כָּל־עַמָּ֤הּ נֶאֱנָחִים֙ מְבַקְּשִׁ֣ים לֶ֔חֶם נָתְנ֧וּ מחמודיהם [מַחֲמַדֵּיהֶ֛ם] בְּאֹ֖כֶל לְהָשִׁ֣יב נָ֑פֶשׁ רְאֵ֤ה יְהוָה֙ וְֽהַבִּ֔יטָה כִּ֥י הָיִ֖יתִי זוֹלֵלָֽה׃ (ס)
Seluruh rakyatnya mengerang sambil mencari roti. Mereka menukarkan harta kesayangan mereka dengan makanan untuk memulihkan nyawa. “Lihatlah, ya Yang Mahakekal, dan perhatikanlah, sebab aku telah menjadi seorang pelahap.”
Ma'amar Hador
The great pain, that pushes down the soul with a great and terrible melancholy, is found in our generation in anyone who thinks about thinking and dabbles a bit in philosophy. And for those who have the ability to accept gentle and straight feelings in their hearts - those [overwhelming] feelings are indescribable. We wither away as we watch an entire generation - fathers and children of an entire nation alike - twisting in horrible pain and hellish anguish. The pain is so great that it takes away the ability to speak. One cannot tell its own issues, in a clear way - that could, on its own, sweeten in a meaningful way the aches of the heart. One can talk, but not tell, of the lesions of their heart; one can only degrade others, rage and curse. The horrible issue, both spiritual and material, oy! They have weakened our world, took away the shining honor of our life. Our eyes are murked and we cannot see our own dignity. We had stooped so low we are in the same degree of those who are disgraced, who are constantly fed on disgracing others, cursing, and by every hotheaded characteristic. If only that was our true value, to be incompetent and lack all respect, then our hearts wouldn’t ache. It hurts only when those of stature walk as slaves on the land, when cherished and respected individuals are disgraced so much that they forget their own dignity and value. "ראה ד' והביטה כי הייתי זוללה" (איכה א' י"א See, O LORD, and behold, how abject I am become (Lamentation, 1 - 11). And if our generation was truly bad and corrupt. A generation filled with scum, we would gladly accept the contempt and dishonor - we wouldn’t be worthy of a better life. "נשכבה בבשתנו ותכסנו כלימתנו" We would lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us (Jeremiah 3, 25)But what will comfort us when we would go into the deep innards of this generation’s emotional, mental, and ethical state? We will not find a low generation, nor will we find them a generation of sinners to be truthful. Both in the parents and the children we will find a lot of good, gentle emotions, and high desires. And yet we see all that we are missing. Not just the strikes on us that are doubled; we are chased up until our neck; our blood is spilled to the ground. Our soul does not know how to relieve ourselves even in the slightest for all the precious and beloved blood of our children and brothers. The Heart is solidifying itself like stone, the brain turns to a bar of lead and we know nothing but how to be excited, furious, angry and hateful. Oy, what has become of us: "בת עמי לאכזר כיענים במדבר" איכה ד' The daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness Apart of all that, the general animosity that surrounds us from all directions, the disgrace and inner humiliations that comes out of even those who wish to come to our aid, who say we deserve mercy - they too have diminished our spirit so we cannot look at ourselves anymore without a view of anger, suspicion, and humiliation. As if we, and only we, are the wicked, the sinners, the ignorant, and the unenlightened of all the nations. Oh dear.