Komentarz do Rodzaju 10:2

ותירס AND TIRAS — This is Persia (Yoma 10a).

THE SONS OF JAPHETH: GOMER. Scripture begins with Japheth for he was the oldest. After him, it mentions Ham [even though he was the youngest]²⁶³See Ramban above, 6:10. for Scripture wanted to delay the account of the generations of Shem in order to place side by side the two sections dealing with Shem’s children since it is important to dwell at length on the generations of Abraham.

בני יפת גמר, according to Rabbeinu Saadyah gaon, he was the founder of the nation known as Altrach.

בני יפת, “the children of Yephet.” The Torah lists Yephet’s children first as he was the oldest, followed by Cham, as the Torah wanted to list the descendants of Shem in conjunction with those of Avraham who was descended from him in a straight line and whose story follows.

This refers to Persia. You might ask: Why does Rashi explain Tiras any more than the others? The answer is: Rashi said on 9:27 (ד"ה וישכון) that “Cyrus, Yefes’ descendant, built the Second Temple.” And one might ask: How does Rashi know that Cyrus came from Yefes? Thus Rashi explains here that Tiras is Persia, so Persia is from Yefes. And Cyrus, king of Persia, assumedly descended from Tiras. Furthermore, the Re’m says that Rashi [explains Tiras because he] is answering the question: Why here is it written מדי, not פרס? These two nations are always mentioned together! Thus Rashi explains that Tiras is פרס. But Tzeidah L’Derech says that [it is not as the Re’m said. Rather, Rashi explains Tiras because] it is from Yoma 10a: “How do we know that the Persians come from Yefes? Because it is written, ‘The sons of Yefes were: Gomer... and Tiras.’ And Rav Yosef taught: Tiras is Persia.” [Thus, Rashi brings it to prove that Cyrus came from Yefes.]

Es werden zuerst die Söhne Japhets aufgeführt, und von diesen nur die weiteren Verzweigungen von Gomer und Jawan mitgeteilt. In ihnen haben wir somit die bedeutendsten Träger des japhetischen Typus, und gerade sie sind es, in welchen man den größten Teil der das heutige Europa und das westliche Asien bewohnenden Völker zu erkennen glaubt.

'ובני גומר וגו, “and the descendants of Gomer, etc;” the reason why the Torah does not mention by name the sons of Magog, Modai, Tuval Kayin, etc., is because none of them became founders of nations, so that only a single one of them became a founder of a nation. The same pattern is applied by the Torah when describing the offspring of Put son of Cham.

משך, on the other hand, according to Josephus he was the founder of the nation known as Tushchana, a people professing the Christian faith nowadays, and leaders of that faith. Rome itself is within the boundaries of that nation.

ותירס, according to our sages (Yuma 10) this is Persia.