גָּדַ֧ר בַּעֲדִ֛י וְלֹ֥א אֵצֵ֖א הִכְבִּ֥יד נְחָשְׁתִּֽי׃
Cercou-me de uma sebe de modo que não posso sair; agravou os meus grilhões.
Eikhah Rabbah
“He fenced me in that I will not emerge; He made my fetters heavy” (Lamentations 3:7).
“He fenced me in that I will not emerge” – Rabbi Aivu said: This is the enclosure of the Arabs. Rabbi Berekhya said: This is the fortress of the Persians.12The “enclosure of the Arabs” and the “fortress of the Persians” were locations where Jews were imprisoned. The Rabbis say: This is the strip of land of the Cuthites.13The Cuthites inhabited a strip of land in the Land of Israel that separated between the Jewish communities of Judea and the Galilee, and they would not permit Jews to travel between the two Jewish areas (see Ḥagiga 25a). “He made my fetters heavy” – He burdened me with land tax, state tax, and poll tax.
“Even when I cry and plead, He blocks my prayer” (Lamentations 3:8).
“Even when I cry and plead” – Rabbi Aḥa said: Anyone who prays with the congregation, to what is he comparable? It is to people who crafted a crown for the king. A poor man comes and donates his portion of it. What does the king say? Shall I not accept it because of this poor person?14The translation is in accordance with the Hebrew textual emendation of Rabbi David Luria. Immediately, the king accepts it and places it on his head. Likewise, if there were ten righteous men standing in prayer and there is a wicked man standing in their midst, what does the Holy One blessed be He say? Shall I not accept their prayer because of this wicked person? The Rabbis said: One who comes after the congregation, his actions are scrutinized. To what is he comparable? It is to a king whose sharecroppers and the members of his household entered to honor him. One came late. The king said: ‘Let his barrel be sealed.’15He brought a barrel of wine or other goods for the king, but the king does not accept the gift (Matnot Kehuna). What caused this for him? It is because he came late. So too, anyone who prays after the community, his actions are scrutinized. That is why it is stated: “Even when I cry and plead, He blocks [satam] my prayer.” Satam is written with a sin,16It is not written here with a samekh, which would have been the conventional spelling. Thus, the word can be vocalized shetam, which means “because it has concluded.” because the prayer of the congregation has concluded.
“He fenced my ways with hewn stone, distorted my paths” (Lamentations 3:9).
“He fenced my ways with hewn stone” – the daughters of Lod would knead their doughs, ascend and pray [in Jerusalem], and descend before they leavened. The daughters of Tzippori would ascend and praise [God] in the Temple, and there was no one who harvested the fig tree before them.17They would leave early in the morning and return early in the morning as well. Some assert that the text should state that they would stay for Shabbat [shavtan] rather than that they would praise God [shabḥan]. Nonetheless, they were able to return home so early on Sunday morning that they were the first to harvest the figs (Matnot Kehuna). The scribe of Migdal would prepare his lamps every Friday, would ascend [to the Temple], praise, and descend and kindle them. Some say that every Friday the scribe would ascend, review his [Torah] portion in the Temple, descend, and observe Shabbat in his home.
There was an incident involving a certain person who was standing and plowing. His ox fled. He went and told people what [had occurred]. They said to him: ‘On which thoroughfare did you come?’18Apparently, he had lost his way and did not know how to get home. Alternatively, they asked him which way his ox had taken so that they could help him find it. He began showing them but could not find the way. They applied to him the verse: “He fenced my ways with hewn stone, distorted [iva] my paths.” He rendered [the paths] ruins, just as it says: “A ruin [ava], a ruin, a ruin I will render it” (Ezekiel 21:32).
“He fenced me in that I will not emerge” – Rabbi Aivu said: This is the enclosure of the Arabs. Rabbi Berekhya said: This is the fortress of the Persians.12The “enclosure of the Arabs” and the “fortress of the Persians” were locations where Jews were imprisoned. The Rabbis say: This is the strip of land of the Cuthites.13The Cuthites inhabited a strip of land in the Land of Israel that separated between the Jewish communities of Judea and the Galilee, and they would not permit Jews to travel between the two Jewish areas (see Ḥagiga 25a). “He made my fetters heavy” – He burdened me with land tax, state tax, and poll tax.
“Even when I cry and plead, He blocks my prayer” (Lamentations 3:8).
“Even when I cry and plead” – Rabbi Aḥa said: Anyone who prays with the congregation, to what is he comparable? It is to people who crafted a crown for the king. A poor man comes and donates his portion of it. What does the king say? Shall I not accept it because of this poor person?14The translation is in accordance with the Hebrew textual emendation of Rabbi David Luria. Immediately, the king accepts it and places it on his head. Likewise, if there were ten righteous men standing in prayer and there is a wicked man standing in their midst, what does the Holy One blessed be He say? Shall I not accept their prayer because of this wicked person? The Rabbis said: One who comes after the congregation, his actions are scrutinized. To what is he comparable? It is to a king whose sharecroppers and the members of his household entered to honor him. One came late. The king said: ‘Let his barrel be sealed.’15He brought a barrel of wine or other goods for the king, but the king does not accept the gift (Matnot Kehuna). What caused this for him? It is because he came late. So too, anyone who prays after the community, his actions are scrutinized. That is why it is stated: “Even when I cry and plead, He blocks [satam] my prayer.” Satam is written with a sin,16It is not written here with a samekh, which would have been the conventional spelling. Thus, the word can be vocalized shetam, which means “because it has concluded.” because the prayer of the congregation has concluded.
