📖 Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 24

בֵּרַךְ נֹחַ וּבָנָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים״, בְּמַתְּנוֹתֵיהֶם וְהִנְחִילָם אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ. בֵּרַךְ לְשֵׁם וּלְבָנָיו שְׁחוֹרִים וְנָאִים, וְהִנְחִילָם אֶת כָּל אֶרֶץ נוֹשֶׁבֶת. בֵּרַךְ לְחָם וּבָנָיו שְׁחוֹרִים כָּעוֹרֵב, וְהִנְחִילָם חוֹף הַיָּם. בֵּרַךְ לְיֶפֶת וּבָנָיו כֻּלָּם לְבָנִים וְיָפִים, וְהִנְחִילָם מִדְבָּר וְשָׂדוֹת. אֵלֶּה הַנַּחֲלוֹת שֶׁהִנְחִילָם.

NIMROD AND THE TOWER OF BABEL Noah brought his sons and his grandsons, and he blessed them with their (several) settlements, and he gave them as an inheritance all the earth. He especially blessed Shem and his sons, (making them) dark but comely, and he gave them the habitable earth. He blessed Ham and his sons, (making them) dark || like the raven, and he gave them as an inheritance the coast of the sea. He blessed Japheth and his sons, (making) them entirely white, and he gave them for an inheritance the desert and its fields; these (are the inheritances with) which he endowed them.

רַבִּי אֶלְעָאי אוֹמֵר: הָיוּ מוֹלִידִין אֶת בְּנֵיהֶם וּפָרִין וְרָבִין כְּמִין שֶׁרֶץ גָּדוֹל, שִׁשָּׁה בְּכָל לֵידָה, וְהָיוּ כֻלָּם עַם אֶחָד וְלֵב אֶחָד וְשָׂפָה אַחַת וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים. וּמָאֲסוּ אֶרֶץ חֶמְדָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיְהִי בְּנָסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם״. הָלְכוּ לְאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר וּמָצְאוּ אֶרֶץ גְּדוֹלָה וְרַחֲבַת יָדַיִם וְכֻלָּהּ מִישׁוֹר, וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּמְצְאוּ בִקְעָה בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם״.

RABBI ELIEZER said: They begat their sons and increased and multiplied like a great reptile, six at each birth, and they were all one people, and one heart, and one language, as it is said, "And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech" (Gen. 11:1). They despised the pleasant land, as it is said, "And it came to pass, as they journeyed in the east" (Gen. 11:2). They went to the land of Shinar, and found there a large stone, very extensive, and the whole plain, and they dwelt there, as it is said, "And they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there" (ibid.).

רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר: הִשְׁלִיכוּ מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם מֵעֲלֵיהֶם וְהִמְלִיכוּ עֲלֵיהֶם עֶבֶד בֶּן עֶבֶד, לְפִי שֶׁכָּל בְּנֵי חָם עֲבָדִים הֵם. וְאוֹי לָאָרֶץ שֶׁיִּמְלֹךְ עָלֶיהָ עֶבֶד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״תַּחַת עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ״.

Rabbi 'Aḳiba said: They cast off the Kingdom of Heaven from themselves, and appointed Nimrod king over themselves; a slave son of a slave. Are not all the sons of Ham slaves? And woe to the land when a slave rules, as it is said, "For a servant, when he is king" (Prov. 30:22).

רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אוֹמֵר: נִמְרוֹד גִּבּוֹר כֹּחַ הָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְכוּשׁ יָלַד אֶת נִמְרֹד״. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: הַכֻּתֹּנֶת שֶׁעָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהָיְתָה עִמָּם בַּתֵּיבָה. וּכְשֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִן הַתֵּיבָה, לְקָחָהּ חָם בֶּן נֹחַ וְהוֹצִיאָהּ עִמּוֹ וְהִנְחִילָהּ לְנִמְרוֹד. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיָה לוֹבֵשׁ אוֹתָהּ, הָיוּ כָּל בְּהֵמָה, חַיָּה וָעוֹף בָּאִין וְנוֹפְלִין לְפָנָיו, כִּסְבוּרִין שֶׁהוּא מִכֹּחַ גְּבוּרָתוֹ. לְפִיכָךְ הִמְלִיכוּהוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עַל כֵּן יֵאָמַר כְּנִמְרֹד גִּבּוֹר צַיִד לִפְנֵי ה'״.

Rabbi Chakhinai said: Nimrod was a mighty hero, as it is said, "And Cush begat Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one in the earth" (Gen. 10:8). Rabbi Jehudah said: The coats which the Holy One, blessed be He, made for Adam and his wife, were with Noah in the ark, and when they went forth from the ark, || Ham, the son of Noah, brought them forth with him, and gave them as an inheritance to Nimrod. When he put them on, all beasts, animals, and birds, when they saw the coats, came and prostrated themselves before him. The sons of men thought that this (was due) to the power of his might; therefore they made him king over themselves, as it is said, "Wherefore it is said, Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Gen. 10:9).

