Midrasch zu Bamidbar 26:46

They [the Israelites]--the entire congregation--came to the wilderness of Tzin in the first month, and the nation settled there, and Miriam died there and was buried there, and therre was not water for the congregation, and they gathered against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 20:1-2). When the well disappeared, it was Year 40, and it was the first of the month of Nissan, there in the episode when Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the King of Edom (ibid. 20:14), and Israel made [themselves] there for 3 months. Aaron the Priest went up etc., and Aaron was 123 years old when he died at the hill of the mountain (ibid. 33). When Aaron died, the clouds of glory disappeared, and the Canaanites came to make war against Israel. The Canaanites, King of Arad, heard etc. (ibid. 33:40), but what hearing did he hear? He heard that Aaron died, and he the greatest scout traveled among them, and the cloud of glory disappeared, for he had fought for them, and he came to fight with them, and they retreated seven stations and camped at Moserah, for it says "The Israelites traveled from Be'erot Beney Ya'akan towards Moserah; there Aaron died" (Deuteronomy 10:6). Did Aaron die in Moserah? Lo, did he not die at the hill of the mountain? Rather, starting from the location where Aaron died, they retreated seven stations, until they encamped at Moserah, and, from there they traveled towards HaGidgad, etc. (ibid. 10:7), and, from there, towards Be'er etc. (Numbers 21:16), which is the well to which they returned. The Israelites traveled and encamped in Avot, and they traveled from Avot and encamped in Iyyey Ha'avarim etc., and from there they traveled and encamped at the Wadi Zered, and from there they traveled and encamped beyond Arnon etc. (ibid.). There they fought with Sihon, and Israel struck him with the sword etc., and they turned and arose on the path of Bashan etc., "and the Lord said to Moses: 'Do not fear him etc.' and they struck him and his children etc." (ibid.). "The Israelites traveled and encamped at Arvot Mo'av etc." (ibid. 22:1). "It was after the plague etc." (ibid. 26:19), "for these the land shall be divided etc." (ibid. 26:53), and, when staying in Arvot Mo'av, the children retreated to their parents, and their parents retracted and gave inheritance to their children. Serah bat Asher was among those who came to Egypt and those who left it. [She was] from those who came to Egypt, as it is written, "And Serah their sister" (Genesis 46:17), and [she was] from those who came to the Land [of Israel], as it says, "And there was the daughter of Asher, Serah" (Numbers 26:46). And Yokheved was among those who came to Egypt and those who left it. [She was] from those who came to Egypt, as it is written, "And the name of the wife of Amram was Yokheved, daughter of Levi etc." (ibid. 26:59). Ya'ir son of Menasheh and Makhir son of Menasheh were born in the lifetime of our ancestor Jacob, and they died after the death of Moses our teacher, and Novach was among those born in Egypt, and he died after the death of Moses our teacher, and he was buried beyond the Jordan, but there was no man among them left etc. (ibid. 26:65).

Another interpretation (of Gen. 18:25): FAR BE IT FROM YOU! Abraham said: Sovereign of the World, I see through the Holy Spirit that a certain woman is going to deliver an entire town.⁴⁶See Gen. R. 94:9; Eccl.. R. 9:18:2; M. Sam. 32. So am I not worthy to deliver these five cities? Which woman was that? That was Serah bat Asher, in the time that Sheba ben Bichri rebelled against David and came to Abel, as stated (in II Sam. 20:15): [THEN THEY CAME AND BESIEGED HIM IN ABEL] … AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH JOAB WERE DESTROYING THE WALL TO THROW IT DOWN. When Serah perceived the situation, she began to cry out < for Joab >. They called Joab to her. When Joab came, she said (in vs. 17): ARE YOU JOAB? AND HE SAID: YES. You are a sage, since the Scripture praises you (in II Sam. 23:8) as ONE WHO SITS IN THE SEAT OF WISDOM (i.e., in the academy)…. ⁴⁷These words are commonly understood as the proper name, JOSHEB-BASSHEBETH, A TAHCHEMONITE; but this midrash, along with Numb. R. 23:13 and PR 11:3, understands the passage as translated here. The attribution of the verse to Joab, the head of David’s army, is assumed because the person depicted here comes first in a listing of David’s mighty men and is