The Kings of Edom and the Wheat Among the Chaff

"And these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom" (Genesis 36:31). Rabbi Yitzchak opened: "Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars" (Ezekiel 27:6). The nations of the world are likened to a ship: just as a ship has its mast made from one place and its planks from another, so the nations of the world: Samlah from Masrekah, Shaul from Rehoboth-by-the-River. "An inheritance gotten hastily at the beginning" (Proverbs 20:21) refers to "these are the kings." "And its end shall not be blessed" (Proverbs 20:21) refers to: "And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau" (Obadiah 1:21). When this one sets up kings, that one sets up judges; when this one sets up chieftains, that one sets up princes. This one set up eight: Bela, Jobab, Husham, Samlah, Shaul, Hadad, Baal-hanan, Hadar. And that one set up eight: Saul, and Ish-bosheth, David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat. Nebuchadnezzar came and abolished both these and those, as it is said, "He made the world like a wilderness and destroyed its cities" (Isaiah 14:17). Evil-merodach came and gave greatness to Jehoiachin; Ahasuerus came and gave greatness to Haman. A parable of a prince who had a lawsuit with another, and his provisions ran out, and one man came and supplied him provisions. The king said: I have dealings only with this one who supplied him provisions. So said the Holy One, blessed be He: the kingship was already uprooted from Edom, and Bozrah came and supplied it kings; I have dealings only with her. This is what is written, "For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Edom" (Isaiah 34:6). "And Baal-hanan son of Achbor died" (Genesis 36:38). Rabbi Levi said: they were those who made their godhood pleasant. "Mehetabel" means they made themselves pleasing (metivin) to idol worship; "Matred" means they set up a fortress (tiryon) for idol worship. Rabbi Simon said: they were those who pampered their wives. "Mehetabel daughter of Matred" means they would treat her well (metivin) for her husband, and afterward would drive her (tordin) from her husband. "Daughter of Me-zahab" (waters of gold): from among the wealthy who would say, "What is gold? What is silver?" "Chief Magdiel, chief Iram" (Genesis 36:43). On the day Letinus reigned, it was shown to Rabbi Ami in a dream: "Today Magdiel has reigned." He said: one more king is yet to be sought for Edom: chief Iram. Why was he called Iram? Because he is destined to pile up (la'arom) storehouses for the King Messiah. There was a case of a ruler who was squandering his father's storehouses; Elijah, may he be remembered for good, appeared to him in a dream and said, "Your fathers gathered sparingly and you squander"; and he did not budge until he had refilled them. "He is Esau, the father of Edom" (Genesis 36:43). The wheat, the straw, and the stubble were quarreling with one another. The wheat said, "For our sake the field was sown," and the stubble said, "For my sake the field was sown." The wheat said to them, "The time will come and you will see." When the threshing hour arrived, the owner of the field came: he took the stubble and burned it, the straw he scattered, and the wheat he set up in a heap, and everyone began to kiss it. So these nations of the world say, "For our sake the world was created," and those say, "For our sake the world was created." Israel said to them, "The time will come and you will see." In the time to come what is written? "You shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the storm shall scatter them" (Isaiah 41:16); but as for Israel, "And you shall rejoice in the LORD, in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory" (Isaiah 41:16).