Midrash Tanchuma (Parshat Truma, #3)
“And Eisav I have hated” (Malachi 1:3) , There was an incident with Turnusrufus who asked Rabbi Akiva, “why does the Holy One Blessed be He, hate us, for he wrote, ‘And Eisav I have hated'”? He responded, “Tomorrow I will reply”.
The next day Rabbi Akiva explained to him about a dream last night with two dogs named Rufus and Rufina. Immediately Turnusrufus was upset and said, “why did you call your dogs by my name and my wife’s name, you are liable to execution by the kingdom. Rabbi Akiva responded, how are you different from them? You eat and drink and they eat and drink. You reproduce and they reproduce; you die and they die; but when I called their names by your name, you were angered. Now the Holy One Blessed be He who stretched out the skies and establishes the earth, puts to death and brings to life. You take wood and call it a deity, like his name, all the more so that he hates you, that is what is meant “And Eisav I have hated” (Malachi 1:3).