Midrasch zu Bamidbar 22:6
וְעַתָּה֩ לְכָה־נָּ֨א אָֽרָה־לִּ֜י אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֗ה כִּֽי־עָצ֥וּם הוּא֙ מִמֶּ֔נִּי אוּלַ֤י אוּכַל֙ נַכֶּה־בּ֔וֹ וַאֲגָרְשֶׁ֖נּוּ מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י יָדַ֗עְתִּי אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־תְּבָרֵךְ֙ מְבֹרָ֔ךְ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּאֹ֖ר יוּאָֽר׃
Komme nun doch, verfluche mir dieses Volk, denn es ist mächtiger als ich; vielleicht vermag ich es dann zu schlagen, dass ich es vertreibe aus dem Lande; denn ich weiß, wen du segnest, der ist gesegnet, und wen du verfluchst, der ist verflucht.
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Numb. 22:6:) SO COME NOW PLEASE, CURSE (arah) <THIS PEOPLE> FOR ME. What is the meaning of CURSE ('RH) … FOR ME? Perhaps I shall be able to control them little by little, like someone who picks (rt.: 'RH) figs.
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Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Numb. 22:6, cont.:) FOR THEY ARE MIGHTIER THAN I. <It is> not that they are more valiant than I, nor <is it> that their forces are more numerous than mine. It is simply that they conquer through their mouth, <and this is> something that I cannot do.
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Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Numb. 23:7, cont.:) COME, PLEASE,65Na. The word is not found in the Masoretic Text. CURSE <JACOB> FOR ME. Whoever curses them (i.e., the children of Jacob) is cursing himself, since it is stated (in Gen. 12:3): AND THE ONE WHO CURSES YOU, I WILL CURSE. It also says (in Gen. 27:29): CURSED BE THOSE WHO CURSE YOU,66See above, Gen. 6:16. AND BLESSED BE THOSE WHO BLESS YOU.
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