Kaisipang Hudyo sa Daniel 7:7: Ner Mitzvah

And in the Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 13,5) This is the opinion of Rebbe Yochanan, that said Rebbe Yochanan (Jeremiah 5:6) "Therefore, the lion of the forest" - this is Babylon, "the wolf of the desert ravages them" - this is Persia, "The leopard lies in wait" - this is Greece, "Whoever leaves them will be torn to pieces" - this is Rome. Why? "For their transgressions are many, their rebellious acts unnumbered". (Daniel 7:6) "After that, as I looked on, there was another one, like a leopard" - this is Greece, for they established their decrees and they said to Yisrael write on the horn of an ox that there isn't to you a portion in the World to Come (in the G-d of Yisrael). (Daniel 7:7) "After that, as I looked on in the night vision, there was a fourth beast—fearsome, dreadful, and very powerful" - this is Rome. Daniel saw three in one night, and this one [the vision of Rome] in one night. Why? Rebbe Yochanan and Rebbe Shimon Ben Lakish: Rebbe Yochanan says, that is [Rome] is weighted against the three, and Rebbe Shimon Ben Lakish says, even more. Rebbe Yochanan challenged Rebbe Shimon Ben Lakish (Ezekiel 21:19) "O mortal, prophesy, striking hand against hand". This is what Rebbe Shimon Ben Lakish was using (Ezekiel 21, 19) "A second time [doubling]". Behold you can explain these worlds as we have said, for the fourth empire is weighted against the other three empires. And therefore Daniel sees the three empires in one night, and the fourth empire in one night unto itself. And what that Reish Lakish reasons that it [the fourth empire] was weighted more than the other three, this concept is because in such as there exists within it [the fourth empire] the three in such that there are three empires, each power has assistance to it from the second one [each power bolsters the next]. For certainly the years of people who are together, versus one who is alone, the [years of] one aren't weighted like half the the years of those who are together, for good are the years together rather than alone, for one individual assists the second one. And therefore, Reish Lakish says that the Empire which incorporates these three [empires] is actually bigger than these three, in such that they are divided, each one unto itself. And the attacking question of Rebbi Yochanan upon Reish Lakish, from the verse (Ezekiel 29:19) "O mortal, prophesy, striking hand against hand", this concept is that he hit hand against hand in renewal and wonder, and this concept was said when he said that there would be established a fourth Empire. And upon this it said "striking hand against hand", for the Empire will be forceful within the world, for this empire will be weighted against the other three Empires. And therefore it was said, "striking hand against hand", for a hand is three Empires, and the second hand is unto itself, this is the fourth Empire, which is weighted equal to the other three, and not more, for it is not mentioned more, but that it should be striking hand against hand. And upon this Reish Laish responds, "A second time [doubling]" (Ezekiel 21:19) it was written, which his to say that there will be two occasions of striking, hand against hand, that the fourth Empire will be weighed equal to the three and then further still than the three, which is a further wonder, and that's why [the verse] says "A second time [doubling]". And therefore this empire, it demands that it should be everything, and none other should be with it in existence whatsoever, and this isn't so with the three initial Empires. For to each one of the four empires there was a specific attribute: [G-dliness, for to each one of the four empires there was a specific attribute: -- this line is taken out of R' Hartman edition and seemingly sensibly for it appears a mimic of the previous sentence].

In truth the fourth empire, because it sees itself as everything and nothing exists outside of it, therefore it wants that there shouldn't exist another, and therefore it destroys everything, and this nothing but [pure] destruction. And therefore Daniel sees this beast which has teeth of iron (Daniel 7:7), because iron destroys and cuts everything, as we explained in its place, that the entire interest of this empire is just destruction. And just as they burned the House of our G-d, and destroyed it, and this is just destruction to the utmost degree. And even if the first empire also burned the House of our G-d, this incident was because they [the Babylonians] wanted to conquer Yisrael under their hands/authority. And this wasn't because of [pure] destruction, rather because this empire wanted to be above/condescending upon everything, as we explained above, and there they conquered Yisrael. And because they wanted a complete conquering, they conquered and burned everything. But the fourth empire, which [Yisrael] was already under their hands/authority from before, and the nation that rebelled against them in a small matter as is known, [R' Hartman notes this is a reference to the incident described in the Gemara Gittin, 55b, which details the events leading up to the Roman destruction of the second temple, which was sparked by the minuscule rebellion of the Jews not wanting to offer a sacrifice of the reigning caesar that was blemished], and in any event it's certain that they [the Jews] were under their [Roman] hands and dominion. And this thing was for no reason except to destroy them, and they found a justification to destroy them.

And all of this is because the fourth empire has attached/intrinsic to them Emptiness, for this empire is the end and finish of the empires, and there will be loss and Lacking to all the empires, and in the fourth empire is attached intrinsically to Emptiness. And in that attachment to Emptiness this brings Emptiness upon another, and because of this it [Rome] destroys everything as well. And therefore [Daniel] says: (Daniel 7:7) "Great iron teeth", and it says (Daniel 2:40) "But the fourth kingdom will be as strong as iron; just as iron crushes and shatters everything—and like iron that smashes—so will it crush and smash all these". And behold, each and every thing which is close to Emptiness and Nonexistence, is lesser. And therefore the first [empire] was compared to gold, and after it silver, and after it copper, and after it iron, which is lesser than all of them. And in this empire [Rome] is intrinsically connected to Lacking and Emptiness, and because of this it also cuts and destroys everything, and therefore [Daniel] said : (Daniel 2:34-35) "As you looked on, a stone was hewn out, not by hands, and struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. All at once, the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were crushed etc..". The beginning here [in this verse] is with iron, for it is the beginning of emptiness, and after that are drawn towards the second [metals/empires] also Emptiness.