285. Rabbi Tanchum said, Every nation has a minister above and when the Holy One, blessed be He, gives dominion to one, He humbles another. When He gave dominion to that Minister OF EGYPT, he had that dominion only because of Yisrael. This is the meaning of, "Her adversaries have become the chief" (Eichah 1:5).

286. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Yisrael corresponds to all the other nations of the world. As all the other nations are seventy, Yisrael is also seventy. It is written, "All the souls of the House of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy" (Beresheet 46:27). And it is as if he who rules over Yisrael, rules over the whole world.

287. Rabbi Aba said, From here IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT YISRAEL IS SEVENTY, AS IS WRITTEN, "And the children of Yisrael were fruitful, and increased abundantly and multiplied and became exceedingly mighty" (Shemot 1:7). We have here seven LEVELS, and every level INCLUDES ten; thus, there are seventy. What is written after this? "Now there arose a new king over Egypt" (Ibid. 8). BY REASON OF HIS DOMINION OVER YISRAEL, THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE SEVENTY NATIONS, HE WAS CONSIDERED AS A NEW KING.

288. Rabbi Huna said, Why were the children of Yisrael enslaved among all the nations? It was in order that the world should be elevated through them. For they correspond to the whole world. And it is written, "On that day Hashem shall be One and His Name One" (Zecharyah 14:9). As THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, is One, so is Yisrael one, as it is written, "One nation in the earth" (II Shmuel 7:23). As the name OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, is One and is explained in seventy NAMES, Yisrael is also one and interpreted by seventy.