פּירוש אויף איכה 2:16

“Jeered” [2:16]. All of your enemies opened their mouths at you, Jerusalem, and they jeered. They gnashed their teeth and said: we hoped for this, we found it and we are seeing it. Rashi asks a question. Lamentations is based on the “alphabet,” so why did he write Peh before Ayin? The reason is that they said with their mouths what they did not see with their eyes. “Peh” means mouth and “Ayin” means eye. Therefore, the “Peh” is written before the “Ayin.”¹⁹Rashi, Lamentations, 2:16.

They opened their mouths wide concerning you. Why did Scripture place the pei³⁹Means ‘mouth’. before the ayin⁴⁰Means ‘eye’. ? Because they [i.e., the prophets] were saying with their mouths what they did not see with their eyes.