It might seem like a minor detail, but according to Jewish tradition, it reveals something profound about God's love for His people.
The text we're diving into today comes from Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Numbers. Here, the Rabbis explore the verse "He brought me to the banquet house, and his banner of love is upon me" (Song of Songs 2:4). But what does it really mean?
Rabbi Abahu uses a striking analogy. Imagine a wealthy man who discovers his vast wine cellar is full of vinegar – except for one precious barrel of fine wine. That single barrel, he declares, is as dear to him as the entire storehouse. Similarly, God created seventy nations, but He finds pleasure only in Israel. That's quite a statement, isn't it? Where do we get the number seventy? Rabbi Abahu points out that the numerical value of the Hebrew word for wine, yayin (יַיִן), is seventy (yod-ten, yod-ten, and nun-fifty). Of all those nations, "His banner of love is upon me" – Israel.
Rabbi Yehuda offers another interpretation, linking the "banquet house" to Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Torah, which can be expounded in forty-nine different ways. And again, "his banner of love is upon me." It's as if the Torah itself is a banner of God's affection.
Then we have Rabbi Ḥanina with a powerful image. In ancient times, pointing at the king’s image was a capital offense! But children in the study hall point to God’s name in the texts. Instead of being angered, God says, “His banner of love is upon me” – his finger, vegudalo, is beloved by Me. Notice the play on words here. The Hebrew words for "his banner" (vediglo) and "his finger" (vegudalo) share the same letters. The love is in the details!
Rabbi Yisakhar adds that even someone who skips around in their Torah study, jumping umdaleg from halakha (Jewish law) to halakha and from verse to verse, is dear to God. Even their skipping, dilugo, is beloved. It’s not about perfection; it’s about the effort and the connection. (Again, we see that wordplay, vediglo and dilugo).
The text continues, emphasizing that while all nations have banners, only the banner of Jacob – that is, Israel – is dear to God. Why?
The Midrash (rabbinic commentary) then takes us back to Mount Sinai. When God appeared, twenty-two myriads of angels descended with Him, arranged according to banners, as it says, “Preeminent [dagul] among a myriad” (Song of Songs 5:10). Seeing this, the Israelites yearned for their own banners. "If only we could be arranged according to banners like them," they cried. And God, hearing their desire, promised to fulfill it. That’s why He instructed Moses to organize them into tribes, each with its own distinct banner.
So, what’s the takeaway? It’s not just about flags and formations. It's about God's intimate and particular love for Israel, expressed through order, identity, and even their deepest desires. The act of arranging them under banners was an act of love, a way of showing that each tribe, each individual, had a place and purpose within the larger whole. And it all began with a yearning, a desire to be closer to the Divine. Don't you find that inspiring?
The Holy One blessed be He loved them with a great love, as he arranged them according to banners like the ministering angels, so that they would be distinguishable. From where is it derived that it was love for Israel? It is as Solomon says: “He brought me to the banquet house, and his banner of love is upon me” (Song of Songs 2:4). Rabbi Abahu said: Why does the verse state: “He brought me to the banquet house…”? To what is the matter comparable? It is to a wealthy man who had a storehouse full of wine. He entered to check it and discovered that it was all vinegar. He came to leave the storehouse and discovered one barrel of fine wine. He said: ‘For me, this wine is as dear as a full storehouse.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He created seventy nations, and of all of them, He derived pleasure only from Israel, as it is stated. “He brought me to the banquet house.” From where is it derived that wine [yayin] equals seventy? Yod – ten, Yod – ten, and nun – fifty; that is seventy. Of all of them: “His banner of love is upon me.” Rabbi Yehuda says: “He brought me to the banquet house,” to the great wine cellar, this is Sinai, and Moses taught me Torah that is expounded in forty-nine aspects; “and his banner [vediglo]2Vav – 6, dalet – 4, gimel – 3, lamed – 30, vav – 6 = 49. of love is upon me.” Rabbi Ḥanina said: Initially, anyone who would point to the image of a king with his finger would be killed, but the children go to the study hall and point to the mentions of God’s name with their finger. God said: “His banner [vediglo] of love is upon me” – his finger [vegudalo]3These are the same Hebrew letters which appear in the word vediglo. is beloved by Me. Rabbi Yisakhar says: “His banner [vediglo] of love is upon me” – even a person who sits and engages in Torah study and skips [umdaleg] from halakha to halakha and from verse to verse, the Holy One blessed be He says: ‘It is dear to Me,’ – “His banner [vediglo] of love is upon me,” – his skipping [dilugo] is beloved by Me.4Even though he does not study in a methodical manner, his studying is beloved. Another matter, “and his banner of love is upon me.” The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘The nations of the world have banners, but only the banner of Jacob is dear to Me.’ That is what is written: “And his banner of love is upon me.” Another matter, “he brought me to the banquet house,” when the Holy One blessed be He appeared upon Mount Sinai, twenty-two myriads of angels descended with him, as it is stated: “The chariots of God are myriad, thousands upon thousands of companies” (Psalms 68:18), and they were all arranged according to banners, as it is stated: “Preeminent [dagul] among a myriad” (Song of Songs 5:10). When Israel saw that they were all arranged according to banners, they began desiring banners. If only we could be arranged according to banners like them. Therefore, it is stated: “He brought me to the banquet house, [and his banner of love is upon me],” this is Sinai, at which the Torah, which is likened to wine, was given. “And drink of the wine which I have mixed” (Proverbs 9:5); that is “to the banquet house,” this is Sinai. “And his banner [vediglo] of love is upon me,” they said ‘if only He would show great love to me.’ Likewise it says: “We will sing with joy at your salvation [and raise banners in the name of our God]” (Psalms 20:6). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘How you have desired to be arranged according to banners, by your life, I will fulfill your wish’ – “May the Lord fulfill all your wishes” (Psalms 20:6). Immediately, the Holy One blessed be He informed Israel and said to Moses: ‘Go and arrange them according to banners, as they desired.’