“He fenced my ways with hewn stone, distorted my paths” (Lamentations 3:9).
“He fenced my ways with hewn stone” – the daughters of Lod would knead their doughs, ascend and pray [in Jerusalem], and descend before they leavened. The daughters of Tzippori would ascend and praise [God] in the Temple, and there was no one who harvested the fig tree before them.17They would leave early in the morning and return early in the morning as well. Some assert that the text should state that they would stay for Shabbat [shavtan] rather than that they would praise God [shabḥan]. Nonetheless, they were able to return home so early on Sunday morning that they were the first to harvest the figs (Matnot Kehuna). The scribe of Migdal would prepare his lamps every Friday, would ascend [to the Temple], praise, and descend and kindle them. Some say that every Friday the scribe would ascend, review his [Torah] portion in the Temple, descend, and observe Shabbat in his home.
There was an incident involving a certain person who was standing and plowing. His ox fled. He went and told people what [had occurred]. They said to him: ‘On which thoroughfare did you come?’18Apparently, he had lost his way and did not know how to get home. Alternatively, they asked him which way his ox had taken so that they could help him find it. He began showing them but could not find the way. They applied to him the verse: “He fenced my ways with hewn stone, distorted [iva] my paths.” He rendered [the paths] ruins, just as it says: “A ruin [ava], a ruin, a ruin I will render it” (Ezekiel 21:32).
Aggadat Bereshit
[2] additional interpretation: In the second year of Darius, why did The Holy One, blessed be He, choose to mention Zion? It is because everything that happened to Joseph also happened to Zion, [and why mention] Joseph? "And Israel loved Joseph" (Genesis 37:3), and [Order of lines inverted for clarity.] "The LORD loves the gates of Zion" (Psalms 87:2). "Joseph's brothers hated him" (Genesis 37:5), and "Zion was hated for the voice of her groaning" (Jeremiah 12:8). Joseph, "Behold, we are binding sheaves" (Genesis 37:7), and Zion, "Let Zion come, let her rejoice in her king" (Isaiah 62:1). Joseph's brothers said to him, "Do you indeed reign over us?" (Genesis 37:8), and Zion says, "Your God reigns over you" (Isaiah 52:7). Joseph dreamed a dream (Genesis 37:5), and Zion says, "When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream" (Psalm 126:1). Joseph said, "Here comes that dreamer" (Genesis 37:19), and Zion says, "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet" (Isaiah 62:1). Joseph said, "Come now, let me show you the kindness of my brothers" (Genesis 37:14), and Zion says, "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf" (Jeremiah 29:7). Joseph's brothers saw him from afar (Genesis 37:18), and Zion says, "The Lord appeared to me from far away" (Jeremiah 31:3). Joseph and before they approached him to kill him (Genesis 37:18). "They conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish." (Psalm 83:3). "And they stripped Joseph of his coat" (Genesis 37:23), "And they will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry" (Ezekiel 23:26). "And they threw him into the pit" (Genesis 37:24), "He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains" (Lamentations 3:7). "The pit where there is no water" (Genesis 37:24), "They threw Jeremiah into a cistern, where he sank into the mud" (Jeremiah 38:6). "They sat down to eat bread" (Genesis 37:25), "Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets" (Lamentations 4:5). "And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit" (Genesis 37:28), "And they pulled Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern" (Jeremiah 38:13). "And Jacob tore his clothes" (Genesis 37:34), "The Lord did what he had planned; he carried out his word" (Lamentations 2:17). Joseph put a sackcloth on his waist (Genesis 37:34), and Zion put on sackcloth, lamented, and girded herself with mourning (Isaiah 22:12). Joseph refused to be comforted (Genesis 37:35), and Zion said, "Do not comfort me" (Isaiah 22:4). Joseph was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:28), and Zion and the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem were sold to the Greeks (Joel 4:6). Behold, what happened to Joseph happened to Zion. The good things are also mentioned; "Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance" (Genesis 39:6), and Zion, "This beautiful city, admired by all" (Lamentations 2:15). "Joseph is not greater in this house than I" (Genesis 39:9), but "The Lord is great in Zion" (Psalm 99:2). "The Lord was with Joseph" (Genesis 39:21), and "My eyes and my heart will be there always" (1 Kings 9:3). "And Joseph found grace in his sight" (Genesis 39:21), and "Therefore, Zion, you are redeemed by mercy". Joseph was taken out of the pit, his clothes were changed (Genesis 41:14), and Zion, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). Joseph was clothed in fine linen* [*שש means = something "bleached white", byssus (Latin = cotton), linen, fine linen, also: alabaster, similar stone, marble. Also means number 6] (Genesis 41:42), and Zion, "Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion!" (Isaiah 52:1). Joseph was redeemed after two years, from the day he interpreted the dreams of the butler and the baker (Genesis 41:1), and it came to pass after two full years that Zion was redeemed in the second year of Darius (Haggai 1:1). Therefore, David said, "You have redeemed your people with your arm, the sons of Jacob and Joseph" (Psalm 77:16).