וְאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: מִיּוֹם שֶׁחָרַב בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ נִנְעֲלוּ שַׁעֲרֵי תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״גַּם כִּי אֶזְעַק וַאֲשַׁוֵּעַ שָׂתַם תְּפִלָּתִי״. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשַּׁעֲרֵי תְפִילָּה נִנְעֲלוּ, שַׁעֲרֵי דִמְעָה לֹא נִנְעֲלוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שִׁמְעָה תְפִלָּתִי יהוה וְשַׁוְעָתִי הַאֲזִינָה אֶל דִּמְעָתִי אַל תֶּחֱרַשׁ״.
On the subject of prayer, Rabbi Elazar also said: Since the day the Temple was destroyed the gates of prayer were locked and prayer is not accepted as it once was, as it is said in lamentation of the Temple’s destruction: “Though I plead and call out, God shuts out my prayer” (Lamentations 3:8). Yet, despite the fact that the gates of prayer were locked with the destruction of the Temple, the gates of tears were not locked,as it is stated: “Hear my prayer, YHVH, and give ear to my pleading, keep not silence at my tears” (Psalms 39:13).
(טז) כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יהוה צְבָא֔וֹת הִתְבּ֥וֹנְנ֛וּ וְקִרְא֥וּ לַמְקוֹנְנ֖וֹת וּתְבוֹאֶ֑ינָה וְאֶל־הַחֲכָמ֥וֹת שִׁלְח֖וּ וְתָבֽוֹאנָה׃ (יז) וּתְמַהֵ֕רְנָה וְתִשֶּׂ֥נָה עָלֵ֖ינוּ נֶ֑הִי וְתֵרַ֤דְנָה עֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ דִּמְעָ֔ה וְעַפְעַפֵּ֖ינוּ יִזְּלוּ־מָֽיִם׃ (יח) כִּ֣י ק֥וֹל נְהִ֛י נִשְׁמַ֥ע מִצִּיּ֖וֹן אֵ֣יךְ שֻׁדָּ֑דְנוּ בֹּ֤שְׁנֽוּ מְאֹד֙ כִּֽי־עָזַ֣בְנוּ אָ֔רֶץ כִּ֥י הִשְׁלִ֖יכוּ מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֵֽינוּ׃ {ס} (יט) כִּֽי־שְׁמַ֤עְנָה נָשִׁים֙ דְּבַר־יהוה וְתִקַּ֥ח אׇזְנְכֶ֖ם דְּבַר־פִּ֑יו וְלַמֵּ֤דְנָה בְנֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ נֶ֔הִי וְאִשָּׁ֥ה רְעוּתָ֖הּ קִינָֽה׃ (כ) כִּי־עָ֤לָֽה מָ֙וֶת֙ בְּחַלּוֹנֵ֔ינוּ בָּ֖א בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֵ֑ינוּ לְהַכְרִ֤ית עוֹלָל֙ מִח֔וּץ בַּֽחוּרִ֖ים מֵרְחֹבֽוֹת׃
(16) Thus said GOD of Hosts:Listen!Summon the dirge-singers,edirge-singers The Heb. term denotes women. let them come;Send for the skilled women, let them come. (17) Let them quickly start a wailing for us,That our eyes may run with tears,Our pupils flow with water. (18) For the sound of wailingIs heard from Zion:How we are despoiled!How greatly we are shamed!Ah, we must leave our land,AbandonfAbandon Lit. “They abandoned.” our dwellings! (19) Hear, O women, the word of GOD,Let your ears receive the divine word,gdivine word Lit. “word of His mouth.” And teach your daughters wailing,And one another lamentation. (20) For death has climbed through our windows,Has entered our fortresses,To cut off babes from the streets,Young men from the squares.
