Midras Yesaya 33:3: Aggadat Bereshit & Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)

[3] Another thing about: This is like a strong man who hits another person with a slap (like a strike that gives him 400 gold coins and he hits him with his hand on the cheek) and immediately kills him with a powerful blow (a deadly punch or strike). He goes back to his house and hits his wife with one slap from his hand, but she stands strong. They said to her, "The strength of your endurance is harder than that of all the athletes (soldiers) and all the mighty men who die from one powerful blow and one slap. How much more did you suffer from him, and yet you can stand?" She answered them, "The same one who strikes them with all his might also strikes me, but when he strikes me according to my strength, I can stand." This is what the Lord said, "For I, the Lord, do not change, and so you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed" (Malachi 3:6). "I did not strike a nation twice, like the generation of man," as it is written, "He who calls to the sea and it roars, the Lord of Hosts is His name" (Amos 5:8), referring to the generation of the Flood, which destroyed the entire world (as it is written in Genesis 7:23). "Like the generation of the dispersion, whom the Lord scattered" (Genesis 11:8). "The Sodomites, of whom it is written, 'He stretched out His hand against their land'" (Job 28:9). "The Egyptians, of whom it is written, 'The waters returned and covered them'" (Exodus 14:28). "So shall all Your enemies perish, O Lord" (Judges 5:31). "They shall be turned back and utterly put to shame" (Psalm 6:11). "From the noise of the tumult, peoples shall flee" (Isaiah 33:3), but "you sons of Jacob are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6), as it is written, "Only against me have they sinned" (Lamentations 1:8). The Lord says: "The strength of Israel is severe, with half their strength gone you are not consumed" (Amos 3:2). As it is written, "I will heap disasters on them" (Deuteronomy 32:23) "[Half their strength] I will consume," but "you are not consumed." Therefore, the Lord says, "I will raise my anger."

With what did the angel smite them? R. Eliezer said: "With his hand, as it is said (Ex. 14, 31) And Israel saw that great hand which the Lord had shown, i.e., that which will take revenge on Sennacherib." R. Joshua said: "He smote them with his finger, is it is said (Ib. 8, 15) Then said the magicians unto Pharaoh, This is a finger of God; i.e., this is the finger which will take revenge on Sennacherib." And R. Eliezer b. R. Jose, the Galilean said: "The Holy One, praised be He! said to Gabriel: 'Is thy sickle [of death] polished?' And he answered: 'Sovereign of the Universe, it is polished and ready since the six days of the creation,' as it is said (Is. 21, 15) From the drawn sword, from the bent bow." R. Simon b. Jochai said: "That was the time when the fruit became ripe, and the Holy One, praised be He! said to Gabriel: "When thou wilt go to make the fruit ripe, thou shalt, by the way, attend to them,' as it is said (Ib. 28, 19) For morning by morning shall it pass by, by day and by night; and the mere understanding of the report shall cause terror." R. Papa said: "This is what people say: 'When thou passest by the door of thy enemy, make thyself seen'." According to others, the angel blew into their nostrils till they died, as it is said (Ib. 40, 24) When he breathed upon them, they withered. R. Jeremiah b. Abah said: "They died from the clapping of his hands as it is said (Ezek. 21, 22) I will strike my hands together, and I will cause my fury to be assuaged." And R. Isaac of Nafha said: "He uncovered their ears so that they heard the songs of the angel and died from it, as it is said (Ib. 33, 3) When thou liftedst thyself up nations were scattered."