אָמַר נִמְרוֹד לְעַמּוֹ: ״בֹּאוּ נִבְנֶה לָנוּ עִיר גְּדוֹלָה וְנֵשֵׁב שָׁם בְּתוֹכָהּ, פֶּן נָפוּץ עַל פְּנֵי כָל הָאָרֶץ כָּרִאשׁוֹנִים. וְנִבְנֶה מִגְדָּל גָּדוֹל בְּתוֹכָהּ וְנַעֲלֶה לַשָּׁמַיִם, שֶׁאֵין כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶלָּא בַּמַּיִם, וְנִקְנֶה לָנוּ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל בָּאָרֶץ״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְנַעֲשֶׂה לָּנוּ שֵׁם״.

Nimrod said to his people: Come, let us build a great city for ourselves, and let us dwell therein, lest we be scattered upon the face of all the earth, as the first people (were). Let us build a great tower in its midst, ascending to heaven, for the power of the Holy One, blessed be He, is only in the water, and let us make us a great name on the earth, as it is said, "And let us make us a name" (Gen. 11:4).

רַבִּי פִּנְחָס אוֹמֵר: לֹא הָיוּ שָׁם אֲבָנִים לִבְנוֹת אֶת הָעִיר וְאֶת הַמִּגְדָּל. מָה הָיוּ עוֹשִׂין? הָיוּ מְלַבְּנִים לְבֵנִים וְשׂוֹרְפִין אוֹתָן כְּיוֹצֵר חֶרֶשׂ, עַד שֶׁבָּנוּ אוֹתוֹ גָּבוֹהַּ שִׁבְעִים מִיל. וּמַעֲלוֹת הָיוּ לוֹ מִמִּזְרָחוֹ וּמִמַּעֲרָבוֹ. אֵלּוּ שֶׁהָיוּ מַעֲלִין אֶת הַלְּבֵנִים הָיוּ עוֹלִים מִמִּזְרָחוֹ, וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹרְדִין הָיוּ יוֹרְדִין מִמַּעֲרָבוֹ. וְאִם נָפַל אָדָם וָמֵת, לֹא שָׂמוּ אֶת לִבָּם עָלָיו. וְאִם נָפְלָה לְבֵנָה אַחַת, הָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִין וּבוֹכִין וְאוֹמְרִין: ״אוֹי לָנוּ! אֵימָתַי תַּעֲלֶה אַחֶרֶת תַּחְתֶּיהָ?״

Rabbi Phineas said: There were no stones there where-with to build the city and the tower. What did they do? They baked bricks and burnt them like a builder (would do), until they built it seven mils high, and it had ascents on its east and west. (The labourers) who took up the bricks went up on the eastern (ascent), and those who descended went down on the western (descent). If a man fell and died they paid no heed to him, but if a brick fell they || sat down and wept, and said: Woe is us ! when will another one come in its stead?

וְעָבַר אַבְרָם בֶּן תֶּרַח וְרָאָה אוֹתָם בּוֹנִים אֶת הָעִיר, וְקִלְּלָם בְּשֵׁם אֱלֹהָיו וְאָמַר: ״בַּלַּע ה' פַּלַּג לְשׁוֹנָם״. וּמָאֲסוּ אֶת דְּבָרוֹ כְּאֶבֶן מֻשְׁלָךְ עַל גַּבֵּי קַרְקַע. וַהֲלֹא כָּל אֶבֶן בָּחוּר וְטוֹב אֵין נוֹתְנִים אוֹתוֹ אֶלָּא עַל פִּנּוֹת הַבַּיִת? וְעָלָיו הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: ״אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים״ וְכוּ'.

And Abraham, son of Terah, passed by, and saw them building the city and the tower, and he cursed them in the name of his God, as it is said, "Swallow up, O Lord, divide their language" (Ps. 55:10). But they rejected his words, like a stone cast upon the ground. Is it not a fact that every choice and good stone is only put at the corner of a building? and with reference to this, the text says, "The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner" (Ps. 118:22).

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: קָרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְשִׁבְעִים מַלְאָכִים הַמְּסוֹבְבִים כִּסֵּא כְּבוֹדוֹ וְאָמַר לָהֶם: ״בֹּאוּ וּנְבַלְבֵּל אֶת לְשׁוֹנָם״.

Rabbi Simeon said: The Holy One, blessed be He, called to the seventy angels, who surround the throne of His glory, and He said to them: Come, let us descend and let us confuse the seventy nations and the seventy languages.

וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יָרַד אֲלֵיהֶם? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הָבָה נֵרְדָה״. ״אֵרְדָה״ אֵין כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא ״נֵרְדָה״. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהִפִּיל גּוֹרָלוֹת בֵּינֵיהֶם? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: (דברים לב, ח) ״בְּהַנְחֵל עֶלְיוֹן גּוֹיִם״. וְנָפַל גּוֹרָלוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל אַבְרָהָם וְעַל זַרְעוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: (דברים לב, ט) ״כִּי חֵלֶק ה' עַמּוֹ״.

