Halakhah su Lamentazioni 5:78

(Dalet) [This also explains the following.] Many were troubled as to why the Lord did not accept the repentance of the first Adam and ‘return the sword of death to its sheave.’ But it appears to me like what I wrote in Paragraph Gimmel in the name of the writings of Ari, that with the sin of man, the divine spirit [blown into man] returns to God – [even if it] returns back to [man when he repents]. And this is the intention of the saying of the Sages, may their memory be blessed, [that] a penitent ‘is like a newly born infant’; and [that] about him is it stated (Ps. 102:19), “that a people created will praise the Lord” (Yalkut Shimoni on Nach 855:12). According to this – before the sin of the first Adam, his composition was [completely] from [God], may He be blessed. And [so] he was designed by the hands of the Holy One, blessed be He, who gave him a portion of [Himself. Hence] it was fitting that it not wither and that it should remain in a man. However after the sin when the divine portion withdrew and then – when he repented – [God] returned the divine portion, it was as if [man] made himself; and he [then] had the aspect of “a people created.” And the works of man cannot remain in a man (such that he would live forever), but rather only in the species [as a whole]. And from then, ‘death has arisen through our window.’ And with this, [we can] understand that which is found in the Midrash (Eichah Rabbah 5:21), “‘Bring us back O Lord to You and we shall repent, renew our days as of old’ (Lam. 5:21) – as the days of the first Adam.” [This is] meaning that we want there to be an arousal from above first, and that the repentance be from the Holy One blessed be He; and afterwards, “we shall repent.” And then we shall [again] be designed by the hands of the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘and we shall live and not die.’ And this is like the days of the first Adam before his sin, in which only by doing the commandments of the Lord can he preserve the divine portion within him forever. And he will [then] always have the aspect of a well. And this is the intention of their statement,¹⁷The reference is not clear. See Jacobs, “Rabbi Aryeh Laib Heller's Theological Introduction,” Note 15. may their memory be blessed, [that] “And the righteous shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4), is meaning in his trust [of God]. As he does not have trust in all of his wealth, since money is not independent. But rather, ‘his heart is set with the Lord,’ and “he will live by his faith.” And that is what is called life – that which emanates from himself.

In light of this point, I propose that we bear in mind the tragedy of Gush Katif when we recite in Selichot, “yofi admateinu l’zarim,” the beauty of our land is in the hands of nochrim. This phrase perfectly matches and captures the tragic loss of Gush Katif⁷³Yakir Forman adds the same idea should apply when we hear Eichah 5:2 (“Nachalateinu Nehefchah LeZarim, Bateinu LeNochrim, Our land has been handed over to strangers; our houses to foreigners”) and subsequently recite it in the first Kinnah on Tishah B'av night. . In addition, the Sephardic liturgy for Tisha B’Av mentions (immediately prior to the removal of the Sefer Torah for Keriat HaTorah) that Eretz Yisrael is kevushah, conquered. Not only may we bear in mind that this refers to Gush Katif, but this phrase may also remind us that even today, the Israeli government is not completely free to act as we wish in Eretz Yisrael, as it is subject to external pressures that brought about the loss of Gush Katif.

