These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begot Isaac (Gen. 25:19). It is written in Scripture: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their due reward from Me, saith the Lord (Isa. 54:17). You find that Israel cried unto the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, observe how the idolatrous nations persecute us, they do nothing but sit and conspire against us, as it is said: Behold Thou their sitting down and their rising up; I am their deliverer (Lam. 3:63). The Holy One, blessed be He, responded: To what avail are their conspiracies against you? I will void their decisions and destroy them, as it is said: I am their deliverer, and it is elsewhere written: Blessed be God the Most High, who delivered thine enemies into thine hands (Gen. 14:20).
And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying: “Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river” (Exod. 1:22). Thereupon, the Holy Spirit exclaimed: Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? (Lam. 3:37). Pharaoh decreed that the firstborn children should be cast into the river, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not ordain that. On the contrary, The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied, and the more they spread abroad (Exod. 1:12).
Haman wanted to destroy all the Jews, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not desire it, and therefore: Whereas it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews ruled over them that hated them (Est. 9:1). Balaam and Balak wanted to curse Israel, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not agree, as it is said: Nevertheless, the Lord thy God will not hearken unto Balaam (Deut. 23:6). Hence it is said: Who is he that saith, and it came to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? (Lam. 3:37). Hadrian said to R. Joshua: “Mighty is the lamb that can survive among seventy wolves.” And he replied: “Mighty is the shepherd who can save and protect the lamb, and destroy the wolves surrounding her.” Therefore, it is written: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper (Ps. 54:17).