InĀ MegillatĀ Eicha, Lamentations, the prophetĀ YirmiyahuĀ records his impressions of the destruction ofĀ YerushalayimĀ and theĀ firstĀ Beit Hamikdash, and the exile of the Jews from theĀ land of Israel.Ā It is a very emotional book in which the prophet expresses feelings of intense loneliness, a sense of utter abandonment, desolation, desecration of that which was sacred, pain and suffering.Ā There are times whenĀ YirmiyahuĀ even seems to challengeĀ HashemĀ for allowingĀ thisĀ to happen, yetĀ the bookĀ also contains elements of prayer, faith and hope.
The shock of the devastation ofĀ YerushalayimĀ is so great,Ā especiallyĀ because so many were convinced thatĀ the tragedyĀ would never happen (Lamentations 4:12).Ā EvenĀ manyĀ Jews themselves chose to believe the false prophets who told them that God would never destroy His Temple nor exile His people from theĀ chosenĀ land, rather than placingĀ their trust inĀ YirmiyahuĀ and inĀ HashemĀ (see for example Jeremiah 26).Ā Furthermore, the contrast between whatĀ YerushalayimĀ had been, and what it had become, is so shocking that even the other nations are astonished by what they see: āāIs this the city that was calledĀ āPerfect in Beauty, Joy of All the Earth?āā (Lamentations 2:15).
How did it happen?Ā What led to the great destruction of the Holy Land and the exile of the Jews?Ā YirmiyahuĀ answers āIt was for the sins of herĀ Neviim,Ā the iniquities of herĀ Kohanim,Ā who had shed in her midstā (Lamentations 4:13).Ā Throughout the Bible, the Jews are told thatĀ Eretz YisraelĀ is their eternal inheritance, butĀ thatĀ living in the land is dependent upon following God and HisĀ Torah.Ā The prophets warnĀ againĀ andĀ again that continuing toĀ sin, abandoningĀ Hashem, and treating others inappropriately will lead to destruction and exile.Ā Ā Ultimately, that is what happened.Ā However,Ā YirmiyahuĀ also reminds us thatĀ HashemĀ did not abandon His people and His land, even though He destroyed the place where they connect to Him most.Ā Their new challenge is to findĀ HashemĀ and rebuild their connection with Him, even inĀ exile.
AmidstĀ the mourning,Ā sorrow andĀ misery ofĀ MegillatĀ Eicha, there are elements of faith and optimism.Ā In the middle of chapter 3, the prophet declares āThe kindness ofĀ HashemĀ has not ended, His mercies are not spentā (3:22).Ā He continues a little further in the chapter: āForĀ HashemĀ does notĀ reject forever, but first afflicts, then pardons in His abundant kindness.Ā For He does not willfully bring grief or affliction to manā (3:31-33).Ā Ā YirmiyahuĀ remindsĀ us that destruction and exile from theĀ land of Israel is not an indication ofĀ aĀ divorce betweenĀ HashemĀ and His nation.Ā Rather, the exile is meant to serveĀ a rehabilitativeĀ function.Ā It is meant to trigger introspection, evaluation of our behavior and relationship withĀ Hashem, andĀ toĀ lead us to recommit ourselves to God and to each other.Ā Indeed,Ā YirmiyahuĀ himself composes a letter to the exiles in which he gives them the guidelines for surviving inĀ exile,Ā and promises redemption if they call out toĀ HashemĀ (Jeremiah 28).
Similarly, theĀ TalmudĀ (MakkotĀ 24b) relates that a number of leadingĀ Sages were visitingĀ YerushalayimĀ following the destruction of theĀ Beit Hamikdash, and they came upon the ruins of the Temple Mount.Ā Seeing aĀ jackalĀ scamper across the holiest site in the world, three of the four rabbis started to cry. The great Rabbi Akiva, on the other hand, began to laugh joyously. Shocked, theĀ othersĀ asked him to explain his behavior. Rabbi AkivaĀ repliedĀ that if the prophecies of destructionĀ haveĀ so clearlyĀ been fulfilled, we can be certain that the promises of redemption will also be fulfilled.Ā Ā MegillatĀ Eicha, therefore, calls on us to āsearch and examine our ways,Ā and turn back toĀ Hashemā (3:40).Ā ItĀ ends with a call to the Lord to fulfill those prophecies of redemption andĀ ārenew our days as of oldā (5:21).
TheĀ TalmudĀ (TaanitĀ 30b) teaches that those who participate in mourning for the destruction ofĀ YerushalayimĀ will merit to participate in rejoicing overĀ itsĀ rebuilding.Ā Throughout theĀ cycleĀ ofĀ life,Ā JewsĀ expressĀ sorrow for the fact that theĀ Beit HamikdashĀ is no longer with us, and thatĀ as a result,Ā Godās presence isĀ more distant. For this reason,Ā a glassĀ is brokenĀ at Jewish weddings,Ā to rememberĀ YerushalayimĀ even atĀ theĀ happiestĀ ofĀ occasions.Ā AndĀ once a year, on the ninth of the Hebrew month ofĀ Av, the mourning forĀ YerushalayimĀ is particularly vivid. For more than twenty-four hours it is forbidden to eat or drink;Ā JewsĀ sit on the floorĀ as an expression of mourning,Ā and recall the events surrounding the destructionĀ by recitingĀ MegillatĀ EichaĀ and other prayers of lament,Ā as ifĀ the tragedy hadĀ just happened.Ā In this way,Ā it is possible toĀ come to grips with whatĀ has beenĀ lost.Ā Ā MegillatĀ EichaĀ is the textĀ that best expresses our broken hearts as we call out again and again,Ā EichaĀ (××××), āalas,ā or āhowĀ [did this happen].ā
ForĀ almostĀ two thousand years,Ā Jews have mourned over the destruction ofĀ YerushalayimĀ and theĀ Beit Hamikdash.Ā In modern times, we have begun to experience the rebirth of theĀ landĀ of Israel andĀ the Holy City.Ā May we merit to quickly seeĀ Hashemās comfort and the fulfillment of the rest of the redemption, through the coming of theĀ MashiachĀ and the building of theĀ thirdĀ Beit Hamikdash.
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