Midrash sobre Génesis 10:8

Another explanation. Why did Scripture concern itself with the genealogy of the chiefs? Did the Holy One, blessed be He, have nothing else to write about other than the chief of Timna, the chief of Lotan, etc.? He did so to teach us that from the very beginning of the creation of the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, concerned himself with the genealogies of the idolatrous nations so that it would not be left to them to describe for mankind their sterility and their degeneracy. How did He do that? When He came to the genealogy of the sons of Ham, He said: The sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim … and Cush begot Nimrod (Gen. 10:6–8); thus He indicated that they had become defiant, as it is said: He began to be a mighty one in the earth (ibid., v. 8). Similarly, when He said: And Mizraim begot Ludim … whence went forth (ibid., vv. 13–14), He did not say “he bore him” but he went forth, thereby informing us that he was the product of an incestuous relationship.

And Cush, the son of Ham, the son of Noah, took unto himself a wife at that time in his old ‎age, and he begat a son, and he called his name Nimrod, saying: At that time the sons of man ‎again began to rebel and to trespass against the will of God. And the boy grew up, and his ‎father loved him exceedingly, for he was unto him the son of his old age And Cush gave unto, ‎Nimrod the coats of skin which the Lord had made for Adam and Eve, when they were driven ‎from the garden of Eden. For after the death of Adam and Eve, their garments came into ‎possession of Enoch the son of Jared; And when Enoch, was taken up into heaven he gave ‎them unto Methuselah his son. And when Methuselah died he transmitted the garments unto ‎Noah, and Noah brought them with him into the ark where they remained until Noah left the ‎ark. And after leaving the ark, Ham the son of Noah, stole those garments from Noah, ‎unbeknown to his brothers, and he took them and id them away. And when Ham begat Cush ‎his first born, he gave the garments secretly unto Cush. And they remained with Cush many ‎days, and he kept them hidden from his brothers and sons. But finally when Cush begat ‎Nimrod, whom he loved above his other sons, Cush gave the garments unto Nimrod. And ‎when Nimrod grew up and was twenty-one years of age, he put on those garments. And as ‎soon as Nimrod had those garments upon him he felt himself grow very powerful, and the ‎Lord gave him power and, strength, and he became a mighty hunter in the earth, he was the ‎mighty hunter in the fields. And he hunted the animals, and he built altars and offered up ‎upon them all those animals unto the Lord. And Nimrod was possessed of more strength than ‎all his brothers. And he fought the battles of his brothers with all their enemies around them; ‎and God delivered all the enemies of his brothers into his hands. And the Lord gave him ‎success at all times in his battles, and he became the ruler of the earth, and therefore it was ‎current, when one armed his men in array of battle, that they would say of him: Like Nimrod ‎who was a mighty hunter upon the earth and succeeded in battle against enemies that were ‎too powerful for his brethren, and conquered them all, so may the Lord strengthen and save ‎these men to-day. And at the time when Nimrod was forty years of age, there was a war ‎between his brothers and the sons of Japheth, and his brethren were under the hand of their ‎enemy. And Nimrod strengthened himself at that time, and went forth and assembled all the ‎families of the sons of Cush, about four hundred and sixty men. And he hired also of their ‎friends and acquaintances about eighty men; and he gave them their hire, and went forth with ‎them to give battle. And while on his way Nimrod strengthened the hearts of the people that ‎went forth with him, and he said unto them: Be not afraid and be not alarmed, for all our ‎enemies will surely be given in to our hands, and ye shall do unto them as it seems good in ‎your own eyes. And they went all with great courage, about five hundred and forty men, and ‎they over powered the enemies and vanquished them.‎

