Midrasch zu Schemot 7:7

Another interpretation (of Exod. 25:3): AND THIS IS THE PRIESTLY SHARE…: [GOLD, SILVER, AND BRONZE]. GOLD corresponds to the kingdom of Babylon, concerning which is written (in Dan. 2:38): YOU (Nebuchadnezzar) ARE THE HEAD OF GOLD.²¹Tanh., Exod. 7:7; cf. Exod. R. 35:5; above, 3:15. SILVER: This denotes the kingdom of Media, concerning which is written (in Esth. 3:9): THREE THOUSAND TALENTS OF SILVER.²²The money was to be Haman’s payment into the treasury of the king of the Persians and Medes. AND BRONZE: This denotes the kingdom of Greece, which was the least of them all. (Exod. 25:5:) REDDENED (rt.: 'DM) RAM SKINS. This denotes the kingdom of Edom, as stated (in Gen. 25:25): THE FIRST (i.e., Esau) CAME FORTH RUDDY (rt: 'DM).²³See also above, Gen. 8:4. The Holy One said: Although you have seen these four kingdoms exalting over you, by your life, I am producing salvation for you out of the midst of slavery. What is written next (in Exod. 25:6)? OIL FOR LIGHTING (ma'or). What is the meaning of LIGHTING? This denotes the Messianic (Mashiah) King, as stated (in Ps. 132:17): THERE I WILL MAKE A HORN SPROUT FOR DAVID; [I HAVE PREPARED A LAMP FOR MY ANOINTED ONE (Mashiah)].²⁴Below, 8:6. When Daniel saw these [four] kingdoms, he was afraid. It is so stated (in Dan. 7:15): AS FOR ME, DANIEL, MY SPIRIT WAS DISTURBED <WITHIN ME; AND THE VISION OF MY HEAD ALARMED ME>. What did Daniel see? It is simply that, when Nebuchadnezzar saw the dream, Daniel came and interpreted it for him. He said to him (in Dan. 2:38): YOU (Nebuchadnezzar) ARE THE HEAD OF GOLD. (Dan. 2:32:) <THE HEAD OF THAT STATUE WAS OF FINE GOLD;> ITS BREAST AND ITS ARMS WERE OF SILVER. This <silver> denotes the kingdom of Babylon.²⁵Cf. the Oxford MS, marked, “Michael 577, no. 155”; Codex Vaticanus, Ebr., 34; and the parallels in Tanh., Exod. 7:7 and Exod. R. 35:5. They all read here, “Kingdom of Media,” and identify the other kingdoms to fit this rendering. (Dan. 2:39:) BUT ANOTHER KINGDOM SHALL ARISE AFTER YOU, INFERIOR TO YOU. (Dan. 2:32:) ITS BELLY AND ITS THIGHS WERE OF BRONZE. This denotes the kingdom of Media. (Dan. 2:39, cont.:) THEN YET A THIRD KINGDOM, ONE OF BRONZE, WHICH SHALL RULE OVER THE WHOLE EARTH. (Dan. 2:33:) ITS LEGS WERE OF IRON. This denotes the kingdom of Greece. (Dan. 2:40, 42:) BUT THE FOURTH KINGDOM SHALL BE AS STRONG AS IRON<….> {AND ITS} [THE] FEET²⁶The Masoretic Text renders, “AND THE TOES OF THE FEET.” WERE PARTLY {OF} IRON AND PARTLY {OF} CLAY. This is Edom. Why was it likened to iron and clay? Our masters have said: This wicked kingdom is going to use clay coinage.

Another interpretation: Why was it likened to iron and clay? Just as iron is hard, so is this wicked kingdom hard. And why is it like clay? Because the Holy One is going to break it like clay, as stated (in Is. 30:14): HE SHALL BREAK IT AS A POTTER'S VESSEL IS BROKEN…. Now < Daniel > had seen the Messianic King, as stated (in Dan. 2:34): YOU LOOKED ON UNTIL A STONE WAS CUT OUT WITHOUT THE USE OF HANDS…. Resh Laqish said: This <stone> is the Messianic King. (Ibid., cont.:) THEN IT STRUCK THE STATUE ON ITS FEET, <i.e., struck> all the kingdoms, which were set in the statue. Now by virtue of what is the Messianic King likened to a stone (even)? By virtue of Jacob, < of whom >²⁷“Of whom” is the reading in Tanh., Exod. 7:7. it is stated (in Gen. 49:24): FROM THERE <COMES> THE SHEPHERD, THE ROCK (even) OF ISRAEL²⁸In the biblical context these words would naturally refer to the Holy One, but the midrash understands them as an allusion to Jacob, as does Rashi, ad loc. So also below, 9:12. (Dan. 2:45:) < BECAUSE YOU SAW> THAT A ROCK (even) WAS CUT FROM THE MOUNTAIN, so that it consumes the whole world, as stated (in Is. 11:4): AND HE SHALL SMITE THE EARTH WITH THE ROD OF HIS MOUTH. In that hour Israel shall dwell in tranquillity and security, as stated (in Ezek. 28:26:) AND THEY SHALL DWELL ON IT (their own soil) IN SECURITY.

Rabbi Elazar, son of 'Azariah, said: Is it not so that the Israelites did not dwell in Egypt except for 210 years? But in order to teach thee, know that this is so, come and see; for when Joseph went down to Egypt he was seventeen years old, and when he stood before Pharaoh he was thirty years old, as it is said, "And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt" (Gen. 41:46). And the seven years of plenty, and the two years of famine, behold, they are nine-and-thirty years (in all). And Levi, the son of Jacob, was six years older than Joseph, and when he went down to Egypt he was forty-five years, and the years of his life in Egypt were ninety-two years; behold, all of them (amount to) 137 years, (as it is said,) "And the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years" (Ex. 6:16). On his going down to Egypt, his wife bare unto him Jochebed, his daughter, as it is said, "And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed" (Num. 26:59), and she was 130 years when she bare Moses, (as it is said,) "And Moses was fourscore years old when he stood before Pharaoh" (Ex. 7:7). || Behold, (the total is) 210 years in all. And thus it says, "And they shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years" (Gen. 15:18).