My teacher, Rabbi Ed Greenstein, suggests that the poems in the Eicha, Book of Lammentations, are made up of the words of several different speakers in dialogue with each other. He illustrates this theory with a careful analysis of Chapter 3. Let's explore Rabbi Greenstein's analysis of Chapter 3 and how the idea of dialogue leads us toward some of the most important spiritual questions raised by Tisha B'Av.
As we read this first section of chapter 3, consider the following questions:
a. Who is the speaker? Is it a particular person? Who is the "He" the speaker is talking about?
b. How would you sum up what the speaker is saying?
c. What emotions do you think the speaker is feeling?
(א) אֲנִ֤י הַגֶּ֙בֶר֙ רָאָ֣ה עֳנִ֔י בְּשֵׁ֖בֶט עֶבְרָתֽוֹ׃ {ס} (ב) אוֹתִ֥י נָהַ֛ג וַיֹּלַ֖ךְ חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֽוֹר׃ {ס} (ג) אַ֣ךְ בִּ֥י יָשֻׁ֛ב יַהֲפֹ֥ךְ יָד֖וֹ כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ {ס} (ד) בִּלָּ֤ה בְשָׂרִי֙ וְעוֹרִ֔י שִׁבַּ֖ר עַצְמוֹתָֽי׃ {ס} (ה) בָּנָ֥ה עָלַ֛י וַיַּקַּ֖ף רֹ֥אשׁ וּתְלָאָֽה׃ {ס} (ו) בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּ֥ים הוֹשִׁיבַ֖נִי כְּמֵתֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃ {ס} (ז) גָּדַ֧ר בַּעֲדִ֛י וְלֹ֥א אֵצֵ֖א הִכְבִּ֥יד נְחׇשְׁתִּֽי׃ {ס} (ח) גַּ֣ם כִּ֤י אֶזְעַק֙ וַאֲשַׁוֵּ֔עַ שָׂתַ֖ם תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃ {ס} (ט) גָּדַ֤ר דְּרָכַי֙ בְּגָזִ֔ית נְתִיבֹתַ֖י עִוָּֽה׃ {ס} (י) דֹּ֣ב אֹרֵ֥ב הוּא֙ לִ֔י (אריה) [אֲרִ֖י] בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ {ס} (יא) דְּרָכַ֥י סוֹרֵ֛ר וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵ֖נִי שָׂמַ֥נִי שֹׁמֵֽם׃ {ס} (יב) דָּרַ֤ךְ קַשְׁתּוֹ֙ וַיַּצִּיבֵ֔נִי כַּמַּטָּרָ֖א לַחֵֽץ׃ {ס} (יג) הֵבִיא֙ בְּכִלְיֹתָ֔י בְּנֵ֖י אַשְׁפָּתֽוֹ׃ {ס} (יד) הָיִ֤יתִי שְּׂחֹק֙ לְכׇל־עַמִּ֔י נְגִינָתָ֖ם כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ {ס} (טו) הִשְׂבִּיעַ֥נִי בַמְּרוֹרִ֖ים הִרְוַ֥נִי לַעֲנָֽה׃ {ס} (טז) וַיַּגְרֵ֤ס בֶּֽחָצָץ֙ שִׁנָּ֔י הִכְפִּישַׁ֖נִי בָּאֵֽפֶר׃ {ס} (יז) וַתִּזְנַ֧ח מִשָּׁל֛וֹם נַפְשִׁ֖י נָשִׁ֥יתִי טוֹבָֽה׃ {ס} (יח) וָאֹמַר֙ אָבַ֣ד נִצְחִ֔י וְתוֹחַלְתִּ֖י מֵיְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס} (יט) זְכׇר־עׇנְיִ֥י וּמְרוּדִ֖י לַעֲנָ֥ה וָרֹֽאשׁ׃ {ס} (כ) זָכ֣וֹר תִּזְכּ֔וֹר (ותשיח) [וְתָשׁ֥וֹחַ] עָלַ֖י נַפְשִֽׁי׃ {ס}
(1) I am the man who has known affliction
Under-a the rod of His wrath; (2) Me He drove on and on
In unrelieved darkness; (3) On none but me He brings down His hand
Again and again, without cease. (4) He has worn away my flesh and skin;
He has shattered my bones. (5) All around me He has built
Misery and hardship; (6) He has made me dwell in darkness,
Like those long dead. (7) He has walled me in and I cannot break out;
He has weighed me down with chains. (8) And when I cry and plead,
He shuts out my prayer; (9) He has walled in my ways with hewn blocks,
He has made my paths a maze.