(Gen. 42:1, cont.:) THEN JACOB SAID TO HIS CHILDREN: WHY ARE YOU MAKING YOURSELVES CONSPICUOUS? Jacob said to them: Will you please hide yourselves, for there is nothing more harmful than the evil eye?²²Gen. R. 91:2, 6; Tanh., Gen. 10:8. And so you find in the case of the former tables (of the Torah), because they had been given in grandeur (before all eyes), they had been shattered. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 20:15 [18]): NOW ALL THE PEOPLE SAW THE THUNDERINGS. But when the second tables were given, no one saw them but Moses, since it is stated (in Exod. 34:3): BUT LET NO ONE COME UP WITH YOU…. So also Jerusalem would not have been destroyed except for the evil eye. Thus it is stated (in Lam. 2:15-16): IS THIS THE CITY WHICH THEY CALLED A PERFECTION OF BEAUTY, A JOY TO THE WHOLE EARTH? < ALL YOUR ENEMIES JEER OVER YOU; THEY HISS AND GNASH THEIR TEETH; THEY SAY: WE HAVE DESTROYED HER! INDEED, THIS IS THE DAY WE HAD HOPED FOR. WE HAVE FOUND IT; WE HAVE SEEN IT >. It also says (in Lam. 3:51): MY EYE DOES EVIL TO MY SOUL BECAUSE OF ALL THE DAUGHTERS OF MY CITY. Jacob therefore said: Do not look at yourselves. It is so stated (in Gen. 42:1): THEN JACOB SAID TO HIS CHILDREN: WHY ARE YOU MAKING YOURSELVES CONSPICUOUS? Rather walk privately (rt.: TsN'), as stated (in Micah 6:8): HE HAS TOLD YOU, O HUMAN, WHAT IS GOOD…. AND TO WALK HUMBLY (rt.: TsN') WITH YOUR GOD.

And then Nimrod placed officers over them, and took from their children hostages for ‎security, that all would be servants unto him and unto his brothers. And after Nimrod had thus ‎reduced the people to servitude, he would return home with his men. And after the ‎conquests of Nimrod increased and he always returned victoriously triumphant from the ‎battles with all their enemies around them, then the people all united and came unto Nimrod ‎and elected him their king, and they placed a royal crown upon his head. And Nimrod then ‎appointed princes, and judges, and generals over his people after the manner of kings, and for ‎his commander-in-chief Nimrod selected Terah the son of Nahor, and he elevated him in ‎greatness above all the other princes. And after he was sole ruler and could do according to his ‎own wishes, having overpowered all the enemies around him, Nimrod summoned all his ‎princes and they concluded to build him a city and a royal mansion. And they selected a large ‎valley opposite to the rising of the sun, and in that valley they built unto him a large and ‎spacious city. And Nimrod called the name of that city Shinar, for the Lord had discomfited all ‎his enemies before him, that he might conquer them. And Nimrod dwelt in Shinar and reigned ‎therein securely, and he carried on war against all his enemies, and he humbled them, and he ‎was successful in all his battles, and his kingdom grew exceedingly. And all nations and all ‎tongues heard of Nimrod's fame, and they assembled and came to bow down to the ground ‎before him, and they brought him gifts and he became their lord and king, and they dwelt with ‎him, all in the city of Shinar. And Nimrod was the sole ruler over the earth, and over all the ‎sons of Noah, and all were under his hand and advice. And the whole earth was of one ‎language, and of one speech. But Nimrod went no more in the ways of the Lord, and he ‎became more wicked than any of the men that lived before the flood, up to that day. And ‎Nimrod made gods of wood and of stone and bowed down to them, and he rebelled against ‎the Lord, and he taught all his servants and subjects his own evil ways. And Mardon, the son of ‎Nimrod, acted more wickedly yet than even his father, and whosoever heard of his actions, ‎would say: From the wicked cometh wickedness. And since then the saying was in the land: ‎From the wicked cometh wickedness; and it hath become an adage in the language of all men ‎from that time up to this very day. And Terah the son of Nahor, the chief of Nimrod's army, ‎was very great in those days, in the eyes of the king as well as in the eyes of all his servants, ‎and the king and the princes all loved him and exalted him. And Terah took unto himself a wife ‎and her name was Amthelah the daughter of Carnebah, and she conceived and bare a son in ‎those days. And Terah was seventy years old when she bare him, and Terah called the name ‎of the son born unto him Abram, saying: In these days the king has raised and exalted me over ‎all the princes that are with him.