identified as the chief of David’s captains. Moreover, although the listing contains no specific mention of Joab, it does contain the names of Joab’s brothers (in vss. 18 & 24) and even his armor bearer (in vs. 37). Have you not read in the Torah (in Deut. 20:10): WHEN YOU DRAW NEAR UNTO A CITY < TO FIGHT AGAINST IT, YOU SHALL OFFER TERMS OF PEACE UNTO IT > ? Thus, was it not up to you to do so? (II Sam. 20:18:) {YOU} [THEY] USED TO SPEAK IN EARLY TIMES, SAYING: LET THEM SURELY ASK IN ABEL. (Deut. 20:10f.:) YOU SHALL OFFER TERMS OF PEACE UNTO IT (a hostile city). < THEN IT SHALL BE, IF IT MAKES YOU AN ANSWER OF PEACE >…. (II Sam. 20:18f.:) < LET THEM SURELY ASK > IN ABEL; AND THAT WAS THE END OF THE MATTER…. SO WHY WOULD YOU DEVOUR THE LORD'S HERITAGE? When he heard that, Joab became afraid and said: There is a requirement here, as stated (in vs. 20): {THEN JOAB SAID:} [THEN JOAB ANSWERED AND SAID: FAR BE IT], FAR BE IT⁴⁸Note that these words return the argument to Gen. 18:25, in which the same expression also occurs. FROM ME < THAT I SHOULD DEVOUR >…. But you, since you are a merciful < God >, is it pleasing for you to destroy these? (Gen. 18:25:) FAR BE IT FROM YOU TO DO SUCH A THING, < TO PUT TO DEATH A RIGHTEOUS PERSON ALONG WITH A WICKED ONE, SO THAT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE FARES LIKE THE WICKED! FAR BE IT FROM YOU > ! Now what did Joab say to her? (II Sam. 20:21:) THE SITUATION IS NOT THE SAME, FOR A MAN FROM THE HILLS OF EPHRAIM NAMED SHEBA BEN BICHRI < HAS RAISED HIS HAND AGAINST KING DAVID >…. Sheba is a man with a blemish, one who serves idols. (II Sam. 20:1:) NOW THERE HAPPENED TO BE THERE A MAN OF BELIAL WHOSE NAME IS SHEBA BEN BICHRI. She said to him (in vs. 19): I AM THE SHELUME (rt.: ShLM) OF THE FAITHFUL IN ISRAEL.⁴⁹Cf. the new JPSA translation here: I AM ONE OF THOSE WHO SEEK THE WELFARE OF THE FAITHFUL IN ISRAEL. I am the one who completed (rt.: ShLM) the number of Israel, as stated (in Numb. 26:46): AND THE NAME OF ASHER'S DAUGHTER WAS SERAH.⁵⁰According to Gen. 46:27, THE TOTAL OF JACOB’S HOUSE WHO CAME INTO EGYPT WAS SEVENTY PERSONS, but those named number only sixty-nine including Joseph, his two sons, and Serah. The extra person comes from counting Serah twice because of her long life. Numb. 26:46 shows that she was still alive at the time of the Exodus. Moreover, it was not too difficult to imagine that so old a woman had lived even longer into the reign of David and identify her with the wise woman of II Sam. 20:16. See the version of this tradition in PRK 11:13. Just stay in your place, and I will make peace (rt.: ShLM). Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 20:21): BEHOLD, HIS HEAD WILL BE THROWN TO YOU OVER THE WALL. And so she had confidence in herself that she would deliver his head to Joab. But see what she did (according to vs. 22)! THEN THE WOMAN CAME UNTO [ALL] THE PEOPLE IN HER WISDOM. What is the meaning of IN HER WISDOM? Simply that she said to them: Understand that Joab and all Israel are standing outside to kill us, our sons, and our daughters. They said to her: Why? She said to them: He would take a hundred people and go. They said to her: Let him take two hundred. She said to them: He only wants fifty people. They said to her: Let him take a hundred. She said to them: He only wants five: They said to her: Let him take ten. She said to them: He only wants one whose name is Sheba ben Bichri. When they heard that, they immediately went and cut off his head. Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 20:22, cont.): SO THEY CUT OFF THE HEAD OF SHEBA BEN BICHRI. Look at the wisdom of this woman! In the same way Abraham came in wisdom before the Holy One. He came < down > from fifty to forty, from forty to thirty, from thirty to twenty, and from twenty to ten. So also with this woman (according to II Sam. 20:22): THEN THE WOMAN CAME UNTO [ALL] THE PEOPLE IN HER WISDOM. Regarding her Solomon gave praise⁵¹Gk.: kalos. (in Eccl. 9:18): WISDOM IS BETTER THAN INSTRUMENTS OF WAR. The wisdom of Serah was better than the instruments of war that were in the hands of Joab. When Joab received the head of Sheba ben Bichri, he immediately went back without touching the city. Abraham said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the World, now if Joab, when he took the head of one person who was guilty, left the city alone, would you, who are merciful, destroy everyone? (Gen. 18:25:) FAR BE IT FROM YOU!