Midras Ulangan 2:7: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tanchuma, Bamidbar Rabbah & Shemot Rabbah

(Deut. 2:3:) YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF GOING ABOUT THIS HILL COUNTRY. This text is related (to Cant. 2:7=3:5): I ADJURE YOU, O DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM BY GAZELLES <OR BY HINDS OF THE FIELD>. There are there three oaths⁹Actually there are four oaths, 2:7; 3:5; 5:8; and 8:4, and only the first two mention gazelles or hinds. in the book of Canticles.¹⁰Tanh., Deut. 1:4; cf. below 3a; Ket. 111a. Why? One in which the Holy One adjured Israel not to reveal the end¹¹Cf. Cant. R. 12:9:1.; <a second> that they would not force the end; <a third> that they would not rebel against the empires. The Holy One said to them: If you fulfill the oaths, fine; but if not, I will permit your flesh <to be a prey>, as with gazelles or hinds of the field, which no one claims or desires. Shall I not so claim your blood?

(Deut. 2:3:) “You have had enough of going about this mountain.” This text is related (to Cant. 2:7=3:5), “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem by gazelles or by hinds of the field….” There are three oaths¹¹Actually there are four oaths, 2:7; 3:5; 5:8; and 8:4, and only the first two mention gazelles or hinds. in the book of Canticles that the Holy One, blessed be He, adjured [Israel].¹²Cf. Ket. 111a. Why? One in which the Holy One, blessed be He, adjured Israel not to reveal the end¹³Cf. Cant. R. 12:9:1.; [a second] that they would not force the end; [a third] that they would not rebel against the [other] kingdoms. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “If you fulfill the oaths, fine; but if not, I will permit your flesh [to be prey], as with gazelles or hinds of the field, [the injury of which] no one makes a claim or demands. So shall I not make a claim about your blood. (Deut. 2:31:) “And the Lord said unto me], ‘See I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you.” It is also written (in Amos 2:9), “Yet I destroyed the Amorite¹⁴Although THE AMORITE implies the Amorite people in the biblical context, in the context of the midrash the singular AMORITE refers to Sihon. before (you) [them].” By virtue of what? By virtue of the Torah, which the sages had taught. Our masters have said, “Sihon was difficult [to overcome].¹⁵M. Pss. 136:11. His height was like a wall tower, and he was stronger than all creatures. He was taller than any tower on earth, but his feet reached to the earth. So no creature was able to stand before him, just as it says (Amos 2:9, cont.), “yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He bound the ministering angel that belonged to him and to his land. Then he cast him from his place and handed him over to Israel. Therefore it is written (ibid.), “yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.” Our masters have said, “Sihon and Og were stronger than Pharaoh and his armies. And just as they uttered a song over the fall of Pharaoh, so were they worthy to utter a song at their fall. It is simply that David came and uttered a song over them, as stated (in Ps. 136:17, 19) ‘To the One who smote great kings […]; Sihon, king of the Amorites […].’”

(Numb. 20:14:) “Then Moses sent messengers [from Kadesh unto the king of Edom], ‘Thus says your brother Israel….’” This text is related (to Ps. 15:3), “nor takes up a reproach against his relative.” By universal custom, when a person is engaged in business¹⁰⁴Gk.: pragmateia. with his friend who causes a loss, he separates himself from him and does not want to see him.¹⁰⁵Numb. R. 19:15. But although Moses was punished because of Israel, as stated (in Ps. 106:32), “And they provoked wrath at the Waters of Meribah and it went ill with Moses on their account,” he did not unload their burden from himself. Instead (according to Numb. 20:14), “Then Moses sent messengers.”
(Numb. 20:14, cont.:) “You know all the trouble that has befallen us.” They said to him, “You know when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham (in Gen. 15:13), ‘know full well that your seed shall be alien [in a land not theirs where they shall serve them and be oppressed by them],’ it was us who have been enslaved, while you are free.” (Numb. 20:15:) “How our forefathers went down to Egypt [...].” This whole subject is comparable to two brothers against whose grandfather a promissory note appeared. One of them arose and paid it. One day he started to ask a favor from his brother, and he said to him, “You know that debt was incumbent on both of us, but it was I who paid it. Do not refuse any of my favor that I am asking.” (Numb. 20:15:) “How our forefathers went down to Egypt.” What is the relevance of [mentioning] the forefathers here, as stated (in Numb 20:15, cont.), “the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our forefathers.” [It is] to teach you that all the time that Israel is in distress, [the forefathers] are also in distress. (Numb. 20:17:) “Please let us pass through your land; [we will not pass through field or vineyard,] nor shall we drink water from a well.” Should it not have said, "water from cisterns?" [By this use of the singular, “a well”], the Torah has taught you proper conduct, [i.e.,] that though one has at hand his necessities, when he who goes to a land which is not his own, he should not eat from what he has on hand. Rather he should put aside what he has, and buy from the shopkeeper in order to benefit him. So also Moses said to [Edom], “[We have] a well with us,¹⁰⁶On the tradition of Israel’s portable well for supplying them with water during their desert wanderings, see Numb. R. 1:2; TSuk. 3:11; Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Numb. 21:16-18; Frag. Jerusalem Targum, Numb. 21:17-18; Tanh., Lev. 7:7; Lev. R. 25:5; 27:6; see also Avot 5:6; Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘ 6, on Exod. 16:32; Shab. 35a; Pes. 54a; Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Numb. 22:28; in addition, see TSot. 11:8 (10); Ta‘an. 9a; BM 86b; Cant. R. 4:14:1; Seder ‘Olam Rabbah, 10; cf. I Corinthians 10:4. and we eat our own manna; [but] do not say that we are a bother to you. You will make a profit for yourselves.” So also did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Moses (in Deut. 2:6), “Food shall you procure from them with money, and you shall eat.” And Moses said to Israel, “Open your money to them. So that they do not say, ‘They were slaves and indigents,’ show them your wealth.” They will [then] know, so that they would not say, “You lost by your subjugation.” As the Holy One, blessed be He, already said (in Gen. 15:14), “and in the end they shall go free with great wealth.” And they shall know that you are not lacking anything and that it is not from [that which is] yours that you are [spending], as stated (in Deut. 2:7), “For the Lord has blessed you in all the efforts of your hand....” (Numb. 20:17, cont.:) “We shall go along the king's highway,” since we restrain¹⁰⁷Hosemin. The word also means “muzzle.” our cattle. (Numb. 20:17, cont.:) “Without turning right or left.” This was the most difficult [stipulation] of them all, for they said, “In all [the lands] around us we have permission to plunder and kill, but within your border [we shall walk the king's highway] without turning right or left [until we have passed through your territory].”