<b>These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begot Isaac (Gen. 25:19).</b> It is written in Scripture: <i>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</i> (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: <i>Behold Thou their sitting down and their rising up; I am their deliverer</i> (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>I am their deliverer</i>, and it is elsewhere written: <i>Blessed be God the Most High, who delivered thine enemies into thine hands</i> (Gen. 14:20).

<i>And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying: “Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river”</i> (Exod. 1:22). Thereupon, the Holy Spirit exclaimed: <i>Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?</i> (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, <i>The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied, and the more they spread abroad</i> (Exod. 1:12).

Haman wanted to destroy all the Jews, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not desire it, and therefore: <i>Whereas it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews ruled over them that hated them</i> (Est. 9:1). Balaam and Balak wanted to curse Israel, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not agree, as it is said: <i>Nevertheless, the Lord thy God will not hearken unto Balaam</i> (Deut. 23:6). Hence it is said: <i>Who is he that saith, and it came to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?</i> (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: <i>No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper</i> (Ps. 54:17).