to a fascinating piece of ancient wisdom from Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 83, that does just that.
Rabbi Aivu starts us off with an intriguing observation. Before Israel had a king, Edom did. (The text is supplemented here based on the Matnot Kehuna, Nezer HaKodesh, and Etz Yosef). We're told that, as it says in I Kings 22:48, “[There was no king] in Edom; an official was king." Some interpret this to mean that officials from Judah were installed as governors of Edom (see II Samuel 8:14).
What does it mean? Well, Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina jumps in to elaborate: When Edom crowned kings, Israel appointed judges. In other words, there was a kind of balance. When Edom had kings, Israel had judges – powerful figures, but not kings.
But the dynamic shifts. According to Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina, when Edom appointed chieftains, Israel appointed princes. The Etz Yosef suggests this refers to the era when Nebuchadnezzar conquered the region. Neither Edom nor Israel had kings. Edom had chieftains and Israel had princes, which the text indicates was a lower status than chieftains. It's like a subtle game of one-upmanship, a continuous teeter-totter.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi takes it further: "This one crowned eight and that one crowned eight." He’s talking about eight kings of Edom who reigned before Israel had a king, and eight kings of Israel during whose reigns there was no king in Edom. He even names them!
For Edom, we have Bela, Yovav, Ḥusham, Hadad, Samla, Shaul, Baal Ḥanan, and Hadar. And for Israel, Shaul (not the same Shaul as in the Edom list), Ish Boshet, David, Solomon, Reḥavam, Aviya, Asa, and Yehoshafat. It’s a fascinating list, isn’t it?
Then, Nebuchadnezzar arrives. According to the text, he "mingled these with those, and abrogated these and those." The verse from Isaiah 14:17 is invoked: “Who rendered the world like a wilderness and destroyed its cities.” It’s a dramatic image of upheaval, of empires rising and falling, of the delicate balance being shattered.
But the story doesn't end there. Evil, the text specifies Evil Merodakh, king of Babylon, came and “accorded greatness to Yehoyakhin.” That's Yehoyakhin, king of Judah (see II Kings 25:27–30). Then, Aḥashverosh came and “accorded greatness to Haman.” Haman, like Edom, was a descendant of Esau.
So, what’s the takeaway here? It's not just a historical record. It’s a reflection on the cyclical nature of power, the interconnectedness of nations, and the way fortune can shift in an instant. It reminds us that even in times of upheaval and destruction, there are always individuals and nations vying for influence, playing their parts in the grand, ongoing drama of history.
And isn’t that something to ponder?