(Gen. 42:3:) SO JOSEPH'S TEN BROTHERS WENT DOWN < TO BUY GRAIN IN EGYPT >. Jacob said to them: Will you please not < all > enter by one gate²⁷Gk.: pyle. because of the evil eye?²⁸Tanh., Gen. 10:8; Gen. R. 91:6; cf. 91:2; cf. also above, 10:8; below, 10:17. And so they did. When they entered, they did not all enter as a unit, but each and every one all by himself. What did Joseph do? He posted guards over the entrance gates of Egypt. He said: Let each and every one who enters have his name and the name of his father written under your supervision. Then you are to bring their names to me. So, when the children of Jacob entered, each and every one all by himself, he (a guard) said: What is your name? So he told him: Reuben ben Jacob. And so it was with each and every one of them. < A guard > would write down his name and the name of his father. Then they brought < the names > to Joseph. Joseph immediately recognized them, as stated (in Gen. 42:8): SO JOSEPH RECOGNIZED HIS BROTHERS. He began to recall the dreams, as stated (in Gen. 42:9): NOW JOSEPH REMEMBERED THE DREAMS THAT HE HAD DREAMED ABOUT THEM. (Vs. 7:) BUT HE BECAME A STRANGER UNTO THEM, AND HE SPOKE HARSHLY WITH THEM. He began to treat them harshly, AND (ibid., cont.) HE SAID TO THEM: WHERE DO YOU COME FROM? When they said: From the land of Canaan, he said to Simeon and Levi: Are you accustomed to pillaging people just as you did at Shechem (in Gen. 34:25-26)? Ergo (in Gen. 42:7): AND HE SPOKE HARSHLY WITH THEM.

R. Joshua the son of Nehemiah said: The third was always the most precious. Adam had three sons, Cain, Abel, and Seth; and Seth was the most beloved, as it is said: This is the book of the generations of Adam, and that is followed by the sentence And begot a son in his own likeness (Gen. 5:3). Noah had three sons, as it is said: And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth (ibid. 6:10), and though Japheth was the eldest, only Shem merited greatness. Amram had three children, Miriam, Aaron, and Moses, and it is written: Had not Moses His chosen stood before him (Ps. 106:23). Concerning the tribes of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, Levi was the most important, as it is said: At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi (Deut. 10:8). Among the kings Saul, David, and Solomon, Solomon was the most beloved, as it is said: Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord (I Chron. 29:23). In the case of months, the third month is the most precious, as it is stated: In the third month (the Torah was given).

(Gen. 42:8:) SO JOSEPH RECOGNIZED HIS BROTHERS, when they fell into his hands. (Gen. 42:8, cont.:) BUT THEY DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM,²⁹I.e., treat him like a brother. when he had fallen into their hands.³⁰Gen. R. 91:7. David said (in Ps. 80:2 [1]): GIVE EAR, O SHEPHERD OF ISRAEL, WHO LEADS JOSEPH LIKE A FLOCK.³¹Cf. Gen. R. 91:5; Tanh., Gen. 10:7; PR 29/30B:1 (= 29:6 in the Breslau edition); M. Pss. 80:2. Thus has R. Tanhuma expounded (on Gen. 42:2): GO DOWN THERE (RDW) < means > that he saw that they would go down and be enslaved in Egypt for two hundred and ten (i.e., the numerical value of RDW) years.³²Tanh., Gen. 10:8; Gen. R. 91:2. Another interpretation of GO DOWN. < These words are > to teach you that anyone who buys produce from the marketplace has a going down (in status).³³Gen. R. 91:6. It is assumed here that such trade signifies misfortune, since normally one’s own land provided for basic needs. See Men. 103b. (Gen. 42:3:) SO JOSEPH'S TEN BROTHERS WENT DOWN. "The children of Israel" is not written here but JOSEPH'S < TEN > BROTHERS. < It is so written > because at the beginning they had not treated him with brotherhood, in that they had sold him. Then they had finally repented and said: When shall we go down to Egypt and return Joseph to our father? So, when their father told them to go down to Egypt, they all went with one mind to return him. It is therefore written (in Gen. 42:3): SO JOSEPH'S < TEN > BROTHERS WENT DOWN. And why ten? Because it was up to them to end the divine punishment and annul the decree (of Gen. 15:13). You therefore find in the case of Sodom that Abraham went down from fifty < righteous > to ten.³⁴The midrash is alluding to Abraham bargaining with the Holy One over the fate of Sodom in Gen. 18:22-33. When he did not find ten, Abraham the Righteous was silent. Moreover, because there were not ten < righteous > in the generation of the flood, they were not saved. Indeed, there were none there except Noah, his three sons, and their wives, i.e., eight.

