(Genesis 26:28-29) "And they said: We have indeed seen that the LORD has been with you... and we said: Let there now be an oath between us... that you will do us no harm." The word "only" [in their speech] teaches that they did not deal with him in complete goodness, but only in part. In the days of Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, the [Roman] empire decreed that the Temple should be rebuilt. Pappus and Lulianus set up money-tables from Acco to Antioch and supplied the needs of those coming up from the exile. The Cutheans [Samaritans] went and said to the emperor: "Let it be known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls completed, they will pay no tribute, no toll, and no land-tax." "Tribute" is the king's portion; "toll" is the poll-money; "land-tax" is the corvee. He said to them: "But what shall I do, for I have already decreed [that it be built]?" They said to him: "Send and tell them either to move it from its place, or to add five cubits to it, or to subtract five cubits from it, and of their own accord they will withdraw from the project." The congregations were gathered in the valley of Beth Rimmon. When the [new] letters arrived they began to weep, and they wanted to rebel against the empire. They said: "Let a wise man go up and persuade the people." They said: "Let Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah go up, for he is a master of the Torah." He went up and expounded: A lion was tearing its prey, and a bone stuck in its throat. It said: "Whoever comes and removes it, I will give him his reward." An Egyptian heron, whose beak is long, came, put in its head, and drew it out. It said to the lion: "Give me my reward." The lion answered: "Go and boast that you entered a lion's mouth in peace and came out in peace, and there is no greater reward for you than this." So too for us: it is enough that we entered under this nation in peace and came out in peace. (Genesis 26:32) "And the servants of Isaac came and told him." We do not know whether they had found [water] or not, but from what is written (above, verse 20) "And they found there a well of living water," you learn that they indeed found living water.
Abimelech's Half-Hearted Peace and Rabbi Joshua's Lion Parable
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 111:15
(בראשית כו כח-כט) וַיֹּאמְרוּ רָאוֹ רָאִינוּ, מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּמַעֲשֵׂה אֲבוֹתֶיךָ. אִם תַּעֲשֵׂה עִמָּנוּ רָעָה וְגוֹ' רַק מִעוּט, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ עִמּוֹ טוֹבָה שְׁלֵמָה. בִּימֵי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה, גָּזְרָה מַלְכוּת שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הוֹשִׁיבוּ פָּפּוּס וְלוּלִיאַנוּס טַרְפִּיזִין מֵעַכּוֹ לַאֲנְטוֹכְיָא. וְהָיוּ מַסְפִּיקִין לְעוֹלֵי גּוֹלָה אַזְלִין אִלֵּין כּוּתָאֵי וְאַמְרִין לֵיהּ "יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵי לְמַלְכָּא דְהַךְ קַרְתָּא דְתִּתְבְנֵי וְשׁוּרַיָא יִשְׁתַּכְלְלוּן מִנְדָּה בְלוֹ וַהֲלָךְ לָא יִתְּנוּן" "מִנְדָה" זוֹ מְנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ "בְלוֹ" פְּרִיגוּרִין "וַהֲלָךְ" זֶה אַנְגְרוּטוּג אָמַר לוֹן וּמַה נַעֲבִיד וּגְזָרִית אַמְרִין לֵיה, שְׁלַח וְאֶמוֹר לְהוֹן אוֹ יַשְׁנִינֶיה מִן אַתְרֵיה, אוֹ יוֹסִיפוּן עַלֵיה חָמֵשׁ אַמִין, אוֹ יִבְצְרוּן מִינֵיה חָמֵשׁ אַמִין. וּמִן גַרְמֵיה אִינוּן חַזְרִין בְּהוֹן הַווּ קְהָלַיָא זֶה מְצַמְתִין בַּהֲּדָא בִּקְעֲתָא דְבֵית רִמּוֹן כֵּיוָן דְּאַתְיָן כְּתָבַיָא שָׁרוּן בַּכְיָן בָּעוּן מִימְרַד עַל מַלְכוּתָא אַמְרִין יֵעוּל בַּר נָשׁ חַכִּים וִישַׁדֵל צִבּוּרָא אַמְרִין יֵעוּל רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה, דְּהוּא אַסְקֶלוּסְתִּיקָא דְּאוֹרַיְתָא עָאל וְדָרַשׁ אֲרִי טֹרֵף וְיָשַׁב לוֹ עֶצֶם בִּגְרוֹנוֹ, אָמַר כָּל דְּאָתֵי וּמַפִּיק אֲנָא יָהִיב לֵיהּ אַגְרֵיה אָתָא הֲדֵּין קוֹרֵא מִצְרָאָה דְמוֹקְרֵיה אָרִיךְ וְיָהַב קוּעֵיה וְאַפְקֵיה אָמַר לֵיה הַב לִי אַגְרִי אָמַר לֵיה תְּהִי מְגַלְגְלָא וְאַמְרְת דְעָלַת בְּפוּמָא דַאֲרִי בִּשְׁלָם וְנַפְקַת בִּשְׁלָם וְאֵין לְךָ שָׂכָר גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה. כָּךְ דִּינוּ שֶׁנִּכְנַסְנוּ לְאוּמָה זוֹ בְּשָׁלוֹם וְיָצָאנוּ בְּשָׁלוֹם. (בראשית כו לב) וַיָּבֹאוּ עַבְדֵי יִצְחָק וַיַּגִּדוּ לוֹ אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִים אִם מָצְאוּ אִם לָאו מִמָּה דִּכְתִיב (לעיל פסוק כ) וַיִּמְצְאוּ שָׁם בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים, הֶוֵי שֶׁמָּצְאוּ מַיִם חַיִּים.