There are four fasts that commemorate the destruction of the Temple. The Seventeenth of Tammuz falls this month and is followed three weeks later by the Ninth. On Tishe b'Av the liturgical text Kinot (קִינוֹת) which means Lamentations is read. It is a different work from the book of the Tanakh that is also called Lamentations in English, but it's popular Hebrew name is אֵיכָה, after its first word. Kinot is a collection of poems lamenting the destruction of the First and Second Temples. The Ninth of Av has been designated as a day of mourning for all the calamities that have fallen on the Jewish people throughout the ages including the Holocaust. Kinot have been written for it but there has been no consensus that a particular one should be included in the service.
One of the Kinot, "צִיּוֹן הֲלֹא תִשְׁאֲלִי" was written by the midieval poet Judah HaLevy. His poems often are characterized by a longing for the land of Israel. "Zion ha-lo Teshalee" literally, "Zion, do you not Ask" is particularly poignant. It includes the verse:
לִבְכּוֹת עֱנוּתֵךְ אֲנִי תַנִּים, וְעֵת אֶחֱלֹם
שִׁיבַת שְׁבוּתֵך – אֲנִי כִנּוֹר לְשִׁירָיִךְ.
To cry of your lowliness, I am [the wail of] jackals;
Dreaming your captivity's return, I am a harp to your songs.
The last phrase of the second verse was popularized by the song Jerusalem of Gold (ירושלים שֶל זָהָב) by Naomi Shemer. The theme of the piyut is the absolute destruction of the Temple as well as its extension to the land of Israel and the Jewish people. Of particular importance is the relation to religion. The letter written by Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman upon his visit to Israel in 1267 is similar. This was the lowest state during the second exile. He observes, "Many are its forsaken places, and great is the desecration. The more sacred the place, the greater the devastation it has suffered. Jerusalem is the most desolate place of all".
The idea of crying like the yelp of a dog is an expression of the depth of the exile in the spirit of a Jew. Normally mourning evokes sympathy with the desire to console and help. However if the heart is very twisted so too is a person's sorrow. An animal's howl is ugly, repulses others, and invites ostracism. To Yehuda Halevy this is where we stand in regards to mourning the tragedies that have befallen us.
A dream reflects a person's hopes and wishes. It should be the fervent hope of every Jew to see the Temple rebuilt and in its highest glory. Jerusalem should be the perfection of beauty. The state of Israel should be a respected minister among the nations. As a practical matter these things may seem to be very unrealistic. However at least it can be a dream. A metaphor for this would be the finest philharmonic with an excellent chorus. The idea of being a harp implies that even the best of dreams is only about strumming a few chords.
There is a story in the Gamara (Brachos 58b) about how Rav Hisda sighed when he saw the house of a very charitable man in ruins. His fellow traveler Ulah tried to console him by saying that since the destruction of the Temple there has been a decree in heaven that the homes of the righteous shall be in ruins. When the Temple is rebuilt so too will their homes be rebuilt. Seeing that he was still not satisfied, Ulah added, "It should be sufficient for a servant to be like his master". He meant that when G-d, the master, has His home, the Holy Temple, in ruins, the righteous servant should not be distraught over the destruction of the houses of other righteous people. There is an aspect of this story in the poem "Zion, Don't you Inquire About the Welfare of Your Prisoners?" To a certain extent the state of religion in the world is reflected in the well being of the sincerest of believers. If it seems hopeless that the Temple will be rebuilt a clear dream about it being rebuilt would seem absurd. The prayer of this poem is that the hopes and sorrows of the righteous will bring us closer to Israel's final redemption, speedily and in our days.
לע"נ האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז ניסן תשנ"ח
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