דָּבָר אַחֵר, אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְּאוֹתוֹת. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיַּיִן (שה״ש ב, ד). מַהוּ הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיַּיִן. כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּגְלָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הַר סִינַי, יָרְדוּ עִמּוֹ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף מֶרְכָּבוֹת מַלְאָכִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: רֶכֶב אֱלֹהִים רִבֹּתַיִם אַלְפֵי שִׁנְאָן (תהלים סח, יח), וְהָיוּ עֲשׂוּיִין דְּגָלִים דְּגָלִים. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: דָּגוּל מֵרְבָבָה (שה״ש ה, י). כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאוּ אוֹתָן יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהָיוּ עֲשׂוּיִין דְּגָלִים, הִתְחִילוּ מִתְאַוִּים לַדְּגָלִים. אָמְרוּ, וּלְוַאי שֶׁאָנוּ נַעֲשִׂין דְּגָלִים כְּמוֹתָן. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיַּיִן. הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיַּיִן, זֶה הַר סִינַי, שֶׁשָּׁם נִתְּנָה הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּמְשְׁלָה לְיַיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לְכוּ לַחֲמוּ בְּלַחְמִי, וּשְׁתוּ בְּיֵין מָסַכְתִּי (משלי ט, ה). הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר, הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיַּיִן. וְדִגְלוֹ עָלַי אַהֲבָה. אָמְרוּ, הַלְוַאי הוּא מַגְדִּיל עָלַי אַהֲבָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, נְרַנְּנָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶיךָ וּבְשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵינוּ נִדְגֹּל, יְמַלֵּא ה' כָּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶיךָ (תהלים כ, ו). אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הִתְאַוֵּיתֶם בַּדְּגָלִים. חַיֵּיכֶם, הֲרֵינִי עוֹשֶׂה מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֵיכֶם, יְמַלֵּא ה' כָּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶיךָ. מִיָּד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הֶרְאָה אַהֲבָתוֹ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַר לְמֹשֶׁה, לְךָ עֲשֵׂה אוֹתָם דְּגָלִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְאַוּוּ, אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְּאוֹתוֹת. אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְּאוֹתוֹת, מִנֶּגֶד. מַהוּ מִנֶּגֶד, מֵרָחוֹק מִיל. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, יְהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל רְחוֹקִין מִן הָאֲרוֹן אַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אַךְ רָחוֹק יִהְיֶה בֵּינֵיכֶם וּבֵינָיו כְּאַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה בְּמִדָּה (יהושע ג, ד). וּמֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן סְמוּכִים לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהַחוֹנִים לִפְנֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן קֵדְמָה לִפְנֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד מִזְרָחָה מֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁאִם כָּעַסְתִּי עַל בָּנַי, יִהְיוּ עוֹשִׂין פְּשָׁרָה בֵּינִי לְבֵין בָּנַי. לְכָךְ הָיוּ סְמוּכִין לוֹ. אֲבָל הַשְּׁבָטִים, מִנֶּגֶד סָבִיב לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְּאוֹתוֹת, וְהַחוֹנִים קֵדְמָה מִזְרָחָה, אַתְּ מוֹצֵא בְּכָל מָקוֹם יְהוּדָה רִאשׁוֹן. תְּחִלָּה לַדְּגָלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהַחוֹנִים קֵדְמָה מִזְרָחָה דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה, הֲרֵי לַחֲנָיָה. לַנְּסִיעָה מִנַּיִן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְנָסַע דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה (במדבר י, יד). לַקָּרְבָּנוֹת מִנַּיִן. דִּכְתִיב: וַיְהִי הַמַּקְרִיב בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן נַחְשׁוֹן בֶּן עֲמִינָדָב לְמַטֶּה יְהוּדָה (שם ז, יב). לַמִּלְחָמָה מִנַּיִן. דִּכְתִיב: מִי יַעֲלֶה לָנוּ אֶל הַכְּנַעֲנִי בַּתְּחִלָּה לְהִלָּחֵם בּוֹ, וַיֹּאמֶר ה' יְהוּדָה יַעֲלֶה (שופטים א, א-ב). וְאַף כְּשֶׁיָּבֹא הַמְבַשֵּׂר, יְהוּדָה מִתְבַּשֵּׂר תְּחִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הִנֵּה עַל הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם חָגִּי יְהוּדָה חַגַּיִךְ שַׁלְּמִי נְדָרָיִךְ (נחום ב, א). אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, נִתְאַוֵּיתֶם לִדְגָלִים, וּמִלֵּאתִי מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֵיכֶם. וְלֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, בִּזְכוּת הַדְּגָלִים אֲנִי גּוֹאֵל אֶתְכֶם, וּמְדַלֵּג עַל הַקֵּץ בִּזְכוּת אָבוֹת שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ הָרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: קוֹל דּוֹדִי הִנֵּה זֶה בָּא, מְדַלֵּג עַל הֶהָרִים, מְקַפֵּץ עַל הַגְּבָעוֹת (שה״ש ב, ח). Another interpretation (of Numb. 2:2), “Each with his standard, under the banners.” This text is related (to Cant. 2:4), “He brought me unto the banquet house, [and His standard (dgl) over me is love].” What is the meaning of “He brought me unto the banquet house?”68Numb. R. 2:3. The midrash is seeking the connection between BANQUET HOUSE and HIS STANDARD. When the Holy One, blessed be He, was revealed upon mount Sinai, there descended with Him twenty-two thousand chariots of angels, as stated (in Ps. 68:18), “The chariots of God are two myriads, thousands for a doubling.”69The midrash interprets these words to mean: TWO MYRIADS (of 10,000 each) PLUS A THOUSAND DOUBLED for a total of 22,000. Now they all were arranged by standards (rt.: dgl). It is therefore stated (in Cant. 5:10), “the most prominent (rt.: dgl) of ten thousand.” When Israel saw them, as they were arrayed by standards (rt.: dgl), they yearned for standards. They said, “O that we might be arrayed with standards like them!” It is therefore stated (in Cant. 2:4), “He brought me unto the banquet house, [and His standard (dgl) over me is love].” The banquet house (literally: house of wine) is Mount Sinai, on which Torah was given, since [Torah] is compared to wine, as stated (in Prov. 9:5, where wisdom is saying), “and drink of the wine I have mixed.” Ergo (in Cant. 2:4), “He brought me unto the house of wine,” namely to Sinai. (Ibid., cont.,) “And His standard over me is love.” They said, “O that He may raise the standard of love over me!” And so it says (in Ps. 20:6), “Let us shout for joy in Your salvation, and in the name of our God let us set up our standards.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “Do you yearn for standards? By your life, I will fulfill your petition.” It is so stated (ibid., cont.), “may the Lord fulfill all your petitions.” Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, made known His love to Israel and said to Moses, “Go and make those standards like the ones for which they have yearned. (Numb. 2:2:) “Each with his standard, under the banners […the Children of Israel shall camp,] at a distance.” What is the meaning of “at a distance?”70Cf. Numb. R. 2:9. At a distance of a mil.71Lat.: mille. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Israel shall be at a distance of two thousand cubits from the ark,” as stated (in Josh. 3:4), “Yet there shall be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits.” But Moses and Aaron shall be near to it, as stated (in Numb. 3:38), “Those who camped before the tabernacle, in front before the tent of meeting to the East, were Moses, Aaron, and his children….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “If I become angry with My children, they will mediate between Me and My children.” For that reason they are near it, but the tribes (according to Numb. 2:2) shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance. Another interpretation (of Numb. 2:2-3), “Each with his standard, under the banners […] Now those who camp in front to the East.” You find that in every place Judah is first.72Numb. R. 2:10. [It is] first in the case of standards, as stated (in Numb. 2:3), “Now those who camp in front to the East shall be [those under] the standard of the camp of Judah.” So much for camping. Where is it shown for traveling? Where it is stated (in Numb. 10:14), “And [in first place traveled] the camp standard of [the Children of] Judah.” Where is it shown for sacrifices? Where it is stated (in Numb. 7:12), “And the one who offered […] on the first day was Nahshon ben Amminadab of the tribe of Judah.” Where is it shown for warfare? Where it is written (in Jud. 1:1-2), “Who shall be the first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them? Then the Lord said, ‘Let Judah go up.’” And also, when the herald [of messianic age] comes, Judah shall receive the good news first, as stated (in Nahum 2:1), “Behold over the mountains the feet of the herald announcing peace; celebrate your festivals, O Judah, fulfill your vows.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “In this world you yearned for standards and I fulfilled your petition; but in the future to come, by virtue of the banners, I shall redeem you; and in the merit of the forefathers, that are called mountains, I shall leap over (rt.: dlg) the end, as stated (in Cant. 2:8), ‘The voice of my beloved! Here he comes, leaping over the mountains….’”