Sifrei Devarim 326

¹(Devarim 32:36) "For the L-rd will judge His people, and over His servants yithnecham ": When the L-rd judges (i.e., punishes) the nations, it is "joy" to Him, viz. (Proverbs 11:10) "and in the destruction of the wicked is rejoicing." And when the L-rd judges the righteous, there is "bethinking" before Him, as it is written "and over His servants, yithnecham ," " nechamah " connoting "bethinking," viz. ( Genesis 6:7) "for I (the L-rd) have bethought Myself ( nichamti ) for having made them," and (I Samuel 15:11) "I have bethought myself ( nichamti ) for having made Saul king." ²(Devarim, Ibid .) "when He sees the hand going": when He sees one's strength waning in the exile, as in (Daniel 12:7) "and at the climax of the breaking of the hand (i.e., the strength) of the holy people," (the exile will come to an end). ³Variantly: when they despair of salvation, when a perutah (small coin) "ends" from the pocket. ⁴Variantly: "when He sees the hand going": when He sees that there is no one who implores mercy for them as Moses had done, viz. (Psalms 106:23) "He would have destroyed them had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, etc." ⁵Variantly: "when He sees": when He sees that there is no one who implores mercy for them as Aaron had done, viz. (Bamidbar 17:13) "and he stood between the dead and the living." ⁶Variantly: when He sees that there is no one who implores mercy for them as Pinchas had done, viz. (Psalms 106:30) "And Pinchas arose and prayed, and the plague ceased." ⁷"and there is no one who is restrained (from coming to harm) or strengthened, as in (II Kings 14:26) "For the L-rd saw the affliction of Israel … with none restrained and none strengthened, and no help for Israel," and (Isaiah 59:16) "And He saw that there was no man, and He was astonished that there was no intercessor."