The order of the [9 Av] day: [Eliezer ben Yoel haLevi] wrote in the Avi haEzri: the night of 9 Av they take off their sandals and go to the synagogue and sit on the ground like mourners and light no more than one light, with which to read the Book of Lamentations and kinot. And the shaliaḥ tzibur stands and prays Aravit and says the full Kaddish and reads the Book of Lamentations and says kinot, and after that the Kedusha d’Sidra, and starts with “And You are holy." And "To Zion will come a redeemer" is not said, for there is no redemption that night, nor "And as for Me, this is My covenant," for it seems to be establishing a covenant over kinot, and there is no relation to say "And as for Me, this is My covenant" for all is exempted then. But in a mourner's house it is said, for if the mourner is exempted, the comforters are not. And he says Kaddish without "May they be accepted." And they go home, and do not greet one another except in the manner of mourners or chastened ones. And if 9 Av ends on Shabbat or the day after, they do not say "Your Justice is justice." Just as on a new moon that falls (being on the Sunday after) Shabbat, that they do not say "Your Justice is justice" on Shabbat that is 9 Av it is called a mo'ed. And they do not say Psalm 90:17 [and Psalm 91]. And some of the Gaonim wrote that they do not say Psalm 90:17 [and Psalm 91], and also not to say the Kedusha d'Sidra. And Rav Zemaḥ Gaon wrote they do not say Psalm 90:17 [and Psalm 91] but they say "And to Zion will come" and all of the Kedusha d'Sidra, except for "And as for Me, this is My covenant."And Rabbeinu Nissim wrote that they do not say Psalm 90:17 [and Psalm 91] but it is our custom to say in the evening and morning to say "And as for Me, this is My covenant." And why not say it? And the people studies Job and Jeremiah and the kinot in the morning and does the order of blessings and hymns according to other days and there are places where it is customary not to say the Song [of the Sea]. And those praying the eighteen blessings individually say "Answer us" within "Hear our Prayer," and the shaliaḥ tzibur between "Redeemer" and "Healer" as on other fast days, and says "Comfort" within "Builder of Jerusalem." And unlike other public fast days twenty-four blessings aren't said and a Closing of the Gates prayer is not said. And Rav Amram wrote it is our custom to increase seliḥot in "Forgive us." And teḥinot are not said, as it is called a mo'ed, and if it falls on Monday or Thursday one says "God, long-suffering" but does not say "And He is merciful" and in Spain they do not say "God, long-suffering." And they take out a Torah scroll and read three aliyot from the section of Va-etḥanan, "When you bear children." (Deuteronomy 4:25–40). And the maftir is the third. And the maftir reads from Jeremiah, "I will gather, gather them" (Jeremiah 8:13 - 9:23). And [Eliezer ben Yoel haLevi] wrote in the Avi haEzri that one rolls the Torah scroll in its place so as not to reduce its honor. But in Tractate Soferim 18:4 it is written: Some read the book of Lamentations in the evening, and some delay it until the morning to after the reading of the Torah scroll. After the reading of the Torah scroll, one stands and wallows in ash, and they puncture their clothes and read in weeping and wailing. If they know how to translate, all the better. And if not, give it to one who knows how to translate so that all the people and the women and children will understand, for women are required as are men, as are male children. And the one who reads on 9 Av says "Blessed is the True Judge." And some place the scroll case on the ground and say "Fallen is the crown of our head" (Lamentations 5:16) and tear their clothes and weep like a person whose dead lies before them. And some change their places, and some get down from their benches. And all wallow in ashes and do not greet one another all night and all day until all the people have finished their kinot. And at them time of kinot it is forbidden to talk or go outside, so as not to stop one's heart from grieving. And similarly, not to talk with idolaters. And if there is a mourner in the town, he goes at night to synagogue, and in the day, until they finish kinot. And if there is an infant to circumcise, they circumcise him after they finish kinot. And some delay the circumcision until after noon. And some say that we do not bless over a cup but bless without a cup. And according to the Tosafot we bless on a cup but give it to a child to drink. and we are not concerned that perhaps he may be drawn to drink from it even after he grows up, because it is not a permanent matter. And therefore, on 9 Av that falls on the day after Shabbat we don't say Havdalah and give it to a child, because we are concerned that he may be drawn to it, for it is considered a permanent matter, because, according to the structure of the years, it sometimes falls on Shabbat once every three or four years. A sandak changes into other clothes, but not really white ones. One time when 9 Av fell on Shabbat and was postponed to the next day, Rabbeinu Yaavets was a sandak, and he prayed Minḥa while the day was still going and washed and did not finish his fast since it was a festival for him. And evidence can be found from where it is taught (Eruvin 51a) "Said Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok: I am a descendant of Senaav ben Binyamin. One time, the Ninth of Av fell on Shabbat, and we postponed it until after Shabbat, and we fasted but did not complete it because that it was our Festival." And some have the custom not to slaughter or prepare necessities for the break-fast until after noon. At Minḥa they read "And Moses implored" (Exodus 32:11-14, Exodus 34:1-10) as on other fast days, and the haftarah is "Seek out" (Isaiah 55:6–56:8). And Rabbeinu Hai wrote that his custom was to read "Return" (Hosea 14:2-10) as the haftarah. And they pray the eighteen blessings and say "Comfort" within "Builder of Jerusalem" and "Answer us" within "Hear our Prayer," and the shaliaḥ tzibur between "Redeemer" and "Healer."