Jacob's Ladder and the Rise and Fall of the Four Kingdoms

Rabbi Nahman opened: "And you, fear not, My servant Jacob, and be not dismayed" (Jeremiah 30:10). This speaks of Jacob, of whom it is written, "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder" (Genesis 28:12). Rabbi Samuel son of Rabbi Nahman said: these are the princes of the nations of the world. For Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman said, this teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed our father Jacob the prince of Babylon ascending seventy rungs and descending, and the prince of Media fifty-two and descending, and the prince of Greece one hundred and eighty and descending, and the prince of Edom went up and up, and Jacob did not know how high. In that hour our father Jacob was afraid and said, "Can it be that this one has no descent?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Be not dismayed, Israel" (Jeremiah, ibid.). As it were, even if you see him seated beside Me, from there I will bring him down, as it is written, "Though you soar like the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, says the LORD" (Obadiah 1:4). Rabbi Berekhiah, Rabbi Helbo, and Rabbi Simeon son of Rabbi Yose in the name of Rabbi Meir: this teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed our father Jacob the prince of Babylon going up and coming down, and of Media going up and coming down, and of Greece going up and coming down, and of Edom going up and coming down. The Holy One said to him, "Jacob, you too go up." In that hour our father Jacob was afraid and said, "Just as these have a descent, perhaps I too have a descent." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Be not dismayed, Israel" (Jeremiah, ibid.). If you go up, you will never have a descent forever. But he did not believe, and he did not go up. Rabbi Berekhiah and Rabbi Helbo in the name of Rabbi Simeon son of Rabbi Yosina: Rabbi Meir would expound, "For all this they sinned still, and believed not in His wonders" (Psalms 78:32) — this is Jacob our father, who did not believe and did not go up. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Had you believed and gone up, you would never have come down. Now that you did not believe and did not go up, behold, your children will be enslaved by four kingdoms in this world — by taxes, by levies, by fines, and by poll-taxes." One might think this is forever; therefore it says, "Be not dismayed, Israel, for behold, I will save you from afar" (Jeremiah 30:10) — from Babylon. "And your offspring from the land of their captivity" (ibid.) — from Gaul, from Spain, and from their neighbors. "And Jacob shall return" (ibid.) — from Babylon. "And be quiet" (ibid.) — from Media. "And at ease" (ibid.) — from Greece. "And none shall make him afraid" (ibid.) — from Edom. "For I will make a full end of all the nations among which I have scattered you" (ibid. 30:11) — of the nations of the world, who consume their fields entirely, He says, "I will make a full end." But Israel, who do not consume their fields entirely, "yet of you I will not make a full end; but I will chastise you in measure, and will not leave you wholly unpunished" (ibid.) — I will discipline you with sufferings in this world in order to cleanse you of your sins in this world. When? "In the seventh month" (Leviticus 23:24).