Whoever Touches Israel Touches the Apple of God's Eye

"And in the greatness of Your majesty" and so on (Exodus 15:7). You greatly exalted Yourself against those who rose up against You. And who are they that rose up against You? Those who rose up against Your children. "You overthrow those who rise against us" is not said, but "You overthrow those who rise against You"; Scripture tells that whoever rises up against Israel is as one who rises up against Him who spoke and the world came to be. And so it says, "Forget not the voice of Your adversaries, the tumult of those who rise up against You ascends continually" (Psalms 74:23); "For behold, Your enemies are in an uproar" (Psalms 83:3), for what reason? "Against Your people they take crafty counsel and conspire against Your treasured ones"; "Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD," for what reason? "With perfect hatred I hate them; they have become my enemies." And so it says, "For he who touches you touches the apple of His eye" (Zechariah 2:12). Rabbi Yehuda says: it does not say "the apple of an eye" but "the apple of His eye"; as it were, Scripture speaks of what is above, but Scripture used a euphemism. Likewise you say, "and you say, Behold, what a weariness, and you have sniffed at it" (Malachi 1:13), but Scripture used a euphemism. Likewise, "for the iniquity which he knew, that his sons were blaspheming themselves" (1 Samuel 3:13), but Scripture used a euphemism. Likewise, "Are You not from of old, O LORD my God, my Holy One, we shall not die" (Habakkuk 1:12), but Scripture used a euphemism. And so with the other instances, Scripture used a euphemism. So too here you say, "for whoever touches you" and so on. And whoever helps Israel is as one who helps the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "Curse Meroz, said the angel of the LORD" and so on (Judges 5:23). You greatly exalted Yourself against those who rose up against You; and who are they that rose against You? Those who rose against Your beloved ones. And what was their nature? "against Chedorlaomer king of Elam" and so on (Genesis 14:9); "and he divided himself against them by night" (Genesis 14:15); "Who raised up one from the east... he gives his sword as dust... he pursues them and passes on safely" (Isaiah 41:2-3); and so it says, "The LORD said to my lord, Sit at My right hand... the LORD will send the rod of Your strength out of Zion... Your people will offer themselves freely in the day of Your power... the LORD has sworn and will not relent" (Psalms 110:1-4). You greatly exalted Yourself against those who rose up against You; and who are they? Those who rose against Your children: Pharaoh and all his host, as it is said, "and he took six hundred chariots," of whom it says, "the chariots of Pharaoh and his host." Sisera and all his chariots, as it is said, "and Sisera summoned all his chariots" (Judges 4:13), of whom it says, "from heaven they fought" and so on. Sennacherib and all his troops, as it is said, "By the hand of your servants you have reproached the LORD, and have said, with my many chariots I have come up... and I have dug and drunk water" (Isaiah 37:24-25), of whom it says, "And the LORD sent an angel who cut off every mighty warrior" and so on (2 Chronicles 32:21). Nebuchadnezzar and all his multitude, as it is said, "And you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven" and so on (Isaiah 14:13). Nebuchadnezzar said, I will make myself a small cloud and dwell within it, as it is said, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You wished to separate yourself from human beings; in the end human beings will be separated from you, as it is said, "at the end of twelve months... the king spoke and said... while the word was in the king's mouth... and they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field... in that very hour the thing was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar... all this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar" (Daniel 4:26-30). "Belshazzar the king made a great feast... he commanded, while he tasted the wine... they brought the vessels of gold... they drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver... in that hour the fingers of a hand came forth... then the king's countenance was changed in him" (Daniel 5:1-9). And so it says, "Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink... you are filled with shame instead of glory" (Habakkuk 2:15-16); "in that night Belshazzar was slain." "You overthrew those who rose against You" is not written here, but "You will overthrow those who rise against You" in the time to come, as it is said, "O God, break their teeth in their mouth" (Psalms 58:7), for what reason? "because they do not regard the works of the LORD" and so on (Psalms 28:5); "He will break them down" in this world "and not build them up" in the world to come. "You send forth Your wrath" is not written here, but "You will send forth Your wrath" in the time to come, as it is said, "Pour out Your indignation upon them" and so on (Psalms 69:25), and it says, "Pour out Your wrath upon the nations," for what reason? "because they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation" (Psalms 79:6-7), a peaceful habitation. "It consumes them like stubble," in the time to come, as it is said, "And the house of Jacob shall be a fire" (Obadiah 1:18), and it says, "In that day I will make the chiefs of Judah" and so on. All other wood, when it burns, its sound does not carry, but stubble, when it burns, its sound carries; so the sound of Egypt carried because of the punishment You brought upon them. All other wood, when it burns, has substance, but stubble, when it burns, has no substance, as it is said, "and he took six hundred chariots." I might think there was substance in them; Scripture teaches, "it consumes them like stubble": just as stubble when it burns has no substance, so they had no substance because of the punishment You brought upon them. And so it says, "they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinguished, quenched like a wick" (Isaiah 43:17). This teaches that Egypt's dominion was nothing of its own, but it took rule for a moment for the sake of the honor of Israel. And when Scripture compares the kingdoms, it compares them only to cedars, as it is said, "Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches," and it says, "Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars" (Amos 2:9), and it says, "The tree that you saw, which grew" (Daniel 4:17). But when it compares the Egyptians, it compares them only to stubble, as it is said, "it consumes them like stubble." When it compares the kingdoms, it compares them only to silver and gold, as it is said, "You are the head of gold" (Daniel 2:38); but when it compares Egypt, it compares it only to lead, as it is said, "they sank like lead." When it compares the kingdoms, it compares them only to beasts, as it is said, "and four great beasts" (Daniel 7:3); but when it compares the Egyptians, it compares them only to foxes, as it is said, "Catch us the foxes." Antoninus asked our Rabbi: I wish to go to Alexandria; perhaps one will arise against me and defeat me. He said to him: I do not know; in any case it is written for us that the land of Egypt is unable to raise up either ruler or prince, as it is said, "It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms, neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations" (Ezekiel 29:15).