Мидраш к Берешит 10:2

Resh Lakish was bathing himself in the Jordan, when Rabba b. b. Ghana came to him and shook hands with him. "God detests you Babylonians," said Resh Lakish to him, for it is written (Song. 8, 9) If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver; and if she be a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar. This means: If you were all strong as a wall, and went with Ezra, you would have been like silver, which can never rot; but since you did not, you were like an Erez (a cedar) which is subject to decay. What kind of cedar is it over which decay has power? Ulla said: Sasmagur [a sawing worm to which a cedar is subject to decay]. And why do we liken the period of the second Temple into a Sasmagur? R. Abba said, this refers to a Bath Kol, as we are taught in the following Baraitha: With the death of the last prophets, Hagi, Zecharia and Malachi, the prophetic spirit was withdrawn from Israel, but they partook of [acted under] the holy inspiration (Bath Kol). (Is it possible that Resh Lakish spoke with Rabba b. b. Chana? If Resh Lakish would not speak with R. Elazar, who was the principal man in Palestine, because it was a rule that to whomsoever Resh Lakish spoke in the street, any business could be entrusted without witnesses, should Resh Lakish, then, have spoken with Rabba b. b. Chana [an inferior man]? R. Papa said: "Substitute another person. Either it was Resh Lakish and Ze'ri, or Rabba b. b. Ghana and R. Elazar.") When Resh Lakish came to R. Jochanan and related to him how he had explained the passage, R. Jochanan said to him: "This is not the reason [explanation]. If all had come with Ezra, even then the Shechina would not have abided in the second Temple, since it is written (Gen. 9, 27) May God enlarge the boundaries of Japheth, and may He dwell in the tents of Shem (Fol. 10); signifying, that although God enlarges the boundaries of Japheth, his Shechina can only dwell in the tents of Shem. And how is it known that the Persians are descendants of Japheth? Because it is written (Gen. 10, 2) The sons of Japheth: Gomer and Magog and Madai and Jaban and Tubal and Meshekh and Thirass; and R. Joseph has been taught that Thirass is Persia.

(Gen. 41:8:) < AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MORNING > THAT HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED (rt.: P'M), in that it was beating against him like a gong (rt.: P'M). Another interpretation (of Gen. 41:8): THAT HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED. It is written of Nebuchadnezzar (in Dan. 2:1): HIS SPIRIT WAS DEEPLY TROUBLED; and it is written of Pharaoh (in Gen. 41:8): THAT HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED.¹³Tanh., Gen. 10:2; Gen. R. 89:5. Why? Pharaoh knew the dream but did not know its interpretation; therefore, he was confused by one confusion. But Nebuchadnezzar knew neither the dream nor its interpretation; therefore, < he was confused > by two confusions. Thus it is stated (in Dan. 2:1): NEBUCHADNEZZAR DREAMED DREAMS. R. Hiyya said: He dreamed one dream. Then why does it say: DREAMS (in the plural)? Because he had forgotten the dream. R. Jannay says: He dreamed two dreams, one of an image (in Dan. 2:31-35) and one of a tree (in Dan. 4:7-14).

What is meant by Thou shalt overlay it with gold, within and without? He said to him: Even though the wooden casket is to be inserted between them, handle it with the utmost care. Why? Because the Torah, the tablets, and even the broken tablets will be placed within it. Hence treat it with honor, since it is said: Thou shalt put them in the ark (Deut. 10:2); that is, both the (second) tablets and the broken tablets shall be placed inside it. And thou shalt put them in the ark. That is to say, even if you should see students of the Torah who are poor and unfortunate, treat them with respect, for the law is stored within them. And make a crown of gold (Exod. 37:2). Why? Because the Torah rests therein. There are three crowns, the crown of the Torah, the crown of priesthood, (and) the crown of kingship, but there is an additional crown, the crown of a good name, that excels them all. How do we know abut the crown of the Torah? It is said: That wisdom preserveth the life of him who has it (Exod. 7:12) both in this world and the world-to-come. Hence it is written: And made a crown of gold.

