Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin began in the name of Rabbi Levi: “The power of His deeds6The account of Creation. He told to His people, to give them the inheritance of nations” (Psalms 111:6). What is the reason that the Holy One blessed be He revealed what was created on the first day and what was created on the second day? It is due to the idolaters, so they could not rebuke Israel and say to them: ‘You are a nation of robbers.’7By your conquest of the land of Israel from its original inhabitants.
Israel responds to them and says to them: ‘And you, is it [your own land] not in your hands by robbery? Is it not so that: “Kaftorim, who emerged from Kaftor, destroyed them [the Avites], and settled in their place”? (Deuteronomy 2:23). The world and all its contents belong to the Holy One blessed be He. When He wished He gave it to you, and when He wished He took it from you and gave it to us.’
That is what is written: “[The power of His deeds He told to His people,] to give them the inheritance of nations…” – He told them [the history of] all the generations.8So that they should see clearly that peoples have often conquered other peoples.