Midrash sobre Nahum 2:1

“For Mount Zion, which is desolate; foxes walk on it” (Lamentations 5:18).
“For Mount Zion, which is desolate.” It happened that Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya, Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabbi Akiva were entering Rome, and they heard the sound of the multitudes of Rome from Puteoli, from a distance of one hundred and twenty mil. They began weeping and Rabbi Akiva was laughing. They said: ‘Akiva, we are weeping and you are laughing?’ He said to them: ‘And you, why are you weeping?’ They said to him: ‘Shall we not weep? The nations engage in idol worship and prostrate themselves to the idols, and they sit in security, tranquility, and calm, while the footstool of our God was burned in fire and is a dwelling place for the beasts of the field; shall we not weep?’ He said to them: ‘That is why I am laughing. If it is so for those who anger Him, all the more so for those who perform His will.’
On another occasion they were ascending to Jerusalem. When they arrived at Mount Scopus, they rent their garments. When they arrived at the Temple Mount, they saw a fox emerging from the place of the Holy of Holies. They began weeping, and Rabbi Akiva was laughing. They said to him: ‘Akiva, you always astonish us, we are weeping and you are laughing.’ He said to them: ‘Why are you weeping?’ They said to him: ‘Shall we not weep? The place in whose regard it is written: “And the non-priest who approaches shall be put to death” (Numbers 1:51), behold, a fox emerges from it. The verse stated of it: “For Mount Zion, which is desolate; foxes walk on it,” has been fulfilled!’ He said to them: ‘It is for this reason that I am laughing. Behold, it says: “I had trustworthy witnesses testify for Me: Uriya the priest and Zechariah, son of Yeverekhyahu” (Isaiah 8:2). What does Uriya have to do with Zechariah? Uriya was in the First Temple and Zechariah was in the Second Temple. Rather, what did Uriya say? “So said the Lord of hosts: Zion will be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem will be heaps” (Jeremiah 26:18). What did Zechariah say? “So said the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women will again sit in the squares of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand, due to advanced age” (Zechariah 8:4). And it is written thereafter: “The city squares will be filled with boys and girls playing in its squares” (Zechariah 8:5). The Holy One blessed be He said: I have these two witnesses. If the words of Uriya are realized, the words of Zechariah will be realized, and if the words of Uriya are void, the words of Zechariah are void. I was joyful that the words of Uriya were realized, and ultimately the words of Zechariah are destined to be realized.’ They said to him in these words: ‘Akiva, you have comforted us. May you be comforted by the feet of the herald.’²⁵The herald of redemption; see Isaiah 52:7, Nahum 2:1.

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….’”

Another interpretation (of Numb. 2:3): NOW THOSE WHO CAMP IN FRONT TO THE EAST. You find that in every place Judah is first.⁹²Numb. R. 2:10. <It is first> in the case 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 stated] (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 said to them: In this world I have arrayed you by standards, as stated (in Numb. 2:2): EACH WITH HIS STANDARD (rt.: DGL); but in the world to come, by virtue of the banners, I shall {exalt (rt.: DLG)} [leap up (rt.: DGL)] and redeem you, as stated (in Cant. 2:8): THE VOICE OF MY BELOVED! HERE HE COMES, LEAPING OVER THE MOUNTAINS….