Midrash sa Mga Bilang 23:21: Vayikra Rabbah, Shir HaShirim Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Midrash Tanchuma

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Until the Tabernacle was erected, prophecy was found among the nations of the world. When the Tabernacle was erected, it departed from their midst, as it is stated: “[When I found the one whom my soul loves,] I grasped him and would not release him” (Song of Songs 3:4). They said to him: But Bilam prophesied. He said to them: He prophesied for the benefit of Israel: “Who has counted the dust of Jacob” (Numbers 23:10); “One has seen no evil in Jacob” (Numbers 23:21); “For there is no divination in Jacob” (Numbers 23:23); “How goodly are your tents, Jacob” (Numbers 24:5); “a star rises from Jacob” (Numbers 24:17); “One from Jacob shall rule” (Numbers 24:19).

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: If the nations had known how beneficial the Tent of Meeting was for them, they would have surrounded it [to protect it] with military encampments and fortifications, as until the Tent of Meeting stood, they would hear the sound of divine speech, and would lose control of their bowels in the halls of their palaces.⁴⁴Many of them lost control of their faculties and even died due to the fear and trepidation involved in hearing the divine speech. That is what is written: “For who of all flesh who heard the voice of the living God… [has lived?]” (Deuteronomy 5:23). Rabbi Simon said: The divine speech would emerge in two forms; an elixir of life for Israel and an elixir of death for the nations of the world. An elixir of life for Israel, “[Has a people heard the voice of God speaking…] as you heard, and lived?” (Deuteronomy 4:33); you heard and lived. And an elixir of death for the nations of the world, they heard and died. Therefore it says: “Under the apple tree I roused you” (Song of Songs 8:5).⁴⁵The apple tree is understood here as an allusion to Mount Sinai (Maharzu). The verse indicates that God roused Israel from the dead after speaking to them, whereas He did not rouse the nations of the world who heard Him speak (Etz Yosef).
“[The Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him] from the Tent of Meeting” (Leviticus 1:1). Rabbi Ḥiyya taught that from there the voice would stop and would not emerge outside the tent. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Before the Tent of Meeting stood, prophecy was found among the nations of the world. Once the Tent of Meeting stood, prophecy ceased from them. From there, “I grasped him and I would not release him” (Song of Songs 3:4).⁴⁶This is expounded in reference to prophecy. If you say: But did Bilam ben Beor not prophesy? Say, it was for the benefit of Israel that he prophesied, as it is stated: “How goodly are your tents, Jacob” (Numbers 24:5); “one has seen no iniquity in Jacob” (Numbers 23:21); “for there is no divination in Jacob” (Numbers 23:23); “who has counted the dust of Jacob” (Numbers 23:10); “a star has risen from Jacob” (Numbers 24:17); “one from Jacob will rule” (Numbers 24:19).

(Gen. 27:6, 8, & 9:) AND REBEKAH SPOKE UNTO JACOB…. AND NOW MY SON, HEED ME IN WHAT < I CHARGE YOU >. PLEASE GO TO THE FLOCK…. As soon as Esau had gone to get < the venison >, he (Jacob) went to his father, as stated (in Gen. 27:18 & 19): THEN HE WENT UNTO HIS FATHER…. AND JACOB SAID UNTO HIS FATHER: < I AM ESAU, YOUR FIRST-BORN >…. So he blessed him (in Gen. 27:27). Even though you may say Jacob lied, he did not lie. Balaam said (in Numb. 23:21): NO ONE HAS BEHELD FALSEHOOD IN JACOB. [He said] merely (in Gen. 27:19 &. 20): I am Jacob; ESAU [IS] YOUR FIRST-BORN….³⁶It is possible to interpret Jacob’s words to his father as follows: IT IS I. ESAU IS YOUR FIRST-BORN. Cf. Gen. R. 65:18. PLEASE ARISE; SIT UP < AND EAT >…. THEN ISAAC SAID UNTO HIS SON: < HOW IS IT THAT YOU WERE SO QUICK > … ? He said to him (in Gen. 27:20, cont.): BECAUSE THE LORD YOUR GOD MADE IT HAPPEN FOR ME. Then in addition he said to him:³⁷Cf. Gen. R. 65:19. When you were bound upon the altar, the angel said (in Gen. 22:12): DO NOT RAISE YOUR HAND AGAINST THE LAD. Perhaps there was something there. The Holy One only caused < a sacrificial animal > to sprout forth for your sake, as stated (in Gen. 22:13): THEN ABRAHAM LIFTED HIS EYES < TO LOOK, AND THERE WAS A RAM BEHIND HIM >…. So also he said (here in Gen. 27:20): BECAUSE THE LORD YOUR GOD MADE IT HAPPEN FOR ME.³⁸Gen. R. 65:19 argues a fortiori that, if God would bless Isaac by making a sacrifice appear at the time of the binding, he certainly would expedite matters in preparing this meal. Now, when Isaac heard him say: BECAUSE THE LORD YOUR GOD MADE IT HAPPEN FOR ME, he said: This is not Esau. He said: Esau never mentions THE LORD YOUR GOD. He said to him (in vss. 21f.): PLEASE COME NEARER AND LET ME TOUCH YOU, MY SON…. SO JACOB CAME NEARER TO HIS FATHER ISAAC…. He said to him: Behold, in voice you are Jacob;³⁹Buber notes that his text here is garbled and suggests the reading translated here from MS 1240 of the De Rossi library in Parma. BUT (in vs. 22, cont.) THE HANDS ARE THE HANDS OF ESAU. R. Judah bar Il'ay said:⁴⁰yTa‘an. 4:8 (68d); Git. 57b; Gen. R. 65:21. In former generations one would ask: What is the meaning (of Gen. 27:22): THE VOICE IS THE VOICE OF JACOB? The voice of the Emperor⁴¹Lat.: Caesar. Hadrian, < who > [killed] eight thousand myriads (80,000,000) in Bethther.⁴²This town in Southern Israel is also known as Bithter or Bettar. The present Greek spelling is that adopted by Y. Aharoni and M. Avi-Yonah in The Macmillan Bible Atlas (New York: Macmillan, 1968. R. Johanan said: The voice of Jacob was crying out < over > what the hands of Esau did to him in Bethther.