R. Tanhum said: ‘Every nation has its own representative above, and when God elevates one He degrades another, and when He gives power to this one it is only on account of Israel, as it says: “Her adversaries have become chiefs” (Lam. 1, 5).’
R. Isaac said: ‘Israel singly is equivalent to all the other nations together; as seventy is the number of the nations, so seventy was the number of the children of Israel when they came into Egypt, and whoever rules over Israel rules over the whole world.’
R. Huna said: ‘Why is Israel subjected to all nations? In order that the world may be preserved through them, since they are on a par with the whole world. As God is One, so is Israel one, as it says: “And who is like thy people, one people on earth?” (2 Sam. 95, 23). And as His name is one and yet has seventy ramifications, so is Israel one, and yet divided into seventy.’
רִבִּי תַּנְחוּם אָמַר, כָּל אוּמָה וְאוּמָה אִית לָהּ שַׂר לְעֵילָּא, וְכַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא לְדֵין, אַנְחִית לְדֵין, וְכַד יָהִיב שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא לְהַהוּא שַׂר, לֵית לֵיהּ שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא, אֶלָּא בְּגִין יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איכה א׳:ה׳) הָיוּ צָרֶיהָ לְרֹאשׁ.
R. Tanhum said: ‘Every nation has its own representative above, and when God elevates one He degrades another, and when He gives power to this one it is only on account of Israel, as it says: “Her adversaries have become chiefs” (Lam. 1, 5).’
רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, יִשְׂרָאֵל אִינּוּן לָקֳבֵיל כָּל שְׁאַר אוּמִין דְּעָלְמָא, מַה שְׁאַר עַמִּין אִינּוּן שִׁבְעִים, אוּף יִשְׂרָאֵל אִינּוּן שִׁבְעִים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית מ״ו:כ״ז) כָּל הַנֶּפֶשׁ לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב הַבָּאָה מִצְרַיְמָה שִׁבְעִים. וּמַאן דְּשָׁלִיט עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּאִילּוּ שָׁלִיט עַל כָּל עָלְמָא.
R. Isaac said: ‘Israel singly is equivalent to all the other nations together; as seventy is the number of the nations, so seventy was the number of the children of Israel when they came into Egypt, and whoever rules over Israel rules over the whole world.’
רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר מֵהָכָא, וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּרוּ וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ וְגוֹ', הָא שִׁבְעָה. וְכָל דַּרְגָּא (נ"א סלקא) לַעֲשָׂרָה, הָא שִׁבְעִים. מַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ, וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ עַל מִצְרָיִם.
אָמַר רַב הוּנָא, אֲמַאי אִשְׁתַּעֲבִידוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל הָאוּמִין, בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתְּאַר בְּהוֹן עָלְמָא, דְּאִינּוּן לָקֳבֵיל כָּל עָלְמָא, וּכְתִיב, (זכריה י״ד:ט׳) בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה ה' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד. וּמַה הוּא חַד, אוּף יִשְׂרָאֵל חַד, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמואל ב ז׳:כ״ג) גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ. מַה שְּׁמֵיהּ חַד, וּנִתְפְּרַשׁ בְּע', אוּף יִשְׂרָאֵל חַד, וּנִתְפְּרַשׁ בְּשִׁבְעִין.
R. Huna said: ‘Why is Israel subjected to all nations? In order that the world may be preserved through them, since they are on a par with the whole world. As God is One, so is Israel one, as it says: “And who is like thy people, one people on earth?” (2 Sam. 95, 23). And as His name is one and yet has seventy ramifications, so is Israel one, and yet divided into seventy.’