Midrashim: The Enemies of Israel and Judah Hate the Almighty! (13 March 2016, 3 Adar-B, 5776)
Midrash Raba, Shemot, Pekudi, 51;5:
Extract:
David said, Master of the Universe, Do you not realize that if they [the enemies of Israel] were able to cut down pine trees, make ladders, and ascend to heaven [to war against You] they would do so?
.... Since they cannot do that, they leave YOU alone and attack us, as it says "They intended evil against You, And devised a plot. They will not succeed" (Psalm 21:11).
They then come against us, "O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance" (Psalms 79:1).
And what is all this about?
Since we have been made a surety for HIM, as it says,
"These are the commandments for the Guarantee, the Surety of the Testimony"
[Translated in English as,
"This is the number of the things for the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Testimony"] (Exodus 38:21).
[The word for "Tabernacle" has a double connotation indicating "guarantee, surety, pawn, mortgage"].
Said Rabbi Chaya Bar Abba, "To what may the pagans be compared?'
"To a man who hated the king and wished to have his way with him but could not do so.
What did he do?
He went to his edifice, took a bronze tool and dug up the ground round about. He said, by digging up the foundations I shall cause the statue to fall.
So too the Pagans are coming and wishing to challenge the Almighty. When they find they cannot do so they turn against Israel.
This is what David said,
"The kings of the earth take their stand, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed" (Psalm 2:2).
When they do not succeed in this, what do they do?
They come against Israel, as it says in the next verse,
'Let us tear their fetters apart, And cast away their cords from us!' (Psalm 2:3),
and uproot them from the earth.....
cf.
Sifri (Midrash):
"And it came to pass, when the ark went forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let Your enemies be scattered; and let them that hate You flee before You," Numbers 10:35.
# Who are his enemies? These are the enemies of Israel. Whoever hates Israel hates He who spoke and created the world. #Who ever touches you touches the apple of HIS eye? (Zechariah 2:8).
[This verse is actually understandable as meaning touching His eye, i.e. the eye of God.]