The Hands of Esau Named as Rome and Its Slaughters

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 115:8

"The voice is the voice of Jacob and the hands are the hands of Esau" (Genesis 27:22). This is Hadrian Caesar, who killed in Alexandria of Egypt six hundred thousand upon six hundred thousand, double the number of those who came out of Egypt. "The voice is the voice of Jacob" - this is Vespasian Caesar, who killed in the city of Betar four hundred thousand myriads, and some say four thousand thousand myriads. "And the hands are the hands of Esau" - this is the kingdom of Rome, which destroyed our House, and burned our Temple, and exiled us from our land.

Themes