English: “He began to be a mighty one” — he began to incite the whole world to rebel against the Holy One, blessed be He, by his counsel.
In context: The name Nimrod is linked to the root of rebellion (mrd). He is portrayed as the first to organize collective defiance of Heaven, preparing the ground for the generation of the Dispersion.
Type of Learning
Custom (etymology and role of Nimrod as rebel).
What Is Learned
Nimrod’s “might” is the might of organized rebellion against God; he inaugurates the pattern later seen at the Tower.