(10) He is a lurking bear to me,
A lion in hiding; (11) He has forced me off my way-c and mangled me,
He has left me numb. (12) He has bent His bow and made me
The target of His arrows: (13) He has shot into my vitals
The shafts of His quiver. (14) I have become a laughingstock to all people,
The butt of their gibes all day long. (15) He has filled me with bitterness,
Sated me with wormwood.
(16) He has broken my teeth on gravel,
Has ground me into the dust. (17) My life was bereft of peace,
I forgot what happiness was. (18) I thought my strength and hope
Had perished before the LORD. (19) To recall my distress and my misery
Was wormwood and poison; (20) Whenever I thought of them,
I was bowed low.
As we read the words of a second speaker, consider:
a. How would you sum up the message of this speaker?
b. In what way is it an answer to the first speaker?
c. Do you think this second speaker has been through the same experiences as the first speaker?
d. How do you feel about the message of the second speaker?
(כא) זֹ֛את אָשִׁ֥יב אֶל־לִבִּ֖י עַל־כֵּ֥ן אוֹחִֽיל׃ {ס} (כב) חַֽסְדֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ כִּ֣י לֹא־תָ֔מְנוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כָל֖וּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃ {ס} (כג) חֲדָשִׁים֙ לַבְּקָרִ֔ים רַבָּ֖ה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ {ס} (כד) חֶלְקִ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אָמְרָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֔י עַל־כֵּ֖ן אוֹחִ֥יל לֽוֹ׃ {ס} (כה) ט֤וֹב יְהֹוָה֙ לְקֹוָ֔ו לְנֶ֖פֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶֽׁנּוּ׃ {ס} (כו) ט֤וֹב וְיָחִיל֙ וְדוּמָ֔ם לִתְשׁוּעַ֖ת יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס} (כז) ט֣וֹב לַגֶּ֔בֶר כִּֽי־יִשָּׂ֥א עֹ֖ל בִּנְעוּרָֽיו׃ {ס} (כח) יֵשֵׁ֤ב בָּדָד֙ וְיִדֹּ֔ם כִּ֥י נָטַ֖ל עָלָֽיו׃ {ס} (כט) יִתֵּ֤ן בֶּֽעָפָר֙ פִּ֔יהוּ אוּלַ֖י יֵ֥שׁ תִּקְוָֽה׃ {ס} (ל) יִתֵּ֧ן לְמַכֵּ֛הוּ לֶ֖חִי יִשְׂבַּ֥ע בְּחֶרְפָּֽה׃ {ס} (לא) כִּ֣י לֹ֥א יִזְנַ֛ח לְעוֹלָ֖ם אֲדֹנָֽי׃ {ס} (לב) כִּ֣י אִם־הוֹגָ֔ה וְרִחַ֖ם כְּרֹ֥ב חֲסָדָֽיו׃ {ס} (לג) כִּ֣י לֹ֤א עִנָּה֙ מִלִּבּ֔וֹ וַיַּגֶּ֖ה בְּנֵי־אִֽישׁ׃ {ס} (לד) לְדַכֵּא֙ תַּ֣חַת רַגְלָ֔יו כֹּ֖ל אֲסִ֥ירֵי אָֽרֶץ׃ {ס} (לה) לְהַטּוֹת֙ מִשְׁפַּט־גָּ֔בֶר נֶ֖גֶד פְּנֵ֥י עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ {ס} (לו) לְעַוֵּ֤ת אָדָם֙ בְּרִיב֔וֹ אֲדֹנָ֖י לֹ֥א רָאָֽה׃ {ס} (לז) מִ֣י זֶ֤ה אָמַר֙ וַתֶּ֔הִי אֲדֹנָ֖י לֹ֥א צִוָּֽה׃ {ס} (לח) מִפִּ֤י עֶלְיוֹן֙ לֹ֣א תֵצֵ֔א הָרָע֖וֹת וְהַטּֽוֹב׃ {ס} (לט) מַה־יִּתְאוֹנֵן֙ אָדָ֣ם חָ֔י גֶּ֖בֶר עַל־חֲטָאָֽו׃ {ס}
(21) But this do I call to mind,
Therefore I have hope: (22) The kindness of the LORD has not ended,
His mercies are not spent. (23) They are renewed every morning—
Ample is Your grace! (24) “The LORD is my portion,” I say with full heart;
Therefore will I hope in Him. (25) The LORD is good to those who trust in Him,
To the one who seeks Him; (26) It is good to wait patiently
Till rescue comes from the LORD. (27) It is good for a man, when young,
To bear a yoke; (28) Let him sit alone and be patient,
When He has laid it upon him. (29) Let him put his mouth to the dust—
There may yet be hope. (30) Let him offer his cheek to the smiter;
Let him be surfeited with mockery. (31) For the Lord does not
Reject forever, (32) But first afflicts, then pardons