The Rabbis interpret the verse regarding those who departed from Egypt. “There are sixty queens,” these are the six hundred thousand [men] from the age of twenty and above who departed [from Egypt]. “And eighty concubines,” these are the eight hundred thousand Israelites from the age of twenty and below who departed. “And young women without number,” there is no limit and no tally of the proselytes.
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The nations of the world have enumeration but do not have a tally.³⁰At times the Torah lists their descendants, but it does not give a total number. They have enumeration:“the children of Yefet, Gomer and Magog” (Genesis 10:2). But Israel has enumeration and a tally, as it is written: “Their count according to the number of every male…[their count was seven thousand five hundred]” (Numbers 3:22); “their count,” this is the enumeration, “according to the number,” this is the tally.
Likewise, “Yoav gave the sum of the number of the census to the king…” (II Samuel 24:9), “sum,” this is the enumeration, “census,” this is the tally. If you say that we are testifying about ourselves, did not the wicked Bilam testify in our regard, as it is written: “Who has counted the dust of Jacob,” this is the enumeration, “or tallied one quarter of Israel” (Numbers 23:10), this is the tally.

And Peleg, the son of Eber, died at that time in the forty-eighth year of the life of Abram, the ‎son of Terah, and all the day's of Peleg were two hundred and thirty nine years. And after the ‎lord had scattered all the sons of man over the whole face of the earth, on account of the sins ‎they committed in building the tower, they became divided into many parties, and they ‎separated from each other towards the four winds of the earth. And each family had its own ‎language, and its own land, and its own cities. Thus the sons of man built many cities in. all the ‎places whither they have been driven, and they called their cities after their own names, or ‎after the names of their sons, or after certain things that occurred unto them. And the sons of ‎Japheth, the son of Noah, went and built unto themselves cities in the place whither they ‎were scattered, and they called the cities according to their names. And the sons of Japheth ‎became divided upon the face of the earth, into many parties and languages. And these are ‎the names of all their families and cities which they built unto themselves in those days after ‎the destruction of the tower. These are the sons of Japheth, and their families: Gomer, and ‎Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras; these are the sons of ‎Japheth according to their - generations. And the sons of Gomer, according to their cities are ‎Phrancum that dwell in the land of Phranceah by the rivers Phranceah and Senah. And the ‎sons of Riphath are the Britonim that dwell in the land of, Britania, by the river Sedah, which ‎empties its waters into the great sea of Gihon, which is the ocean. And the sons of Togarmah ‎are ten families, and these are their names: Bular, and Pharzinah, and Bungar, and Elikanom, ‎and Ragbub, and Torki, and Bid, and Zabuh, and Ingal, and Tulmaz. All these scattered and ‎dwelt on the north side and built cities for themselves, and they called their cities after their ‎own names; these are the people that dwelt by the rivers Hithla and Italah up to this day. And ‎Angori, and Bular, and Pharzinah dwelt by the great river Dobnaz, and the names of their cities ‎are also according to the names of their families. And the sons of Javan are the Javanim that ‎dwell in the land of Makedunia. And the children of Madai are the Anulum that dwell in the ‎land of Bursan. And the sons of Tubal are those that dwell in the land of Tushkanah by the river ‎Pashiah. And the sons of Meshech are Shibashni; and the sons of Tirus, are Rushash and ‎Boshai and Angolis. All these families went and built for themselves cities, the cities situated ‎on the Jasibus, and on the river Kura which empties its waters into the river Tragan.‎

"The descendants of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan (Genesis 10:2)": Rabbi Samuel son of Ammi said: "This is Africa, Germania, Media, Macedonia Isania". "And Tiras": Rabbi Simon said: "This is Persia". The Rabbis said: "Thrace". "The descendants of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah (Genesis 10:3)": Asia, Adiabene, and Germania. Rabbi Berechya said: "Germanica". "The descendants of Javan: Elishah and Tarshish (Genesis 10:4)": Hellas, Italia, Dardania. One verse says: "the Dodanim" and a different verse says "the Rodanim (1 Chronicles 1:7)". Rabbi Simon and Rabbi Chanin: Rabbi Simon said: "Dodanim" because they are the children of the uncles [dodin] of Israel, Rodanim because they went and attack [rodin] them". Rabbi Chanina said: "When Israel was placed in a high position they came and said to them, we are the children of your uncle [dod-khen], and when they are placed in a low position they come and attack [rodin] them".