Midrash su Numeri 24:2

And when the elders of Moab heard these words, it pleased them greatly to send for Balaam, ‎the son of Beor, and Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent messengers unto Balaam ‎saying: Behold there is a people come out of Egypt; behold they cover the face of the earth, ‎and they abide over against me. Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for ‎they are too mighty for me; peradventure I shall prevail, that we smite them, and that I may ‎drive them out of the land; for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom ‎thou cursest is cursed. And [the messengers of Balak went, and they brought Balaam to curse ‎the people. But when Balaam came to curse Israel, the Lord said unto him: Curse not this ‎people for it is blessed. And Balak requested Balaam day after day to curse Israel, but Balaam ‎did not hearken unto Balak on account of the word of the Lord which he had spoken unto ‎Balaam;

(Numb. 2:2:) “Each with his standard, under the banners [for their fathers' houses….]” This text is related (to Cant. 6:10), “Who is this woman that shines through like the dawn, as beautiful as the moon.” Holy and grand was Israel by her standards!⁵¹Numb. R. 2:4. So all the nations were looking at them, as they said in astonishment (ibid), “Who is this woman that shines through?” The nations said to them (in Cant. 7:1), “Return, return, O Shulammite (i.e., O Israel). Cling to us and come to us; then we will make you sultans, generals,⁵²Lat.: duces. and commanders,”⁵³Gk.: hegemones. [as stated] (in ibid., cont.), “Return, return that we may look upon you.” Now “we may look (rt.: hzh)” can only [refer to giving] authority, for so Jethro said to Moses (in Exod. 18:21), “You shall also seek out (rt.: hzh) [able men].” Then Israel said to them (in Cant. 7:1, cont.), “What will you see (rt.: hzh) in the Shulammite?” And what grandeur are you giving to us? [It is] perhaps (ibid., cont.) “like a dance of the camps?”⁵⁴MHNYM. The voweling of the Masoretic text understands MHNYM as a dual, i.e., as TWO CAMPS; but the context here assumes more than two. Can you possibly give us anything like the grandeur which the Lord our God gave us in the desert? [There he gave us] the standard of the camp of Judah, the standard of the camp of Reuben, the standard of the camp of Ephraim, the standard of the camp of Dan. Are you able to do so for us? (Cant. 7:1), “What will you see (rt.: hzh) in the Shulammite? It is perhaps (ibid., cont.) “like a dance (meholat) of the camps”; [in] that when we sin, He pardons (mohel) us and says to us (in Deut. 23:15 [14]), “and your camp shall be holy?” So also Balaam the wicked beheld them and his eyes popped out as he faced them, because he could not touch them; as stated (in Numb. 24:2), “Then Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe.” He began to say, “Who can touch these people, when each and every one dwells by his standard.”

(Numb. 2:2:) EACH WITH HIS STANDARD, UNDER THE BANNERS <FOR THEIR FATHERS' HOUSES….> This text is related (to Cant. 6:10): WHO IS THIS WOMAN THAT SHINES THROUGH [LIKE THE DAWN, AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE MOON, CLEAR AS THE SUN…?] Holy and grand was Israel by her standards!⁶⁹Tanh., Numb. 11; Numb. R. 2:4} So all the nations were looking at them, as they said in astonishment (ibid): WHO IS THIS WOMAN THAT SHINES THROUGH? The nations said to them (in Cant. 7:1 [6:13]): RETURN, RETURN, O SHULAMMITE (i.e., O Israel). Cling to us and come to us; then we will make you sultans, generals,⁷⁰Lat.: duces. and commanders,⁷¹Gk.: hegemones. [as stated] (in ibid., cont.): RETURN, RETURN THAT WE MAY LOOK UPON YOU. [Now WE MAY LOOK (rt.: HZH) can only <refer to giving> authority, for so Jethro said to Moses (in Exod. 18:21): YOU SHALL ALSO SEEK OUT (rt.: HZH) <ABLE MEN> FROM AMONG THE PEOPLE…]; <AND YOU SHALL SET THESE OVER THEM AS COMMANDERS OF THOUSANDS, COMMANDERS OF HUNDREDS, COMMANDERS OF FIFTIES, AND COMMANDERS OF TENS>. Then Israel said to them (in Cant. 7:1 [6:13], cont.): WHAT WILL YOU SEE (rt.: HZH) IN THE SHULAMMITE? And what grandeur are you giving to us? <It is> perhaps (ibid., cont.) LIKE A DANCE OF THE CAMPS?⁷²MHNYM. The voweling of the Masoretic text understands MHNYM as a dual, i.e., as TWO CAMPS; but the context here assumes more than two. Can you possibly give us anything like the grandeur which the LORD our God gave us in the desert? <There he gave us> the standard of the camp of Judah, the standard of the camp of Reuben, the standard of the camp of Ephraim, the standard of the camp of Dan. Are you able to do so for us? (Cant. 7:1 [6:13]): WHAT WILL YOU SEE (rt.: HZH) IN THE SHULAMMITE? It is perhaps (ibid., cont.) LIKE A DANCE (meholat) OF THE CAMPS, in that when we sin, he pardons (mohel) us and says to us (in Deut. 23:15 [14]): AND YOUR CAMP SHALL BE HOLY? So also Balaam the Wicked beheld them and his eyes popped out as he faced them, because he could not touch them, as stated (in Numb. 24:2): THEN BALAAM RAISED HIS EYES AND SAW ISRAEL DWELLING TRIBE BY TRIBE. He began to say: Who can touch these people, when each and every one dwells by his standard.