In His abundant kindness. (33) For He does not willfully bring grief
Or affliction to man, (34) Crushing under His feet
All the prisoners of the earth. (35) To deny a man his rights
In the presence of the Most High, (36) To wrong a man in his cause—
This the Lord does not choose. (37) Whose decree was ever fulfilled,
Unless the Lord willed it? (38) Is it not at the word of the Most High,
That weal and woe befall? (39) Of what shall a living man complain?
Each one of his own sins!
Before reading the words of the third speaker, consider
a. What does this speaker contribute to the dialogue?
b. In what way is the third speaker answering both the first and second speakers?
c. Who does the third speaker represent?
And turn back to the LORD; (41) Let us lift up our hearts with our hands
To God in heaven: (42) We have transgressed and rebelled,
And You have not forgiven. (43) You have clothed Yourself in anger and pursued us,
You have slain without pity. (44) You have screened Yourself off with a cloud,
That no prayer may pass through. (45) You have made us filth and refuse
In the midst of the peoples. (46) All our enemies loudly
Rail against us. (47) Panic and pitfall are our lot,
Death and destruction.
As we read the words of the fourth speaker, consider:
a. Who is the fourth speaker?
b. How would you sum up the message of the fourth speaker?
c. How are the fourth speaker's words an answer to the other speakers?
Over the ruin of my poor people.
(49) My eyes shall flow without cease,
Without respite, (50) Until the LORD looks down
And beholds from heaven. (51) My eyes have brought me grief-f
Over all the maidens of my city. (52) My foes have snared me like a bird,
Without any cause. (53) They have ended my life in a pit
And cast stones at me. (54) Waters flowed over my head;
I said: I am lost!
(55) I have called on Your name, O LORD,
From the depths of the Pit. (56) Hear my plea;
Do not shut Your ear
To my groan, to my cry! (57) You have ever drawn nigh when I called You;
You have said, “Do not fear!” (58) You championed my cause, O Lord,
You have redeemed my life. (59) You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done me;
Oh, vindicate my right! (60) You have seen all their malice,
All their designs against me; (61) You have heard, O LORD, their taunts,
All their designs against me, (62) The mouthings and pratings of my adversaries
Against me all day long. (63) See how, at their ease or at work,
I am the butt of their gibes. (64) Give them, O LORD, their deserts
According to their deeds. (65) Give them anguish of heart;
Your curse be upon them! (66) Oh, pursue them in wrath and destroy them
From under the heavens of the LORD!
We might say that the first speaker poses the central problem of Tisha B'Av. At the time of the destruction of the Temples, and at so many other times in our history, God seems to be absent. Each of the other speakers offers a response or explanation.
Speaker Two: God is absent because we have alienated God with our sins.
Speaker Three: For some reason we do not understand, God is absent even when we acknowledge our sins and call out to God.
Speaker Four: When we feel God's absence, that is the time to turn ourselves toward God more fervently in prayer.
Which of these approaches, if any, resonates with you?