מדרש אויף ישעיהו 51:22

Rabbi Tanḥum said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: In the future, the Holy One blessed be He will give the nations to drink from the cup of terror,²¹Drinking from the cup of terror is a metaphor for divine punishment (Isaiah 51:17, 51:22). from the place from which justice [hadin] emerges. What is the source? “A river emerged from Eden [eden] to water the garden; and from there it parted” – “and became four rivers” is not written here, but rather, “and became four headwaters [rashim]”²²Rashim can also mean rulers. – these are the four kingdoms,²³That would ultimately subjugate Israel (see Daniel chapters 2 and 7). They are: Babylon, Persia-Media, Greece, and Rome-Edom. which correspond to the four headwaters.
“The name of the one is Pishon” – this refers to Babylon, after: “Its horsemen come from afar [pashu]” (Habakkuk 1:8). “It is that which encircles the entire land of Ḥavila” – as it [Babylon] rose and encircled the entire Land of Israel, in whose regard it is written: “Have hope [hoḥili] in God, for I will yet thank Him” (Psalms 42:6). “Where the gold is” – this refers to the words of Torah, which “are more desirable than gold, than quantities of fine gold” (Psalms 19:11). “And the gold of that land is good” – this teaches that there is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel, and no wisdom like the wisdom of the Land of Israel. “Bdellium is there, and onyx stone…” – [referring to] Bible, Mishna, Talmud, Tosefta, and agadda.²⁴All these branches of Torah wisdom are to be found in the Land of Israel.
“And the name of the second river is Giḥon” – this refers to Media, as Haman would decimate its people like a serpent, after: “Upon your belly [geḥonekha] you shall go” (Genesis 3:14).
“Tigris [Ḥidekel] [it is that which goes east of Ashur]” – this refers to Greece, which was quick [kala] and harsh [ḥada] in its edicts, as it would say to Israel: ‘Write for yourselves on the horn of an ox that you have no share in the God of Israel.’ Rav Huna said: In three areas, the kingdom of Greece takes precedence over [they surpass] the Evil Empire:²⁵Rome. This is expounding on “it is that which goes east [kidmat] of Ashur,” which can also mean “it is that which takes precedence over Ashur.” Ashur here refers to Rome, as the Midrash goes on to explain. In its legal system, in its script, and in its language. Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Aḥa: All the kingdoms may be called after Ashur²⁶See Isaiah 27:13, Zechariah 10:10. because they enrich themselves [mitasherot] through Israel. Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: All the kingdoms may be called after Nineveh²⁷See Nahum 1:1. The prophecy in that chapter is relevant to all the nations, not just Nineveh. because they adorn themselves [mitnaot] through Israel. Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta said: All the nations are called after Egypt [Mitzrayim]²⁸See Isaiah 27:13. because they distress [metzirot] Israel.
“The fourth river is Euphrates [Perat]” – this refers to Edom. Perat – because it voided [hefera]²⁹It voided the treaty between the brothers, Jacob and Esau. The Romans are considered the descendants of Esau-Edom. and distressed his [Jacob’s] descendants. Perat – because it brings fertility [para] and abundance, due to the blessing of the elder [Isaac].³⁰Isaac gave Esau (Edom) a blessing of fertility for the land (Genesis 27:39). Perat – because in the future I will exact retribution [lehipara] against it. Perat – after its demise: “I alone have trodden the winepress [pura]…” (Isaiah 63:3).³¹This passage (Isaiah 63:1–6) refers to Edom.

“For all the land that you see, I will give to you, and to your descendants, forever” (Genesis 13:15).
“I will render your descendants like the dust of the earth; if a man could count the dust of the earth, so your descendants shall be counted” (Genesis 13:16).
“The Lord said to Abram, after Lot parted…For all the land that you see, I will give to you…I will render your descendants like the dust of the earth” – just as the dust of the earth is found from one end of the earth to the other, so your descendants will be dispersed from one end of the earth to the other. Just as the dust of the earth becomes blessed only through water [rain], so Israel is blessed only through the merit of the Torah, which is likened to water.⁴²See Isaiah 55:1, Bereshit Rabbah 54:1. Just as dust wears out metal vessels⁴³A metal implement buried in the ground will rust away. and endures forever, so, too, with Israel – all the idolaters will vanish, but they will endure. Just as dust is regularly trodden, so your descendants will be regularly trodden by the idolaters. That is what is written: “I will place it⁴⁴The cup of bitter punishment (see Isaiah 51:22). in the hand of your oppressors [mogayikh]…” (Isaiah 51:23) – what is mogayikh? They are those who cause your wounds to bleed [memigin] and cause your wounds to ooze. Nevertheless, it is for your benefit, as they mitigate your [liability for your] sins, just as it says: “Soften it [temogegena] with showers” (Psalms 65:11). “Who said to your soul: Bend down, and we shall pass” (Isaiah 51:23) – what would they do to them? They would have them lie in the plazas and drive their ploughs over them. Rabbi Azarya in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: This was actually a good omen – just as a plaza outlasts those who traverse it, so, your descendants will outlast the idol worshippers and will endure forever.

"The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. There is no greater pain and suffering than blindness. It is similar to someone who passes by a caravan of camels and donkeys loaded with goods. An equal amount was given to each animal, and they were all charged with carrying the provisions for all of them. The owner of the caravan warned them to be careful not to put straw in one animal's load, saying, "I know what I have given him." They entered the country to unload their cargo. The owner of the house allowed them to do so, but first he had them unload the animal that he had charged the most. Similarly, the Lord commands the blind that there is no greater suffering than theirs. As it says (Deuteronomy 27:18), "Cursed is he who misleads the blind on the road." And when it comes to healing the world, the first to be healed are the blind, as it says, "The Lord opens the eyes of the blind." And who are these blind generations that walk in the Torah like blind people? As it says (Isaiah 59:10), "We grope like the blind along the wall." They all read and do not know what they are reading, they argue and do not know what they are arguing about. But in the future (Isaiah 35:5), "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened." The Lord raises up the bowed down. And who are the bowed down? These are the Israelites who were exiled from their land. Since they were exiled from Jerusalem, they have not stood up straight, but have been bowed down before their enemies, walking under them. As it says in Isaiah (51:22-23), "Thus says your Lord, the Lord and your God, who pleads the cause of his people: Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more; and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, ‘Bow down, that we may pass over you.’" Therefore it is said, "The Lord raises up the bowed down." The Lord loves the righteous. As it says (Proverbs 8:17), "I love those who love me." And it says (1 Samuel 2:30), "For those who honor me I will honor." They love me and I love them. But why do I love the righteous who do not belong to the family of Kohanim or Levites? It is because for Kohanim and Levites, their priesthood or Levite status is inherited from their fathers, as it says in Psalm 115:19-20, "The house of Aaron will bless the Lord, the house of Levi will praise the Lord." Therefore, if a person wants to become a Levite or a Kohen, they cannot, because their father was not a Levite or a Kohen. However, if one wants to become a righteous person, even if they were a Gentile, they can become righteous by volunteering and loving the Holy One, blessed be He, on their own. As it says in Psalm 33:1, "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous ones!" And that is why it is said, "The Lord loves the righteous."