Whence (do we know) that the Holy One, blessed be He, spake to them? Because it is said, "Go to, let us go down" (Gen. 11:7). "I will go down" is not written, but "Go to, let us go down." And they cast lots among them. Because it is said, "When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance" (Deut. 32:8). The lot of the Holy One, blessed be He, fell upon Abraham and upon his seed, as it is said, "For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance" (Deut. 32:9).

אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: ״חֶבֶל וְגוֹרָל זֶה שֶׁנָּפַל עָלַי, רָצְתָה נַפְשִׁי״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״חֲבָלִים נָפְלוּ לִי בַּנְּעִימִים״. וְיָרַד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְשִׁבְעִים הַמַּלְאָכִים הַסּוֹבְבִים כִּסֵּא כְבוֹדוֹ, וּבִלְבֵּל אֶת לְשׁוֹנָם לְשִׁבְעִים גּוֹיִם וּלְשִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן, כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד גּוֹי וּכְתָבוֹ וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ, וּמִנָּה מַלְאָךְ עַל כָּל אֻמָּה וְאֻמָּה. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל נָפַל בְּחֶלְקוֹ וְחֶבְלוֹ, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר: ״כִּי חֵלֶק ה' עַמּוֹ״. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁיָּרַד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית יא, ה): ״וַיֵּרֶד ה' לִרְאוֹת אֶת הָעִיר וְאֶת הַמִּגְדָּל״, וְזוֹ יְרִידָה שְׁנִיָּה.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: The portion and lot which have fallen to Me, My soul liveth thereby, as it is said, "The lots have fallen unto me in pleasures; yea, I have a goodly heritage" (Ps. 16:6). The Holy One, blessed be He, descended with the seventy angels, who surround || the throne of His glory, and they confused their speech into seventy nations and seventy languages. Whence do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, descended? Because it is said, "And the Lord God came down to see the city and the tower" (Gen. 11:5). This was the second descent.

וְהָיוּ רוֹצִין לְדַבֵּר אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְלֹא מַכִּירִין אִישׁ לְשׁוֹן רֵעֵהוּ. מֶה עָשׂוּ? לָקַח אִישׁ חַרְבּוֹ וְנִלְחֲמוּ אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ לְהַשְׁחִית, וַחֲצִי הָעוֹלָם שָׁם נָפְלוּ בֶּחָרֶב. וּמִשָּׁם הֱפִיצָם ה' עַל פְּנֵי כָל הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיָּפֶץ ה' אֹתָם מִשָּׁם עַל פְּנֵי כָל הָאָרֶץ״.

And they wished to speak one to another in the language of his fellow-countryman, but one did not understand the language of his fellow. What did they do? Every one took his sword, and they fought one another to destroy (each other), and half the world fell there by the sword, and thence the Lord scattered them upon the face of all the earth, as it is said, "So the Lord scattered them abroad on that account, upon the face of all the earth" (Gen. 11:8).

רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: עֵשָׂו אָחִיו שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב רָאָה אֶת הַכֻּתֹּנֶת שֶׁעָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאָדָם וְחַוָּה עַל נִמְרוֹד, וְחָמַד אוֹתָם בְּלִבּוֹ וַהֲרָגוֹ וְלָקַח אוֹתָהּ מִמֶּנּוּ. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהָיוּ חֲמוּדוֹת בְּעֵינָיו? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית כז, טו): ״וַתִּקַּח רִבְקָה אֶת בִּגְדֵי עֵשָׂו בְּנָהּ הַגָּדֹל הַחֲמֻדֹת״. וּכְשֶׁלָּבַשׁ אוֹתָם נַעֲשָׂה גַּם הוּא גִּבּוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד״. וּכְשֶׁבָּא יַעֲקֹב מֵאֵת פְּנֵי יִצְחָק אָבִיו, אָמַר: ״אֵין עֵשָׂו הָרָשָׁע רָאוּי לִלְבֹּשׁ אֶת הַכֻּתֹּנֶת הַלָּזֶה״, וְחָפַר וּטְמָנָם שָׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב יח, י): ״טָמוּן בָּאָרֶץ חַבְלוֹ״.

Rabbi Meir said: Esau, the brother of Jacob, saw the coats of Nimrod, and in his heart he coveted them, and he slew him, and took them from him. Whence (do we know) that they were desirable in his sight? Because it is said, "And Rebecca took the precious raiment of Esau, her elder son" (Gen. 27:15). When he put them on he also became, by means of them, a mighty hero, as it is said, "And Esau was a cunning hunter" (Gen. 25:27). And when Jacob went forth from the presence of Isaac, his father, he said: Esau, the wicked one, is not worthy to wear these coats. What did he do? He dug in the earth and hid them there, as it is said, "A noose is hid for him in the earth" (Job 18:10).