ay on his behalf; and he prayed, "The Lord grant
thee according to thine own heart" (Ps. xx. 4). Rabbi H----, son of
Rabbi Isaac, said, "It was not so; he prayed thus, 'The Lord fulfill all
thy petitions'; for a man often thinks in his heart to steal or commit
some other transgression, and therefore 'The Lord grant thee according
to thine own heart,' is a prayer not to be offered on behalf of every
man." But the answer was, "His heart was perfect before his Creator, and
therefore he did so pray on his behalf."

_Midrash Shochar Tov_, 20.

Thou wilt find that whithersoever the righteous go a blessing goes with
them. Isaac went down to Gerar, and a blessing followed him. "Then Isaac
sowed," etc. (Gen. xxvi. 12). Jacob went down to Laban (Gen. xxx. 27),
and Laban said, "I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed
me for thy sake." Joseph went down to Potiphar, and "the Lord blessed
the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake" (Gen. xxxix. 5). Thus also thou
wilt find it was with the ark which came down to the house of Obed-edom,
etc. (2 Sam. vi. 11). Our forefathers came into the land and a blessing
followed at their heels, as it is said (Deut. vi. 11), "And houses full
of good things," etc.

_Yalkut Ekev._

"And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth" (Num. xxiii. 5). An angel
took up his seat in Balaam's throat, so that when he wished to bless,
the angel permitted him, but when he desired to curse, the angel tickled
his throat and stopped him. "Word" in this place means simply an angel;
as it is said (Ps. cvii. 20), "He sent His word and healed them." Rabbi
Yochanan says, "There was an iron nail in his throat which permitted him
when he wished to bless, but rasped his throat and prevented him when
about to curse." "Word" in this place means only an iron nail; for it is
said (Num. xxxi. 23), "Every thing (or word, for the original has both
meanings) that may abide the fire."

Ibid.

Rabbi Avin said four kinds of excellency were created in the world: (1.)
Man's excellency over the animal kingdom; (2.) the eagle's excellency
over the feathered tribes; (3.) the excellency of the ox over domestic
cattle; and (4.) the lion's excellency over the wild beasts. All were
fixed under the chariot of God; as it is said (Ezek. i. 10), "As for the
likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, the face of a
lion, the face of an ox, and the face of an eagle." And why all this? In
order that they should not exalt t