מָֽה־אֲעִידֵ֞ךְ מָ֣ה אֲדַמֶּה־לָּ֗ךְ הַבַּת֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם מָ֤ה אַשְׁוֶה־לָּךְ֙ וַאֲנַֽחֲמֵ֔ךְ בְּתוּלַ֖ת בַּת־צִיּ֑וֹן כִּֽי־גָד֥וֹל כַּיָּ֛ם שִׁבְרֵ֖ךְ מִ֥י יִרְפָּא־לָֽךְ׃ (ס)
Ano ang maihaharap kong patotoo sa iyo? Ano ang maihahambing ko sa iyo, O anak na babae ng Jerusalem? Ano ang maitutulad ko sa iyo upang maaliw kita, O dalagang anak na babae ng Zion? Sapagkat kasinlawak ng dagat ang iyong pagkawasak; sino ang makapagpapagaling sa iyo?
Eikhah Rabbah
“What shall I attest to you, to what shall I liken you, daughter of Jerusalem? To what shall I equate you, and comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion? For your breach is as vast as the sea; who can heal you?” (Lamentations 2:13).
“What shall I attest to you [a’idekh], to what shall I liken you?” How many prophets have I sent to warn [he’adti] you! Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] and Rabbi Natan, Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: One prophet in the morning and one prophet at dusk. That is what is written: “The Lord warned Israel and Judah by means of every prophet and every seer” (II Kings 17:13). Rabbi Natan said: Two prophets in the morning and two prophets in the evening. That is what is written: “I sent to you all My servants the prophets daily, time and again” (Jeremiah 7:25); “time,” in the morning, “and again,” in the evening.
Another matter, “what shall I attest to you [a’idekh]?” How many plunders have I given you? The plunder of Egypt, the plunder at the sea, the plunder of Siḥon and Og, the plunder of the thirty-one kings. In Arabia they call plunder adita.
Another matter, “what shall I attest to you [a’idekh]?” How many communions [viudin] have I communed with you: the Tent of Meeting, Gilgal, Shilo, Nov, Givon, and the two Temples.
Another matter, “what shall I attest to you [a’idekh]?” Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] says: With how many ornaments have I adorned you! Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Six hundred thousand ministering angels descended with the Holy One blessed be He at Sinai, and there was a crown in the hand of each and every one of them, to crown each and every one of Israel. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: One million two hundred thousand descended; one adorned [an Israelite], and one placed a crown on him. Rabbi Huna of Tzippori said: A weapon belt, just as it says: “He removes the restraints of kings and binds a belt on their waists” (Job 12:18).
“To what shall I liken you?” To what nation did I liken you? Which nation did I redeem with a mighty arm and bring upon its enemies ten plagues? For what nation did I split the sea, rain manna, swarm quails, and raise a well of water? Which nation did I envelop with the clouds of glory, bring near Mount Sinai, and give them My Torah? “Daughter of Jerusalem [Yerushalayim], the daughter who fears [yere’a] and is complete [umushlemet] for Me.
“To what shall I equate you, and comfort you?” Rabbi Yaakov of Kefar Ḥanan said: When I will equate them to you, I will comfort you. When the day of which it is written: “The Lord will be exalted” (Isaiah 2:11) arrives, then I will comfort you.
“Virgin daughter of Zion [tziyon],” children who are distinguished [metzuyanim] through circumcision, through haircuts, and through ritual fringes.
“For your breach is as vast as the sea; [who can heal you?]” Rabbi Ḥolfai said: He who is destined to heal the breach in the sea, He will heal you. Rabbi Avin said: He, before whom you recited song at the sea: “This is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2), He will heal you. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He will heal your prophets for you.115He will cause the prophets to give real prophecies, rather than the false prophecies that led Israel astray, as indicated in the upcoming section. Alternatively, the meaning is: Who should heal you? Your prophets (see Etz Yosef).
“What shall I attest to you [a’idekh], to what shall I liken you?” How many prophets have I sent to warn [he’adti] you! Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] and Rabbi Natan, Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: One prophet in the morning and one prophet at dusk. That is what is written: “The Lord warned Israel and Judah by means of every prophet and every seer” (II Kings 17:13). Rabbi Natan said: Two prophets in the morning and two prophets in the evening. That is what is written: “I sent to you all My servants the prophets daily, time and again” (Jeremiah 7:25); “time,” in the morning, “and again,” in the evening.
Another matter, “what shall I attest to you [a’idekh]?” How many plunders have I given you? The plunder of Egypt, the plunder at the sea, the plunder of Siḥon and Og, the plunder of the thirty-one kings. In Arabia they call plunder adita.
Another matter, “what shall I attest to you [a’idekh]?” How many communions [viudin] have I communed with you: the Tent of Meeting, Gilgal, Shilo, Nov, Givon, and the two Temples.
Another matter, “what shall I attest to you [a’idekh]?” Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] says: With how many ornaments have I adorned you! Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Six hundred thousand ministering angels descended with the Holy One blessed be He at Sinai, and there was a crown in the hand of each and every one of them, to crown each and every one of Israel. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: One million two hundred thousand descended; one adorned [an Israelite], and one placed a crown on him. Rabbi Huna of Tzippori said: A weapon belt, just as it says: “He removes the restraints of kings and binds a belt on their waists” (Job 12:18).
