ד"א ויהי בימי אמרפל. זש"ה בן צרינו ננגח (תהלים מד ו), בך בתורתך, [אמר ר' יצחק] בך בגימטריא ב' שנים, כ' עשרים, הרי עשרים ושנים, בעשרים ושתים אותיות שבתורה, (ובשמך תרים קרננו) [בשמך נבוס קמינו], אמר אברהם לפני הקב"ה רבונו של עולם אילולי ששיתפתה כבודך עמי ועזרתני, מה אדם אחד יכול לעשות כנגד תשעה מלכים וחיילותיהן, אלא על ידי שעזרתני נפלו בידי, מה כתיב ויחלק עליהם לילה (בראשית יד טו), רבנין אמרין הלילה נחלק מאליו, (אמר) ר' בנימין בן יפת בשם ר' יוחנן [אמר] הקב"ה שהוא יודע עתותיו ורגעיו הוא חלקו, אמר לו הקב"ה אתה עשית עמי מאמש עד חצי הלילה, והרגת בשונאי, חייך אני עושה עם בניך מחצות עד הבקר והורג בשונאיהם, שנאמר ויהי בחצי הלילה (שמות יב כט), לכן נאמר ויהי בימי אמרפל. Another interpretation (of Gen. 14:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS IN THE DAYS OF AMRAPHEL. This text is related (to Ps. 44:6 [5]): THROUGH YOU SHALL WE PUSH DOWN OUR ADVERSARIES. THROUGH YOU means "through your Law." [R. Isaac said:] THROUGH YOU (BK) < is to be interpreted > by gematria:56Gk.: geometria or grammateis. B = two; K = twenty. Ergo: twenty-two. < Thus, THROUGH YOU means > "through the twenty-two letters which are in the Law. (Ps. 44:6 [5], cont.:) {IN YOUR NAME SHALL YOU RAISE UP OUR BRIGHTNESS.} [AND IN YOUR NAME WE SHALL TRAMPLE DOWN THOSE WHO ARISE AGAINST US.] Abraham said: Sovereign of the World, If you had not united your glory with me and helped me, what could < I as > a single person have done against nine kings (of Gen. 14:9) and their forces? However, because you helped me they fell at my hand. What is written (in Gen. 14:15)? AND THE NIGHT WAS DIVIDED AGAINST THEM.57Cf. Gen. R. 43:3; PRK 7:5. Masters say: The night divided of its own accord. R. Benjamin ben Jafeth said in the name of R. Johanan: The Holy One, the one who knows his moments and his instants, he divided it.58The words used here for “moment” and “instant” are ‘et and rega‘ respectively. Although these words are generally used quite loosely, they can have more exact meanings. See TBer. 1:3 (Zuckermandel ed.): AN ‘ONAH IS ONE TWENTY-FOURTH OF AN HOUR, AN ‘ET IS ONE TWENTY-FOURTH OF AN ‘ONAH, AND A REGA’ IS ONE TWENTY-FOURTH OF AN ‘ET. R. Benjamin’s point is that only the Holy One knew enough about exact time measurements to divide the night accurately. See Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Pisha 13. The Holy One said: You have worked with me from yesterday evening until midnight and killed my enemies. By your life, I am working with your children from midnight until the morning and killing their enemies. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 12:29): AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. Therefore it is stated (in Gen. 14:1, 15): NOW IT CAME TO PASS IN THE DAYS OF AMRAPHEL … < AND THE NIGHT WAS DIVIDED AGAINST THEM >.