Midrash su Geremia 8:18

Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai began: “Bad, bad, the buyer says; but when he goes, he then praises” (Proverbs 20:14). You find that until Israel was exiled, the Holy One blessed be He called them wicked. That is what is written: “This wicked people who refuse to heed My words” (Jeremiah 13:10). Once they were exiled, He began praising them, as it is stated: “But when he goes, he then praises” (Proverbs 20:14). When they sinned they were exiled. When they were exiled, Jeremiah began lamenting over them, eikha.
“Woe to the filthy and polluted one, the city of oppression” (Zephaniah 3:1) – what is “woe to the filthy [more’a]”? Woe due to the terror [eima], for I have imposed My terror upon all the nations.¹²³Terror in Hebrew is eima or mora. When? “And polluted” [venigala] – you find that when Israel was redeemed [nigalu] from Egypt, their terror fell upon all the nations. That is what is written: “Nations heard, they were agitated…then the chieftains of Edom were alarmed…” (Exodus 15:14–15). “The city of oppression [hayona]” – the nation that I distinguished with mitzvot and good deeds like the dove [yona].¹²⁴The dove’s mate distinguishes it from other doves. After all this praise: “It did not listen to the voice [of the Lord], it did not accept chastisement, it did not place its trust in the Lord, it did not draw near to its God” (Zephaniah 3:2).
A bride who is not obedient, what is she? Is she not a fool? Rabbi Reuven said: In the Greek language they call a fool more’a, “woe to more’a” (Zephaniah 3:1), woe to the fool. “Venigala”– because they would distance themselves from hearing matters of Torah, they were distanced [nigala] from the priesthood. “The city of hayona” (Zephaniah 3:1) – they should have learned from the city of Jonah [Yona], from Nineveh. I sent one prophet to Nineveh and he caused them to repent, while Israel in Jerusalem, how many prophets did I send to them! That is what is written: “The Lord warned Israel, and Judah, by means of every prophet of every vision, saying: Repent from your evil ways, and observe My commandments and My statutes…” (II Kings 17:13). And it is written: “I sent to you all My servants the prophets daily, time and again” (Jeremiah 7:25); “time and again” in the morning, “time and again” in the evening. “But they did not listen” (Jeremiah 7:26) – because they did not listen they were exiled. When they were exiled, Jeremiah began lamenting over them: “How does…sit solitary?” (Lamentations 1:1).
“I struggle to overcome sorrow; my heart aches within me” (Jeremiah 8:18).¹²⁵This verse is cited as the introduction to the upcoming statement.

Rabbi Ḥanina began in this manner: “I struggle [mavligiti] to overcome sorrow; my heart aches within me” (Jeremiah 8:18). What is mavligiti? Due to the lack [mibeli] of people contemplating the Torah to fulfill mitzvot and good deeds, I turned My Temple into My winepress [giti]. Nevertheless, “My heart aches within Me” over the Temple. That is what is written: “For this our heart aches…” (Lamentations 5:17).
And it is written: “Behold the sound of the cry of [shavat] the daughter of My people from a distant land” (Jeremiah 8:19). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This expression is used in three senses: Ze’aka, shava, and ne’aka.¹²⁶These are three similar terms for crying out. Ze’aka indicates crying out in a loud and extended manner. Ne’aka is a form of crying out that is not loud at all. Shava generally means crying out but not as loud or long as ze’aka. It can also refer to any of these types of cries. (Etz Yosef). Ze’aka, as it is written: “The children of Israel sighed due to the work and they cried out [vayizaku], and their plea [shavatam] rose [to God from the work]” (Exodus 2:23). Shava, as it is written: “Behold the sound of the cry of [shavat] the daughter of My people.” Ne’aka, as it is written: “God heard their moaning [naakatam]” (Exodus 2:24). Rabbi Huna the Great of Tzippori says: It is an expression of convulsing. That is what is written: “And groan [venaak] the groans of [naakot] the slain” (Ezekiel 30:24). And it is written: “The souls of the dead cry [teshave’a]” (Job 24:12). “Is the Lord not in Zion? Is its King not in it?” (Jeremiah 8:19). Had He been there, they would not have been exiled. When they sinned they were exiled. When they were exiled, Jeremiah began lamenting over them: “How does…sit solitary?” (Lamentations 1:1).