Midrasch zu Könige I 18:11

Another matter: “Dead flies spoil [yavish] and froth [yabia] a perfumer’s oil” refers to the congregation of Koraḥ. Yesterday they were vilifying [mavishin] Moses and saying: Moses is not a true prophet, Aaron is not the High Priest, and Torah is not from Heaven, and today²After they were swallowed by the ground, Koraḥ and his congregation declared, from the depths of the earth, that Moses had been correct (see Bemidbar Rabba 18:20; Bava Batra 74a). they are expressing [mabi’im] matters before Moses and saying: Moses is a true prophet, Aaron is the High Priest, and Torah is from Heaven. “Weightier than wisdom, than honor” – this is prophecy; “a little folly”³This is expounded to refer to the punishment of Koraḥ and his congregation, which they received due to their folly. – this is the decree of Moses, who said: “But if the Lord will create a creation [and the ground will open its mouth and swallow them up…then you will know that these men have despised the Lord]” (Numbers 16:30).
Another matter: “Dead flies spoil and froth a perfumer’s oil…” refers to Do’eg and Aḥitofel. Yesterday, they were vilifying David with their words and saying: His lineage is flawed; does he not descend from Ruth the Moavite? Today they are expressing matters and are ashamed. “Weightier than wisdom, than honor” – this is the prophecy of David.⁴David’s former antagonists eventually admitted that he was a worthy king and prophet. “A little folly” – “You, God, bring them down to the pit of destruction…” (Psalms 55:24).
Another matter: “Dead flies spoil and froth a perfumer’s oil…” is speaking of the generation of Elijah, who would vilify him with their words and say: “Baal, answer us” (I Kings 18:26). Today they are expressing matters and saying: “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God” (I Kings 18:39). “Weightier than wisdom, than honor” – this is prophecy, this is the prophecy of Elijah. “A little folly” – “Elijah took them down to the Kishon Stream and slaughtered them” (I Kings 18:40).

Another matter: “Dead flies spoil [yavish] and froth [yabia] a perfumer’s oil” refers to the congregation of Koraḥ. Yesterday they were vilifying [mavishin] Moses and saying: Moses is not a true prophet, Aaron is not the High Priest, and Torah is not from Heaven, and today²After they were swallowed by the ground, Koraḥ and his congregation declared, from the depths of the earth, that Moses had been correct (see Bemidbar Rabba 18:20; Bava Batra 74a). they are expressing [mabi’im] matters before Moses and saying: Moses is a true prophet, Aaron is the High Priest, and Torah is from Heaven. “Weightier than wisdom, than honor” – this is prophecy; “a little folly”³This is expounded to refer to the punishment of Koraḥ and his congregation, which they received due to their folly. – this is the decree of Moses, who said: “But if the Lord will create a creation [and the ground will open its mouth and swallow them up…then you will know that these men have despised the Lord]” (Numbers 16:30).
Another matter: “Dead flies spoil and froth a perfumer’s oil…” refers to Do’eg and Aḥitofel. Yesterday, they were vilifying David with their words and saying: His lineage is flawed; does he not descend from Ruth the Moavite? Today they are expressing matters and are ashamed. “Weightier than wisdom, than honor” – this is the prophecy of David.⁴David’s former antagonists eventually admitted that he was a worthy king and prophet. “A little folly” – “You, God, bring them down to the pit of destruction…” (Psalms 55:24).
Another matter: “Dead flies spoil and froth a perfumer’s oil…” is speaking of the generation of Elijah, who would vilify him with their words and say: “Baal, answer us” (I Kings 18:26). Today they are expressing matters and saying: “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God” (I Kings 18:39). “Weightier than wisdom, than honor” – this is prophecy, this is the prophecy of Elijah. “A little folly” – “Elijah took them down to the Kishon Stream and slaughtered them” (I Kings 18:40).

“…who reigned from India to Kush, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces.” Rabbi Eliezer in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: Are there not two hundred and fifty-two provinces in the world? David ruled over them all; that is what is written: “David’s renown went out to all the lands” (I Chronicles 14:17). Solomon ruled over them all; that is what is written: “Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms...” (I Kings 5:1). Aḥav ruled over them all; that is what is written: “As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom [to where my lord did not send to seek you]” (I Kings 18:10). Does a person take an oath about a place that he does not rule? Additionally, from here: “He counted the young princes of the dominions, and they were two hundred and thirty-two…” (I Kings 20:15). Where were the rest?⁸Earlier it was said that there were two hundred and fifty-two provinces, and here there are representatives of only two hundred and thirty-two dominions. Rabbi Levi and the Rabbis: Rabbi Levi said: They ceased to exist in the famine during the days of Eliyahu. The Rabbis said that Ben Haddad came and took them. That is what is written: “Ben Haddad king of Aram gathered his entire army, and thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots; he went and besieged Samaria, and waged war against it” (I Kings 20:1). We need twenty, and you say thirty-two? Rather, there were provinces that were intractable, and he would take two [young princes] from them as hostages in his charge.
Rabbi Berekhya and the Rabbis [related to the verse: “He pierced my kidneys with the contents of his quiver [benei ashpato]” (Lamentations 3:13)]. Rabbi Berekhya said: These were the captives [benei ukaifi] and the hostages [benei emuryai].⁹These were the “contents of his quiver,” with which God pierced Israel’s kidneys. The Rabbis said: Benei ukaifi – as they were subjugated with manacles [arkof], and benei emuryai – as they were substitutes [temurot] for their fathers. And so it says: “And the hostages [benei hataaruvot]” (II Kings 14:14), they were guarantees [me’uravot] for their fathers.
Nebuchadnezzar ruled over them all; that is what is written: “Everywhere the sons of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens dwell, [He has given into your hand and set your rule over them all]” (Daniel 2:38). Cyrus ruled over them all; that is what is written: “The Lord…has given me all the kingdoms of the earth” (Ezra 1:2). Darius ruled over them all; that is what is written: “Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, [the nations, and the [speakers of different] languages that reside in the entire earth]” (Daniel 6:26). Aḥashverosh ruled over half of them. Why over half of them? Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Aḥa and the Rabbis, Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: The Holy One blessed be He said to him: You divided my kingdom, as you said: “He is the God, who is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:3); by your life, I am going to divide your kingdom. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He said to him: You split My house, as you said: “Its height shall be sixty cubits¹⁰The height of the Sanctuary in Solomon’s Temple was one hundred and twenty cubits. and its width sixty cubits” (Ezra 6:3); by your life, I am going to split your kingdom.
Let it say one hundred and twenty-six, for what reason does the verse state “one hundred and twenty-seven provinces”? Rather, this is what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You added one ascent [aliya]¹¹Aliya means both second floor and ascent. to My house from your own, as you said: “Any among you from His entire people, may his God be with him, and he may ascend” (Ezra 1:3); I, too, will provide you with an additional ascent from my own, so he added one province to the tally; that is what is written: “One hundred and twenty-seven provinces.”