keni, Kenizi, etc (הִבְטִיחַ הקב״ה לְאַבְרָהָם לְהוֹרִישׁ לְבָנָיו עֶשֶׂר אֻמּוֹת - קֵינִי קְנִזִּי וְגוֹ׳), but He gave them only seven nations (וְלֹא נָתַן לָהֶם אֶלָּא ז׳ גּוֹיִם). And the three - Edom, Moav, and Ammon - are Keni, Kenizi, and Kadmoni (וְהַג׳ אֱדוֹם וּמוֹאָב וַעֲמוֹן - הֵם קֵינִי קְנִזִּי וְקַדְמוֹנִי), and they are destined to be inherited in the future, as it is said: “Edom and Moav shall be the stretching out of their hand, and the children of Ammon their obedience” (עֲתִידִים לִהְיוֹת יְרוּשָׁה לֶעָתִיד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״אֱדוֹם וּמוֹאָב מִשְׁלוֹחַ יָדָם, וּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן מִשְׁמַעְתָּם״) (Isaiah 11).

And all of these are destined to be found in the city of Rome, which is called Teiman (וְכָל אֵלּוּ עֲתִידִין לְהִמָּצֵא בְּעִיר רוֹמִי שֶׁשְּׁמָהּ תֵּימָן), and there they will all be subdued by Mashiach ben Ephraim (וְשָׁם יִהְיוּ כֻּלָּם נִכְנָעִים עַל יְדֵי מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן אֶפְרַיִם), who is destined to go to Teiman to seek the seed of Esav (שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לָלֶכֶת לְתֵּימָן לְבַקֵּשׁ זֶרַע עֵשָׂו), who was saved from Yosef haTzaddik (שֶׁנִּצּוֹל מִיּוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק), as our Sages said in the Midrash on the parashah “Vayechi” on the verse “And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּמִּדְרָשׁ בְּפָרָשַׁת ״וַיְחִי״ עַל פָּסוּק ״וַיַּעַל עִמּוֹ גַּם רֶכֶב גַּם פָּרָשִׁים״) (Bereshit 50). Our Sages said: Why did chariots and horsemen go up with him? (אָמְרוּ רַז״ל, לָמָּה עָלוּ עִמּוֹ רֶכֶב וּפָרָשִׁים)

They went up to protect him on the road so that Esav and his sons would not prevent the burial (עָלוּ כְּדֵי לְהִשָּׁמֵר בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְלֹא יְעַכְּבוּם עַל הַקְּבוּרָה עֵשָׂו וּבָנָיו). For Yosef knew the evil in their hearts (כִּי יוֹסֵף הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ זְדוֹן לִבָּם), as is found in the book Yosef ben Gurion (כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּמְצָא בְּסֵפֶר יוֹסֵף בֶּן גּוּרְיוֹן), that Tzafon son of Elifaz son of Esav lay in ambush for them on the way (שֶׁצָּפוֹן בֶּן אֱלִיפַז בֶּן עֵשָׂו אָרַב לָהֶם בַּדֶּרֶךְ), and quarreled with them over this until they engaged in battle (וְנִתְקָטֵט עִמָּהֶם עַל זֶה עַד שֶׁעָרְכוּ מִלְחָמָה), and the hand of Yosef prevailed (וַתִּגְבַּר יַד יוֹסֵף), and he captured him along with his choice warriors (וְתָפַשׂ אוֹתוֹ עִם מִבְחַר גִּבּוֹרָיו), and they brought him down to Egypt (וֶהֱבִיאֻהוּ לְמִצְרָיִם), and he remained there all his days in prison until Yosef died (וְעָמַד שָׁם כָּל יָמָיו בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים עַד שֶׁמֵּת יוֹסֵף).

And when Yosef died, he escaped from there (וְכַאֲשֶׁר מֵת יוֹסֵף בָּרַח מִשָּׁם), and went to Kanpania (וְהָלַךְ לְקַנְפַּנְיָא), and ruled over the Kittiyim in Rome (וּמָלַךְ עַל כִּתִּיִּים בְּרוֹמִי), and at the end ruled over the land of Greece, Italia (וְלַסּוֹף מָלַךְ עַל אֶרֶץ יָוָן אִיטַלְיָא), and he was the first king in Rome (וְהוּא הָיָה הַמֶּלֶךְ הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּרוֹמִי), and he built the first sanctuary in Rome (וְהוּא בָּנָה הַהֵיכָל הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּרוֹמִי).

