Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 766:5
(במדבר כג ט-י)
כִּי מֵרֹאשׁ צֻ(וּ)רִים אֶרְאֶנּוּ, לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ שִׂנְאָתוֹ שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע,
שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ בִּרְכוֹתָיו אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ מַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו. לְמָה הוּא דּוֹמֶה, לְאָדָם
שֶׁבָּא לָקוּץ אֶת הָאִילָן, מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ בָקִי קוֹצֵץ אֶת הָעֲנָפִים כָּל עָנָף
וְעָנָף וּמִתְיַגֵּעַ, וְהַפִּקֵּחַ מְגַלֶּה אֶת הַשָּׁרָשִׁים וְקוֹצֵץ. כָּךְ אָמַר
אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע מָה אֲנִי מְקַלֵּל כָּל שֵׁבֶט וָשֵׁבֶט, הֲרֵי אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ לְשָׁרְשֵׁיהֶם
וְקוֹצֵץ, בָא לִגַּע וּמְצָאָן קָשִׁים, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "כִּי מֵראֹשׁ צֻ(וּ)רִים",
[דָּבָר אַחֵר "כִּי מֵרֹאשׁ צֻ(וּ)רִים"]. אֵלּוּ הָאָבוֹת. וּמִגְּבָעוֹת
אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ, אֵלּוּ הָאִמָּהוֹת. הֶן עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכֹּן, כְּשֶׁהוּא מְשַׂמְּחָן
אֵין אֻמָּה שְׂמֵחָה עִמָּהֶן אֶלָּא הַכֹּל לוֹקִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לב, יב)
"ה' בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ", וּכְשֶׁהָאֻמּוֹת שְׂמֵחִין בָּעוֹלָם הֵן אוֹכְלִין
עִם כָּל מַלְכוּת וּמַלְכוּת וְאֵין עוֹלֶה לָהֶם מִן הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר
"וּבַגּוֹיִם לֹא יִתְחַשָּׁב". דָּבָר אַחֵר "כִּי מֵרֹאשׁ צֻ(וּ)רִים
אֶרְאֶנּוּ", אֲנִי רוֹאֶה אוֹתָם שֶׁקָּדְמוּ לִבְרֵאשִׁית, בְּרִיָּתוֹ שֶׁל
עוֹלָם. מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה מְבַקֵּשׁ לִבְנוֹת. הָיָה חוֹפֵר וְיוֹרֵד וּמְבַקֵּשׁ
לִתֵּן תְּמַלְיוּם וְהָיָה מוֹצֵא בִצִּים שֶׁל מַיִם וְכֵן בִּמְקוֹמוֹת הַרְבֵּה
לֹא עָשָׂה אֶלָּא חָפַר, בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד הָיָה מוֹצֵא לְמַטָּה פֶּטְרָא, אָמַר כָּאן
אֲנִי בוֹנֶה וְנָתַן תְּמַלְיוּם וּבָנָה. כָּךְ, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָיָה
מְבַקֵּשׁ לִבְראוֹת הָעוֹלָם וְהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וּמִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּדוֹר אֱנוֹשׁ, בְּדוֹר
הַמַּבּוּל. אָמַר הֵיאַךְ אֲנִי בוֹרֵא אֶת הָעוֹלָם וּרְשָׁעִים אֵלּוּ עוֹמְדִין
וּמַכְעִיסִין אוֹתִי. כֵּיוָן שֶׁצָּפָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְאַבְרָהָם שֶׁעָתִיד
לַעֲמֹד אָמַר הֲרֵי מָצָאתִי פֶּטְרָא לִבְנוֹת
עָלֶיהָ וּלְיַסֵּד אֶת הָעוֹלָם, לְכָךְ קָרָא לְאַבְרָהָם צוּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר
"הַבִּיטוּ אֶל צוּר חֻצַּבְתֶּם", וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל קָרָא צֻ(וּ)רִים. וְכֵן
הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים עד, ב) "זְכֹר עֲדָתְךָ קָנִיתָ קֶּדֶם". מַחֲשַׁבְתָּן
שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל קָדְמָה לַכֹּל. מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לוֹ בֵן, וְרָאָה בְּאַסְטְרוֹלוֹגִין
שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לְהוֹלִיד בֵּן. אָמַר תְּנוּ מַלְמָרִין וְקַלְמָרִין לִבְנִי וְכוּ'.
וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (בראשית א, א) "בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים", וְאֵין
רֵאשִׁית אֶלָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַה' רֵאשִׁית תְּבוֹאָתֹה".
אֲמַר לֵיהּ הַהוּא אֶפִּיקוֹרוֹס לְרַבִּי אֲבִינָא כְּתִיב (דהי"א יז, כא)
"מִי כְּעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹי אֶחָד", מַאי רְבוּתַיְהוּ, אַתּוּן נַמִּי
עַרְבִיתוּ בַּהֲדָן, דִּכְתִיב (ישעיה מ, יז) "כָּל הַגּוֹיִם כְּאַיִן נֶגְדּוֹ".
אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִדִּידְכוּ אַסְהִידוּ עֲלָן וּבַגּוֹיִם לֹא יִתְחַשָּׁב. (source)
(Numbers 23:9–10) “For from the top of the rocks I see him…” This is to
make known the hatred of that wicked man, for from within his blessings you can
know his intentions. To what is he compared? To a man who comes to prune a
tree: one who is not expert cuts off the branches, branch by branch, and tires
himself out; but the shrewd man exposes the roots and cuts there. So that
wicked man said: “Why should I curse each tribe separately? I will go to their
roots and cut them off.” When he came to touch them, he found them hard.
Therefore it says, “For from the top of the rocks…”
Another interpretation: “For from the top of the rocks
I see him” — these are the patriarchs. “And from the hills I behold him” —
these are the matriarchs. “Behold, it is a people that dwells alone” — when He
gives them joy, no nation shares that joy with them; rather, all others are
struck down, as it is said, “The LORD alone led him.” And when the nations are
at peace in the world, they consume along with every kingdom and kingdom, and
it does not count toward them, as it says, “And among the nations it is not
reckoned.”
Another interpretation: “For from the top of the rocks
I see him” — I see them as having preceded the beginning of creation. A
parable: a king wanted to build. He was digging downward and wanted to lay
foundations, but he found pools of water; and in many places he did nothing but
dig. In one place he found solid rock beneath. He said, “Here I will build,”
laid the foundation, and built. So too, the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to
create the world, but sat and contemplated the generation of Enosh and the
generation of the Flood. He said: How can I create the world while these wicked
people stand and provoke Me? But when the Holy One, blessed be He, looked ahead
to Abraham, who was destined to arise, He said: Here I have found a rock on
which to build and from which to establish the world. Therefore He called
Abraham a rock, as it is said, “Look to the rock from which you were hewn,” and
He called Israel rocks as well. And thus it says (Psalm 74:2), “Remember Your
congregation, which You purchased of old.” The thought of Israel preceded
everything.
A parable: a king had no son, and he saw in astrology
that he was destined to father a son. He said, “Prepare a governor and a
prefect for my son,” and so on. And thus it says, “In the beginning God
created” — and “beginning” refers only to Israel, as it is said, “Israel is
holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His produce.”
That apostate said to Rabbi Avina: It is written, “Who
is like Your people Israel, one nation” — what is so great about you? You too
are mixed in with us, as it is written, “All the nations are as nothing before
Him.” He said to him: Your own [scripture] bears witness concerning us: “And
among the nations it is not reckoned.”