“To what shall I liken you?” To what nation did I liken you? Which nation did I redeem with a mighty arm and bring upon its enemies ten plagues? For what nation did I split the sea, rain manna, swarm quails, and raise a well of water? Which nation did I envelop with the clouds of glory, bring near Mount Sinai, and give them My Torah? “Daughter of Jerusalem [Yerushalayim], the daughter who fears [yere’a] and is complete [umushlemet] for Me.
“To what shall I equate you, and comfort you?” Rabbi Yaakov of Kefar Ḥanan said: When I will equate them to you, I will comfort you. When the day of which it is written: “The Lord will be exalted” (Isaiah 2:11) arrives, then I will comfort you.
“Virgin daughter of Zion [tziyon],” children who are distinguished [metzuyanim] through circumcision, through haircuts, and through ritual fringes.
“For your breach is as vast as the sea; [who can heal you?]” Rabbi Ḥolfai said: He who is destined to heal the breach in the sea, He will heal you. Rabbi Avin said: He, before whom you recited song at the sea: “This is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2), He will heal you. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He will heal your prophets for you.115He will cause the prophets to give real prophecies, rather than the false prophecies that led Israel astray, as indicated in the upcoming section. Alternatively, the meaning is: Who should heal you? Your prophets (see Etz Yosef).
Pesikta DeRav Kahana
"What shall I testify to you, and to what shall I compare you?" (Lam. 2:13.) "What shall I testify to you": With how many prophets have I testified? Rebbi says, one prophet in the morning, and one prophet in the evening. That is what is written, "God testified to Israel and to Judah, through every prophet and every seer." (2 Kings 17:13.) Prophets (nevi'ai (plural)) is written.*However, in our Masoretic tradition, the word is written "nevi'o ("His prophet"), but read nevi'ai ("prophets") Rabbi Natan says, two prophets in the morning and two prophets in the evening, "daily and persistently" (Jer. 7:25) in the morning, and "daily and persistently" in the evening. Another interpretation: "What shall I testify to you": "With how many ornaments have I adorned you?" As Rabbi Yochanan said, on the day that the Holy One Blessed be He descended on Sinai to give the Torah to Israel, sixty myriads (600,000) of ministering angels descended with him, and each and every one of them had a crown in its hand with which to crown Israel. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana in the name of Rabbi Yochanan [says], one hundred twenty myriads, one to adorn [each Israelite] with a crown, and one to gird him with royal armor (zayanim). Rabbi Huna the Great of Sepphoris said [that, rather, the angels girded the Israelites with] belts of magistracy (zunei). It is as if it is stated, "He loosens the bonds of kings, and binds their loins with a girdle." (Job 12:18.) Another interpretation: "What shall I testify to you": "How many appointments did I arrange for you? The Tent of Meeting, Gilgal, and Shiloh, and Nob, and Gibeon, and the two Eternal Houses. And what shall I testify to you? For which people have I [acted] like I have toward you? For which people have I revealed myself with a strong hand, and dealt ten plagues to her enemies? For which people have parted the sea? For which people did I swarm quails? For which people have I brought myself near before Mount Sinai, and given her my Torah? For which people did I encircle with clouds of glory? [For] 'the daughter of Jerusalem (Yerushalayim)' (Lam. 2:13), the daughter who fears (yireah) and is complete (u'mushlemet) for Me."
"And to what shall I equate to you, that I may comfort you (va'anachamech), O virgin daughter of Zion?" (Lam. 2:13*This is the continuation of the verse beginning with "What shall I testify to you, and to what shall I compare you?", which has been treated to this point. The conclusion of the verse, "For your ruin is as vast as the Sea, etc." is treated below..) As Rabbi Yaakov bar Avuna said, [the verse means,] "When I equate it to you, then I will comfort you." "Virgin daughter of Zion," sons who distinguish(metzuyanim) me through circumcision, and with the cutting of hair, and with tzitzit.
"For your breach is as vast as the Sea; who will heal you?" Said Rabbi Cholfai, He who in the future will heal the breach of the Sea, He will heal you as well. Said Rabbi Yehoshua bar Nechemiah, He about whom they said at the Sea, "Who is like You?" (Ex. 15:11), He will heal you. Said Rabbi Avin, "Who will heal you?" "Your prophets foretold to you futility and folly" (Lam. 2:14). And our Rabbis say, "Who will heal you?" Your prophets.
"And to what shall I equate to you, that I may comfort you (va'anachamech), O virgin daughter of Zion?" (Lam. 2:13*This is the continuation of the verse beginning with "What shall I testify to you, and to what shall I compare you?", which has been treated to this point. The conclusion of the verse, "For your ruin is as vast as the Sea, etc." is treated below..) As Rabbi Yaakov bar Avuna said, [the verse means,] "When I equate it to you, then I will comfort you." "Virgin daughter of Zion," sons who distinguish(metzuyanim) me through circumcision, and with the cutting of hair, and with tzitzit.
"For your breach is as vast as the Sea; who will heal you?" Said Rabbi Cholfai, He who in the future will heal the breach of the Sea, He will heal you as well. Said Rabbi Yehoshua bar Nechemiah, He about whom they said at the Sea, "Who is like You?" (Ex. 15:11), He will heal you. Said Rabbi Avin, "Who will heal you?" "Your prophets foretold to you futility and folly" (Lam. 2:14). And our Rabbis say, "Who will heal you?" Your prophets.
Tanna DeBei Eliyahu Rabbah
This is what God said to Israel: My children what do I seek from you? I seek no more than that you love one another, and honor one another, and that you have awe for one another