Even though this teaching reveals to us how Edom is in Italia, since the seed of Esav went there (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁזֶּה הַמַּאֲמָר מְגַלֶּה לָנוּ אֵיךְ אֱדוֹם הוּא בְּאִיטַלְיָא כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָלַךְ שָׁם זֶרַע עֵשָׂו), still in this there is a secret (גַּם בָּזֶה יֵשׁ סוֹד). And it is that when there are tzaddikim in Yisrael, Edom cannot reign (וְהוּא, שֶׁבִּזְמַן שֶׁיֵּשׁ צַדִּיקִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין יָכוֹל אֱדוֹם לִמְלוֹךְ).

At first, they did not have kings but only dukes (וּמִתְּחִלָּה לֹא הָיוּ בָהֶם מְלָכִים אֶלָּא אֲלוּפִים), and once Yosef haTzaddik died, kings ruled among them (וּכְשֶׁמֵּת יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק מָלְכוּ מְלָכִים בָּהֶם), for once there were no more tzaddikim in Yisrael, immediately kings rose in Edom (כִּי כֵיוָן שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁאֲרוּ צַדִּיקִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִיָּד יֵשׁ מְלָכִים בֶּאֱדוֹם). And Edom, Moav, and Ammon - since they will all be cut off together - their downfall is written together in Yirmeyahu (וְאֱדוֹם וּמוֹאָב וַעֲמוֹן מִצַּד שֶׁיַּחְדָּו יִהְיוּ נִכְרָתִים, נִכְתְּבָה מַפַלְתָּם יַחַד בְּיִרְמְיָהוּ), as it is written: “Kiryot is captured, the strongholds are seized, and the heart of the mighty men of Moav on that day…” etc (כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״נִלְכְּדָה הַקְּרִיּוֹת וְהַמְּצוּדוֹת נִתְפְּשָׂה וְהָיָה לֵב גִּבּוֹרֵי מוֹאָב בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא״ כו׳) (Jeremiah 48). And about Ammon it is said: “Therefore behold, days are coming - says Hashem - and I will cause a cry of war to be heard against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned in fire” etc (וּבַעֲמוֹן נֶאֱמַר: ״לָכֵן הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם ה׳ וְהִשְׁמַעְתִּי אֶל רַבַּת בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן תְּרוּעַת מִלְחָמָה וְהָיְתָה לְתֵל שְׁמָמָה וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ בָּאֵשׁ תִּצָּתְנָה״ כו׳) (Jeremiah 49). And about Edom it is said: “Of Edom - thus said Hashem Tzeva’ot: Is there no more wisdom in Teiman?” etc., until “For I have sworn by Myself - says Hashem - that Botzrah shall become a desolation, a disgrace, a ruin, and a curse” etc (וּבֶאֱדוֹם נֶאֱמַר: ״לֶאֱדוֹם כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ צְבָאוֹת, הַאֵין עוֹד חָכְמָה בְּתֵימָן״ כו׳ עַד ״כִּי בִי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי נְאֻם ה׳ כִּי לְשַׁמָּה לְחֶרְפָּה לְחֶרֶב וּלְקְלָלָה תִּהְיֶה בָּצְרָה״ כו׳) (Jeremiah 49). And you already know that of Rome it is said: “Teiman” (וְכְבָר יָדַעְתָּ, שֶׁעַל רוֹמִי נֶאֱמַר ״תֵּימָן״). And about Edom it says “Elifaz haTeimani,” because he is in Rome, as we have said (וְעַל אֱדוֹם אָמַר ״אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי״ לְפִי שֶׁהוּא בְּרוֹמִי כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ). Bildad haShuchi is Yishma’el, for about Hagar it is said: “And she cast the child under one of the shrubs” (בִּלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי הוּא יִשְׁמָעֵאל, שֶׁבְּהָגָר נֶאֱמַר ״וַתַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶת הַיֶּלֶד תַּחַת אַחַד הַשִּׂיחִם״) (Bereshit 21).