Rabbi Yitzchak opened: "The LORD is my portion, says my soul; therefore I will hope in Him" (Lamentations 3:24). Rabbi Yitzchak said: To what may the matter be compared? To a king who entered a province, and there entered with him dukes, governors, and generals. There were some of the people of the province who chose for themselves a duke to be appointed over them, and there were some of them who chose for themselves a governor, and there were some of them who chose for themselves a general. One who was clever said: I will choose none but the king. Why? Because all of these are replaceable, but the king is not replaceable. So too, when the Holy One, blessed be He, came down upon Sinai, there came down with Him companies upon companies of angels: Michael and his company, Gabriel and his company. There were some of the nations of the world who chose for themselves Michael, and there were some of them who chose for themselves Gabriel; but Israel chose for themselves the Holy One, blessed be He. They said, "The LORD is my portion, says my soul." This is, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4).
The Seventy Nations And The Land Of Israel
Devarim Rabbah 2:34
רַבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח: חֶלְקִי ה' אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי עַל כֵּן אוֹחִיל לוֹ, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁנִּכְנַס לִמְדִינָה וְנִכְנְסוּ עִמּוֹ דֻּכָּסִין וְאִפַּרְכִין וְאִסְטְרַטְלִיטִין, יֵשׁ מִבְּנֵי הַמְדִינָה שֶׁבָּרְרוּ דֻּכּוֹס שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מִתְקַיֵּם עֲלֵיהֶם, וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶן שֶׁבָּרְרוּ לָהֶן אִפַּרְכּוּס, וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶן שֶׁבָּרְרוּ לָהֶן אִסְטְרַטְלִיטִין, אָמַר אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה פִּקֵּחַ אֵינִי בּוֹרֵר אֶלָּא הַמֶּלֶךְ, לָמָּה, שֶׁכֻּלָּן מִתְחַלְּפִין וְהַמֶּלֶךְ אֵין מִתְחַלֵּף. כָּךְ כְּשֶׁיָּרַד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְסִינַי יָרְדוּ עִמּוֹ חֲבוּרוֹת חֲבוּרוֹת שֶׁל מַלְאָכִים, מִיכָאֵל וַחֲבוּרָתוֹ, גַּבְרִיאֵל וַחֲבוּרָתוֹ. יֵשׁ מֵאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁבָּרְרוּ לָהֶן מִיכָאֵל, וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶן שֶׁבָּרְרוּ לָהֶן גַּבְרִיאֵל, אֲבָל יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּרְרוּ לָהֶן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אָמְרוּ חֶלְקִי ה' אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי, הֲרֵי שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה' אֶחָד.