More on Tadmor from Midrash and Rav Fish

Continued from the previous post

Sod1820 alerts us with some more information about the Tarmudim.

• Bereishit Rabba 56:19 [Tsel.org | Matenot Kehuna & Etz Yosef | Nezer Hakodesh]:

כי ברך אברכך וגו' ברכה לאב ברכה לבן והרבה ארבה רבות לאב רבות לבן ויירש זרעך את שער שונאיו רבי אומר זו תרמוד אשריו כל מי שהוא רואה במפלתה של תרמוד שהיתה שותפת בשני חרבנות רבי יודן ורבי חנינא חד מנהון אמר בחרבן בית ראשון העמידה פ' אלף קשתים [נ"א קשטים] ובחרבן בית שני העמידה ח' אלפים קשתים

[On the verse] "that in blessing I will bless thee..." - a blessing to the father [Avraham], a blessing to the son [Yitzhak].  "and in multiplying I will multiply..." - multiplying for the father [Avraham], multiplying for the son [Yitzhak].  "And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies" - Ribbi says that this refers to Tarmud, who cooperated in both destructions [of the 2 Batei Mikdash].  Ribbi Yudan and Ribbi Hanina [argue]: One of them says that in this Destruction of the 1st Beit Hamikdash, it set up 80,000 archers and in the Destruction of the 2nd Beit Hamikdash, it set up 8000 archers.   

• [The Yalkut's girsa is: One of them says that in this Destruction of the 1st Beit Hamikdash, it set up 80,000 archers and in the Destruction of the 2nd Beit Hamikdash, it set up 40,000 archers.  The other says that that in this Destruction of the 1st Beit Hamikdash, it set up 4000 archers and in the Destruction of the 2nd Beit Hamikdash, it set up 2000 archers.]
• [The gemara Yevamot 16b says that there were either 12,000 men + 6000 archers or 12,000 men including 6000 archers who, instead of looting the gold and silver from Yerushalayim, went after the Jewish women, and that is why one opinion holds that we do not accept converts from Tarmudim.]
• [Note, however, that the Nezer Hakodesh there wants to equate Tarmud with Tyre.]
• Eicha Rabbati, end of 2:5 [Tsel.org | Matenot Kehuna] and Yerushalmi Ta'anit end of 4:5:
  

  א"ר יוחנן אשרי מי שראה במפלתה של תרמוד למה שהיתה שותפת בשתי חורבנות ר' יודן אמר בחורבן ראשון העמידה שמונים אלף קשתין ובשני העמידה ארבעים אלף קשתין רבי הונא אמר בחורבן אחרון הם כראשון

  Ribbi Yohanan said: Fortunate is he who saw the downfall of Tarmud. Why? Because it cooperated in both destructions [of the 2 Batei Mikdash]. Ribbi Yudan said: In the Destruction of the 1st Beit Hamikdash, it set up 80,000 archers and in the Destruction of the 2nd Beit Hamikdash, it set up 40,000 archers. Ribbi Huna said that in the last Destruction, the [number is] like that of the first Destruction [i.e., 80,000]. 

• Sod1820 now quotes Rav Fish's newest:
• Tadmor is one of the few cities in eastern Syria that ISIS didn't capture until now (see updated map here) so it must have been especially difficult for them to capture it.
• Divrei Hayamim Bet 8:4:  וַיִּבֶן אֶת-תַּדְמֹר, בַּמִּדְבָּר  and Rashi there says that Tadmor is the same as what Hazal refer to as Tarmudim.  
• Rashi says:

   Melachim Alef 9:18 calls it "Tamar" as the Ketiv, but it's read "Tadmor".  And that's what we learned in Yevamot: "We do not accept converts from the Tarmudim.  And in Bereishit Rabba in the Parshat Ha'akeida, it explains because they helped Israel's enemies.  And since they were traitors and changed to evil at the end, this is why in Melachim, it says תמור - an expression of treason - since they should have done kindness to Israel since Shelomo built for them the city of Tadmor.

• He brings down Rav Menahem Mendel of Shklov's commentary on the Zohar [see image here] where he amazingly connects the downfall of Tadmor with תשע"ה and תשע"ו.  
• And he mentions Rut and Na'omi, who are connected to Shavu'ot, and Tadmor was captured right before Shavu'ot.
• Also, Tadmor is hinted to as Sofei Teivot in a verse Rav Menahem Mendel mentioned (Rut 4:17) וַתִּקְרֶאנָה לוֹ הַשְּׁכֵנוֹת שֵׁם לֵאמֹר, יֻלַּד-בֵּן לְנָעֳמִי
• Also, there are other hints to Tadmor from Sofei Teivot of verses that have to do with Redemption:
• Shemot 15:16: עַד-יַעֲבֹר עַם-זוּ קָנִיתָ
• Ovadia 1:20: וְגָלֻת הַחֵל-הַזֶּה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר-כְּנַעֲנִים, עַד-צָרְפַת, וְגָלֻת יְרוּשָׁלִַם, אֲשֶׁר בִּסְפָרַד--יִרְשׁוּ, אֵת עָרֵי הַנֶּגֶב
• Micha 7:20 תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב, חֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ, מִימֵי קֶדֶם
• And the second letter from Yirmiya 4:14: כַּבְּסִי מֵרָעָה לִבֵּךְ יְרוּשָׁלִַם, לְמַעַן תִּוָּשֵׁעִי: עַד-מָתַי תָּלִין בְּקִרְבֵּךְ, מַחְשְׁבוֹת אוֹנֵךְ
• And the first 4 letters of תושעי hints to תשע"ו.
• And we'll bring down Rav Glazerson's Torah code where we see the one and only code for "דמשק תפול" [Damascus will fall] and nearby, there is:
•  "דעאש", "כובש", "תדמר", המלחמה", "כ' סיון", "תשע"ה", "משיח"  [ISIS captures Tadmor.  The war Sivan 20, 5775.  Mashiah]
  
  
• The Shem Mishmuel (Miketz, Hanukka, Leil 4) explains that just like Shelomo Hamelech with his wisdom was able to temporarily rectify the Tarmudim and bring them from their terrible state into holiness, similarly, Hanukka oil, which represents wisdom, has the same power, which is why the gemara Shabbat 21b says you can light Hanukka candles עד דכליא רגלי דתרמודאי.  [Ronnie commented about this on the previous post.]
• The Imrei Emet (Hanukka) says "Fortunate is one who sees the downfall of Tadmor because it refers to the Yetzer Hara."
• The 3rd letter of this phrase from the first Mishna of Pesahim hints to the Yetzer Hara:  אור לארבעה עשר בודקין את החמץ לאור הנר
• The Bnei Yissaschar comments (and I'm being very brief) that the Tarmudim represent outer wisdom, which is why they cannot become Gerim.  This is why we light Ner Hanukka until the feet of the Tarmudim finish since the Hanukka light shines from inside toward outside.