פירוש על איכה 2:29

How can it be that…cast a gloom. Bring darkness,¹Alternatively, ‘has raised up to the clouds.’ (Ibn Ezra) as Scripture states, “the heavens had become darkened with clouds.”²I Melochim 18:45.

From heaven to earth. After He lifted them up to heaven, He cast them to earth all at once, and not gradually;³Otherwise Scripture should have stated לארץ, instead of ארץ, the latter expression indicates that it was done in one instant. (Sifsei Chachomim) from a lofty roof to a deep pit.

His footstool. His footstool, referring to the Beis Hamikdosh.⁴See Targum in Tehilim 99:5.

[Every] residence of Yaakov. The houses of Yaakov,⁵Referring to the exile of the ten tribes; and ‘the fortifications of the province of Yehudah’ refers to the exile of the Dovidic dynasty, and thereby ‘He desecrated the kingdom, etc.’ an expression of a dwelling place.⁶From the root נוה; referring to the 480 learning institutions in Yerusholayim. (Eichah Rabbah 2:4)

Razing them to the ground. He lowered them to the ground.

He has desecrated the kingdom and its princes. These are the Israelites, who were called, “a kingdom of kohanim.”⁷Shemos 19:6.

And its princes. Midrash Aggadah [states] that these are the heavenly princes⁸It cannot mean ordinary princes because they are included in the previously stated ‘the kingdom.’ (Sifsei Chachomim) [whose appointments] He changed. The one appointed over fire He appointed over water, and He changed all the appointees because there were among the wicked of Yisroel those who knew the Ineffable Name of God, and they relied that they could invoke the heavenly princes to save them from fire, water, and sword. But now, when he would invoke the prince of fire by his name, he would reply, “This dominion is not within my power,” and so all of them.

He withheld His right hand. He withdrew Himself as though withdrawing His right hand from waging war for his children.⁹His right hand is symbolic of strength and war. See Shemos 15:6.

He arched His bow. Because this is the manner of archers who are strong, to place their foot upon them [bows] when he bends them; therefore it is written as an expression of treading [=דְּרִיכָה.¹⁰At first He merely arched his bow to scare them so that they repent.

He poured his fury like fire. The arrangement of the words is as follows: He poured His fury, which is like fire, for we do not find the “pouring” of fire except in conjunction with fury as it is written, “Pour Your fury upon the nations.”¹¹Tehilim 79:6.

He magnified in the community of Yehudah. He increased in the congregation of Yehudah.

Suffering and lamentation. Pain and wailing.

He magnified. The yud is vowelized with a small patach [=segol], which is an expression of increasing others, [as in,] “And the people increased וַיִּרֶב and were very mighty,”¹²Shemos 1:20. See Rashi there on וייטב. is vowelized [under the yud] with a chirik, which is an expression meaning that he himself increased. Similarly, every word whose radical ends with a hei, e.g., to turn פָּנָה, to go astray זָנָה, to weep בָּכָה, are vowelized in that manner when the hei is missing, when it speaks of itself it is vowelized with a chirik, e.g., “And Pharaoh turned.”¹³Shemos 17:23. But when it speaks of others it is vowelized with a small patach [=segol], e.g., “and he turned [the foxes] tail to tail,”¹⁴Shoftim 15:4. [and] “and Yehudah went into exile from his land,”¹⁵II Melochim 25:21. Here, ויגל is vowelized with a chirik. [and] “and the king of Bavel exiled Yisroel into Assyria.”¹⁶Ibid., 18:11.

He cut down. An expression of cutting, and similarly, “He will cast off like a vine,”¹⁷Iyov 15:33. [and] “your steps were cut off.”¹⁸Yirmiyahu 13:22.

Like a garden. As they cut off the vegetables of a garden.

His dwelling place. His abode.¹⁹The Kodesh Hakodoshim. (Palgei Mayim) It is written שִׁכּוֹ [to indicate] that He lightened²⁰As in Bereishis 8:1, ‘and the waters subsided’ [וישכו]. His anger against His children with the destruction of His House. [So it is expounded] in the Midrash of Lamentations.²¹Eichah Rabbah 2:10.

He destroyed His place of Communion. The Holy of Holies,²²Alternatively, the Beis Hamikdosh. (Palgei Mayim) where He would meet with His children, as it is stated, “I will set My meeting you there.”²³Shemos 25:22. See footnote for 1:4 above.

The king and the kohein. King Tzidkiyahu²⁴See II Melochim 25:7. and Serayahu the Kohein Gadol.²⁵See II Melochim 25:18-21. Rashi explains that the king and the kohein must be two individuals rather than a king who is a kohein, because the kings who ruled during the period of the first Beis Hamikdosh were descendants of the non-kohein Dovidic dynasty. (Sifsei Chachomim)

[He] nullified. He rejected,²⁶Alternatively, ‘he burnt.’ and similarly, “You rejected נֵאַרְתָּה the covenant of Your servant.”²⁷Tehilim 89:40.

Like that of a festival day. For they were making merry and singing with a loud voice in its midst. So did the enemies let out a cry of joy when it was destroyed.

Adonoy determined to destroy. It had been many days since this entered His mind, as it is stated, “For it has aroused My anger and My fury— this city—[from the day that they built it until this day], to remove it from My Presence.”²⁸Yirmiyahu 32:31.

He set the course. Of judgement, to be punished for our sins.

From destroying. From destroying.

The fence and the wall. A large wall and a small wall, a low wall opposite a high wall.

Her gates sank into the ground. The Midrash Aggadah [states], that because they [i.e., the gates] imparted honor to the Ark, as it is stated, “raise up your heads O gates,”²⁹Tehilim 24:9. therefore no one had any power over them, and they sank into the ground. [But] our Rabbis said that they were Dovid’s handiwork, therefore, the enemies had no power over them.³⁰Maseches Sotah 9a.

