מדרש אויף בראשית 10:11

... Teach us o teacher: toward where should one who prays orient his heart? This is what our Rabbis taught: one should orient his heart toward the place of the Holy of Holies (Berachot 4:5). R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: if one is praying outside of the land, he should orient his heart to the land of Israel. If one is praying within the land of Israel, he should orient his heart to Jerusalem. If one is praying in Jerusalem, he should orient his heart to the Holy Temple. If one is praying in the Holy Temple, he should orient his heart to the Holy of Holies. R’ Avin the Levi said: “our neck is like the Tower of David, built as a model (talpiyot)…” (Song of Songs 4:4) What does talpiyot mean? The hill (tel) toward which all turns (peniyot) are directed. And after all this praise, it is written “Open your doors, O Lebanon, and let the fire consume your cedars.” (Zechariah 11:1) And so too they said “He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) Israel said to Him: Master of the World! How long will it be like this? Did You not write in Your Torah “…the one who ignited the fire shall surely pay” (Exodus 22:5)? And You are the one who ignited the fire, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) You need to rebuild it and to console us, not at the hands of an angel but You in Your glory. The Holy One said to them: by your life, so I will do! As it says “The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem; He will gather the outcasts of Israel.” (Psalms 147:2) And I am the one who consoles you. From where do we learn this? From that which they read in the prophets “I, yea I am He Who consoles you…” (Isaiah 51:12)

“The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erekh, and Akad, and Kalne, in the land of Shinar” (Genesis 10:10).
“The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erekh, and Akad, and Kalne” – Ḥeren, Nesibin, and Katosfin.
“In the land of Shinar” – this is Babylon. Why was it called Shinar? Reish Lakish said: It is because all the dead of the Flood were deposited [ninaru] there. Another interpretation, [it is called] Shinar because it is empty [meno’eret] of mitzvot, as there is no teruma, no tithes, and no Sabbatical year [there]. Another interpretation, [it is called] Shinar because they [its inhabitants] would die in discomfort [tashnik], without a lamp and without a bath.¹¹Oil for lamps and wood for heating water were in short supply in Babylon. Another interpretation, [it is called] Shinar because their princes¹²Torah scholars. die as youths [ne’arim]. Another interpretation, [it is called] Shinar because its princes look into the Torah while they are still youths [ne’arim]. Another interpretation, [it is called] Shinar because it produced an enemy [soneh] and a foe [ar] of the Holy One blessed be He. Who is that? It is Nebuchadnezzar.
“Ashur left that land, and he built Nineveh, and Rehovot Ir, and Kalah” (Genesis 10:11).
“And Resen between Nineveh and Kalah; that is the great city” (Genesis 10:12).
“Ashur left that land” – Ashur left that conspiracy [of Babel].¹³The conspiracy that led to the building of the Tower of Babel. When he saw all of them coming to contest the Holy One blessed be He, he vacated his land. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You left four [cities],¹⁴Babel, and Erekh, and Akad, and Kalne. by your life, I will repay you by giving you four [cities]’: “And he built Nineveh, and Rehovot Ir, and Kalaḥ…and Resen” (Genesis 10:11–12). [Resen is] Telasar.¹⁵See Isaiah 37:12. But he [Ashur] did not do so [indefinitely]; rather, because it [the nation of Ashur] came and participated with them [the Babylonians] in the destruction of the Temple,¹⁶As it is stated: “Also Ashur has joined them” (Psalms 83:9). the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Yesterday you were a chick [efroaḥ] and now an egg?¹⁷Instead of progressing, as an egg progresses into a chick, you regressed. Originally you forsook the generation of the Dispersion, but now you have joined the evildoers. Yesterday you soared [mafriaḥ] with mitzvot and good deeds, but now you are shut in like an egg? That is astonishing.’ That is why [it is written]: “[Also Ashur has joined them]; they give a hand to the sons of Lot, Selah.” (Psalms 83:9) – for a curse [levat].¹⁸Lot is interpreted as levat, a curse. Since you joined the others in destroying the Temple, you are cursed.
“And Resen between Nineveh and Kalah …[that is the great city]” – we do not know whether Resen is the great city, or Nineveh is the great one. From what is written: “Nineveh was an exceptionally great city, a journey of three days” (Jonah 3:3), we see that Nineveh was the great city.

The Lord is with me, I will not fear what man can do to me. It is like two people who come to be judged before a judge and are afraid of the judgment. They were told, "Do not be afraid of the judgment, but strengthen your hearts." So too, Israel will stand in judgment before the Lord and they will be afraid, but the ministering angels will say to them, "Do not be afraid, for he is your kinsman," as it is said, "He will build your cities and send your exiles away." And they will reply and say, "Do not be afraid of the judgment, for he is your brother," as it is said, "For the sake of my brothers and my friends." And even more so, he is your father, as it is said, "Is not he your father who bought you?" And similarly it says, "And what great nation is there that has God so close to them?" This will merit us in judgment, as it is said, "Israel, my chosen ones." Five righteous individuals stood in the world: Noah, Shem, Eber, Abraham, and Assyria. Noah did not care to associate with the wicked, but instead planted a vineyard. Shem and Ever hid themselves. Ashur said, "How can I live among these wicked people?" and he went away, as it says, "From that land, he went out to Assyria" (Genesis 10:11). Abraham's righteousness stands forever, and he does not leave the Holy One, blessed be He. Even the Holy One, blessed be He, did not abandon him, as it says, "I am the Lord who brought you out" (Genesis 15:7).