They Illuminated the Eyes and Hearts of Yisrael

And the earth was unformed and void, and “darkness” (Bereishis 1:2)—this refers to the Greek exile, which darkened the eyes (and some versions add the hearts) of Yisrael with their decrees...” (Bereishis Rabbah 2:4)

In a single word, the Midrash defines the Greek exile and the essence of the decrees of the wicked Greek kingdom as “darkness.” They intended to darken the eyes and hearts of Yisrael, chas veshalom. Similarly, Rashi comments at the beginning of Parashas Vayechi (Bereishis 47:28): “When Yaakov our forefather passed away, the eyes and hearts of Yisrael were closed due to the distress of the