Without guidance. There is no one among them to give instructions.

They sit on the ground, etc. According to its apparent meaning. But the Midrash Aggadah [states] that Nevuchadnetzar sat them on the ground when Tzidkiyahu rebelled against him and transgressed his oath. He came and stationed himself in Dophnei³¹Nevuchadnetzar’s headquarters was situated in Rivlah as indicated in Yirmiyahu 39:5. See Targum Yonoson Ben Uzieil in Bamidbar 34:11, who identifies Rivlah as Daphnei. However, the Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin 96b identifies Rivlah as Antochya. of Ontochya, and sent for the Sanhedrin. They came toward him and he saw that they were men of imposing appearance. He sat them down in golden chairs and said to them, “recite your Torah for me chapter by chapter and translate it for me.” When they reached the chapter dealing with vows, he said to them, “[What] if he wishes to retract [from his vow], can he retract?” They said to him, “Let him go to a sage and he will absolve him [of his vow].” He said to them, “If so, you [must have] absolved Tzidkiyahu of his oath.” He [Nevuchadnetzar] commanded, and they pushed them down and sat them on the ground.³²If they had sat down on their own accord, Scripture would have stated yushvu instead of yishvu and domu instead of yidmu. They then tied the hair of their heads to the horses’ tails³³As indicated by the end of the verse, ‘they lower their heads to the ground.’ and dragged them.

Shriveled. Regrezilerent [shriveled up] in O.F. Intestines— when a person casts them into a fire— shrivel up and burn.

Faint. Pasmer [faint] in O.F.

What testimony can I offer you, to what can I compare you. To say to you, “Why do you wonder about your destruction? Did that not happen to such and such a nation, just like [it happened] you?”³⁴I.e., there is no other nation that suffered a calamity equal to yours.

To what can I liken you to console you. When trouble befalls a person, [people] say to him, “This also happened to so and so,” as a consolation for him.

Falsehood and stupidity. Words that have no taste, in O.F. aplastrement.

And did not expose your transgressions. To reprove you directly about your way.

To bring you back from your waywardness. To straighten you out of your waywardness, an expression of “rebellious שׁוֹבְבָה,”³⁵Yirmiyahu 8;5. “ backsliding שׁוֹבָבִים,”³⁶Ibid., 3:14. “and he went waywardly שׁוֹבָב.”³⁷Yeshayahuu 57:17.

And deception. They misled you away from Me.

They hiss. To blow with the mouth, [i.e., to whistle], sibler in O.F. It is customary for a person to do so upon seeing an important thing that was ruined and destroyed.

The perfection of beauty. All beauty was hers.³⁸See Tehilim 50:2. The gematriya [numerical value] of ירושלים is equal to כלילת יופי . (Yalkut Me’am Lo’ez)

They opened their mouths wide concerning you. Why did Scripture place the pei³⁹Means ‘mouth’. before the ayin⁴⁰Means ‘eye’. ? Because they [i.e., the prophets] were saying with their mouths what they did not see with their eyes.

He fulfilled his word. He completed His decree, as in, “let loose His hand and finish me off וִיבַצְּעֵנִי.”⁴¹Iyov 6:9.

As decreed in the days of old. That which is written in the Torah, “then I will increase your punishment sevenfold.”⁴²Vayikra 26:18.

Respite. Letting up, tresalement in O.F. [let up], as in, “and his heart grew faint וַיָּפָג.”⁴³Bereishis 45:26.

The pupil of your eye. The black area of the eye which is called preanal [in O.F.].

Watches. Two parts of the night, for the night is divided into three parts,⁴⁴See Rashi in Shemos 14:24. as our Rabbis stated in Maseches Berachos.⁴⁵3a.

Faint. Pasmez in O.F. [faint].

Infants who were lovingly attended. Tender children, who are still being raised with their mothers’ pampering. And our Rabbis expounded [that this phrase is] referring to Do’eg the son of Yoseif,⁴⁶See Eichah Rabbah 1:51 which indicates that the infant was the son of Do’eg who had died, leaving a small child. However, according to an edification in the Talmudic text in Maseches Yoma 38b, Do’eg was the child’s name, and Rashi apparently had this version. whose mother would measure him with [her] handbreadth every day,⁴⁷The word טפחים [tipuchim] meaning care, can also be vowelized as tephuchim, meaning ‘handbreadths.’ to give gold to the Beis Hamikdosh according to how much he grew;⁴⁸I.e., the weight he gained. and in the end she devoured him.⁴⁹Maseches Yoma 38b. When in the Sanctuary of God, was murdered

a kohein and a prophet. The Holy Spirit answers them, “Was it proper for you to have murdered Zecharyah the son of Yehoyada,” as it is written in Divrei Hayomim,⁵⁰II Divrei Hayomim 24:20-21. that he reproved them when they came to prostrate themselves to Yo’ash, and they deified him. “And the Spirit [of God] enveloped Zecharyah the son of Yehoyada,”⁵¹Ibid., 24:20. who was a kohein and a prophet, and they killed him in the courtyard.⁵²Because he rebuked them for worshiping idols and he had prophesied the destruction of Yerusholayim.

You summon as if to a festive day. תִּקְרָא means] the same as קָרָאתָ; an expression in the present tense.

My neighbors. My evil neighbors, to gather about me to destroy.⁵³Alternatively, ‘my terrors.’ (Ibn Ezra) To whom I attended lovingly and reared,

my enemy has annihilated. The children whom I pampered and reared, the enemy came and annihilated them.