That no slave should enter Egypt to buy grain,
That no one person should walk behind two donkeys, and
That no one should enter until he had written down his name, his father's name, and his grandfather's name.⁷⁵Tanh., Gen. 10:8; Gen. R. 91:10; above, 10:8, 10.

Rabbi 'Aḳiba said: They cast off the Kingdom of Heaven from themselves, and appointed Nimrod king over themselves; a slave son of a slave. Are not all the sons of Ham slaves? And woe to the land when a slave rules, as it is said, "For a servant, when he is king" (Prov. 30:22).

Rabbi Chakhinai said: Nimrod was a mighty hero, as it is said, "And Cush begat Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one in the earth" (Gen. 10:8). Rabbi Jehudah said: The coats which the Holy One, blessed be He, made for Adam and his wife, were with Noah in the ark, and when they went forth from the ark, || Ham, the son of Noah, brought them forth with him, and gave them as an inheritance to Nimrod. When he put them on, all beasts, animals, and birds, when they saw the coats, came and prostrated themselves before him. The sons of men thought that this (was due) to the power of his might; therefore they made him king over themselves, as it is said, "Wherefore it is said, Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Gen. 10:9).

And it was, when men begun (Gen. 6:1) - said Rabbi Simon: In three places this language is used, and it means rebellion. "[And to Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh;] it was then that men began [to invoke Ad-nai by name.]" (Gen. 4:26); "[Cush also begot Nimrod,] he began to be [a man of might on earth.] (Gen. 10:8). They answered back to him: behold, it is written "[and Ad-nai said, 'If, as one people with one language for all] this is how they have begun to act, [then nothing that they may propose to do will be out of their reach.] (Gen. 11:6) - he answered to them: here the Holy One bent the head of Nimrod and said: ""this" [one] will make them rebel against Me." "To increase on Earth" - that they were spilling their seed on the trees and the stones, and because they were associating in depravity He increased the females for them, as it is written "and daughters were born for them" (Gen. 6:1). he wife of Rabbi Shimeon Bar Ami gave birth to a girl. His father-in-law Rabbi Chia Rabbah said to him: The Holy One of Blessing began to bless you! He asked: From where [do you derive this?] He said: "And it was, when men begun to increase, daughters were born for them". [Rabbi Shimeon] went to his father, who said to him: The Babylonian made you happy. He said: Yes, and this he said to me. The father said to him: Even so, there is need for wine and there is need for vinegar, the need for wine is greater than the need for vinegar; there is need for wheat and there is need for barley, the need for wheat is greater than the need for barley. From the moment a man marries his daughter away, and brings out his belongings, he says to her: 'may you never long for here [home]' Rabban Gamliel married his daughter off, she said to him: Dad, bless me. He answered: 'may you never long for here [home].' A son was born to her, she said: Dad, bless me. He said "may the word 'vay' never cease from your lips". She said to him: Dad, two happy moments I had and you gave me curses! He said to her: Both of them are blessings, if you feel content in your home you wll not long for here, and if your son lives 'vay' will not cease from your lips: 'Vay, my son does not drink enough!' 'Vay, my son does not eat enough!' 'Vay, today my son didn't go to the synagogue!'