According to the Tanach תנך ,
who is the worst and the greatest enemy
of Israel and of the Jews
outside of Amalek?
The Answer.
The Scripture is clear and unequivocal.
It is Babel בבל ; that is, Babylon.
So great is the enmity
of Babel בבל
against Israel ישראל ,
and so great is the destruction
that she has wrought upon the Jews,
that in Psalm 137:8-9 the Scripture
gives a blessing to those who
dash her children to pieces!
” O daughter of Babylon,
who are to be destroyed;
happy-blessed- shall he be,
who rewards you as
you have served us.
Happy-blessed- shall he be,
who takes and dashes
your little ones against the stones.”
בת בבל השדודה
אשרי שישלם לך
את גמולך שגמלת לנו:
אשרי שיאחז ונפץ
את עלליך אל הסלע:
Isaiah the prophet speaks specifically
about the pollutions, the heavy yoke,
and the unmerciful cruelty of Babel
to Israel in Isaiah 47:6.
“I was angry with my people,
I have polluted my inheritance,
and given them into your hand:
you did show them no mercy;
upon the ancient you have
very heavily laid your yoke.”
קצפתי על עמי
חללתי נחלתי
ואתנם בידך
לא שמת להם רחמים
על זקן הכבדת עלך מעד:
Then Isaiah prophesies that
the Messiah משיח shall fight
against Babel בבל Babylon.
Isaiah 48:12,14.
“Listen to me, O Jacob,
and Israel, my called;
I am he;
I am the first,
I also am the last.
The LORD has loved him (Israel):
he will do his pleasure on Babylon,
and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.”
שמע אלי יעקוב
וישראל מקוראי
אני הוא
אני ראשון
אף אני אחרון:
יהוה אהבו
יעשה חפצו בבבל
וזרעו כשדים:
The prophet Jeremiah
is even more emphatic
about the violence of Babylon
upon Israel and all Jews,
and says in Jeremiah 51:35:
“The violence done to me and my flesh
be upon Babylon,
shall the inhabitant of Zion say;
and my blood
upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,
shall Jerusalem say.”
חמסי ושארי על בבל
תאמר ישבת ציון
ודמי אל ישבי כשדים
תאמר ירושלם:
And again in Jeremiah 51:49:
“As Babylon has caused
the slain of Israel to fall,
so at Babylon shall fall the slain
of all the earth.”
גם בבל לנפול
חללי ישראל
גם לבבל נפלו
חללי כל הארץ:
Babylon, through the wine
of her fornication has made
all the nations of the earth
crazy with rage against Israel.
Not only has she polluted Israel,
but she has polluted
all the nations of the earth.
Jeremiah 51:7.
“Babylon has been a golden cup
in the HASHEM’s hand,
that made all the earth drunken:
the nations have drunk of her wine:
therefore the nations are mad.”
כוס זהב בבל ביד יהוה
משכרת כל הארץ מיינה
שתו גוים
על כן יתהללו גוים:
But the Scripture says
though Babel exalts herself to heaven,
the LORD will certainly judge her.
Jeremiah 51:53.
“Though Babylon should
mount up to heaven,
and though she should fortify
the height of her strength,
yet from me shall spoilers
come to her,
says the LORD.”
כי תעלה בבל השמים
וכי תבצר מרום עזה
מאתי יבאו שדדים לה
נאם יהוה:
Jeremiah prophesies that
the LORD will certainly
take vengeance upon Babel
for all she has done
to Zion and to Israel.
Jeremiah 50:28-29.
“The voice of them that flee
and escape out of the land of Babylon,
to declare in Zion
the vengeance of the LORD our G-d,
the vengeance of his temple.
Recompense her according
to her work;
according to all she has done,
do to her:
for she has been proud
against the LORD,
against the Holy One of Israel.”
קול נסים ופלטים
מארץ בבל
להגיד בציון
את נקמת יהוה אלהינו
נקמת היכלו:
שלמו לה כפעלה
ככל אשר עשתה
עשו לה
כי אל יהוה זדה
אל קדוש ישראל: