Devarim / 9th of Av: Feeling the Pain

The origin of the book of Lamentations is given in the book of Jeremiah. In the hope that it will bring the nation to repentance, the Holy One Blessed be He tells Jeremiah to write a scroll detailing the evil He is about to bring on Israel and Judah. To add emphasis the book is written in the past tense, as a lamentation, as if the tragedy had already occurred. Yirmiyahu is in jail; therefore he dictates the words of rebuke to a comrade, who then reads the megillah in the Temple. The people become alarmed by the words of the prophet and ask that the scroll be read to the king. When it is read to King Yehoyakim, after hearing a few sections, he cuts up the scroll and throws it in the fire. In response G-d has Jeremiah rewrite the scroll with four additional chapters. This is book of Lamentations, which we have today, that is read on the fast of the Ninth of Av.  

Jeremiah Lamenting - Rembrandt

The book of Lamentations seems to have three themes which revolve around the destruction of the Temple. The first and most important is to arouse mourning in those that have become dull at heart. When a person or even a nation sins repeatedly and is punished repeatedly, the reaction may be to become numb both to emotional embarrassment and physical pain. Through this denial, they can maintain a fool’s paradise that everything in their life is fine and that everything that they have done is fine. Therefore, no soul searching is necessary and no repentance is needed.

To this so to speak the prophet responds, look around, look at yourself. He begins by saying feel the pain. Feel the fire in one’s bones that has been sent down from heaven. Feel the pain of being crushed in a wine press. Feel the humiliation and scorn. Feel the yoke of the transgressions and cry. He builds up to questions of national importance. Our enemies may be taunting us about the miserable state of Jerusalem, but the question is a good one, “Is this the city they called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the entire world?”(Lamentations 2:15).

The second theme seems to be the pain the prophet has suffered because of the sins of the nation. There is an aspect of this pain when he cries out in horror that it was from the sins of the prophets and the iniquities of the priests that the blood of the righteous was shed. Likewise he laments the killing of the prophets and priests in the sanctuary. With sad resignation he mourns those that he cherished and brought up, his enemy has consumed. The idea seems to be to arouse feelings of repentance based on the misery that one’s sins have brought to good people.

The third theme seems to be there can be a lost generation but even so the kindnesses of Hashem do not cease and his compassion never fails. Therefore there is reason for hope. Our fathers indeed have sinned and we bear their iniquities. Therefore it is up to us to make the rectification.

Yoseph sings link: Eli Tzion Ve'areha אֱלִי צִיּוֹן וְעָרֶיהָ Cry Zion & Her Cities (lyrics Hebrew English)

לע"נ בן דוד שמואל בן נח ז"ל נלב"ע טו באב תשס"ט.

  http://dyschreiber.blogspot.co.ilניתן בדואר אלקטרוני וגם באתר