(כד) בַּלַּיְלָה, לָמָּה בַּלַּיְלָה, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין קוֹל הוֹלֵךְ אֶלָּא בַּלַּיְלָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בַּלַּיְלָה. אָמַר רַבִּי אַיְּבוּ לַיְלָה מוֹשֵׁךְ עִמָּהּ קִינָה. מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאִשָּׁה אַחַת שֶׁהָיְתָה בִּשְׁכוּנָתוֹ שֶׁל רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, וְהָיָה לָהּ בֶּן תִּשְׁחֹרֶת וָמֵת, וְהָיְתָה בּוֹכָה עָלָיו בַּלַּיְלָה, וְהָיָה רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל שׁוֹמֵעַ אֶת קוֹלָהּ וְהָיָה נִזְכָּר חֻרְבַּן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְהָיָה בּוֹכֶה עִמָּהּ עַד שֶׁנָּשְׁרוּ רִיסֵי עֵינָיו, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִרְגִּישׁוּ בּוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו, עָמְדוּ וּפִנּוּ אוֹתָהּ מִשְׁכוּנָתוֹ.
(24) “At night,” why at night? Because sound travels only at night, that is why it is stated: “At night.” Rabbi Aivu said: Night draws lamentation with it.80When one cries at night, it has a greater impact on those who hear it, and they are moved to cry as well. There was an incident involving a certain woman who was in Rabban Gamliel’s neighborhood. She had a young son and he died. She would weep over him at night. Rabban Gamliel would hear her voice and recall the destruction of the Temple. He wept with her until his eyelashes fell out. When his disciples sensed it, they arose and evacuated her from his neighborhood.
״וְאִם לֹא תִשְׁמָעוּהָ בְּמִסְתָּרִים תִּבְכֶּה נַפְשִׁי מִפְּנֵי גֵוָה״, אָמַר רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר אִינְיָא מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב: מָקוֹם יֵשׁ לוֹ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּמִסְתָּרִים שְׁמוֹ. מַאי ״מִפְּנֵי גֵוָה״? אָמַר רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר יִצְחָק: מִפְּנֵי גַּאֲווֹתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּיטְּלָה מֵהֶם וְנִתְּנָה לַגּוֹיִם. רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר: מִפְּנֵי גַּאֲווֹתָהּ שֶׁל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם.
The verse states: “But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret [bemistarim] for your pride” (Jeremiah 13:17). Rav Shmuel bar Inya said in the name of Rav: The Holy One, Blessed be He, has a place where He cries, and its name is Mistarim. What is the meaning of “for your pride”? Rav Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: God cries due to the pride of the Jewish people, which was taken from them and given to the gentile nations. Rav Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: He cries due to the pride of the kingdom of Heaven, which was removed from the world.
וּמִי אִיכָּא בְּכִיָּה קַמֵּיהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא? וְהָאָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: אֵין עֲצִיבוּת לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הוֹד וְהָדָר לְפָנָיו עוֹז וְחֶדְוָה בִּמְקוֹמוֹ״! לָא קַשְׁיָא: הָא בְּבָתֵּי גַוָּאֵי, הָא בְּבָתֵּי בַרָאֵי.
The Gemara asks: But is there crying before the Holy One, Blessed be He? Didn’t Rav Pappa say: There is no sadness before the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is stated: “Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place” (I Chronicles 16:27)? The Gemara responds: This is not difficult. This statement, that God cries, is referring to the innermost chambers, where He can cry in secret, whereas this statement, that He does not cry, is referring to the outer chambers.
(א) צִיּוֹן, הֲלֹא תִשְׁאֲלִי לִשְׁלוֹם אֲסִירַיִךְ, דּוֹרְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵךְ וְהֵם יֶתֶר עֲדָרָיִךְ:
(ב) מִיָּם וּמִזְרָח וּמִצָּפוֹן וְתֵימָן שְׁלוֹם רָחוֹק וְקָרוֹב שְׂאִי מִכֹּל עֲבָרָיִךְ:
(ג) וּשְׁלוֹם אֲסִיר תַּאֲוָה, נוֹתֵן דְּמָעָיו כְּטַל חֶרְמוֹן וְנִכְסַף לְרִדְתָּם עַל הֲרָרָיִךְ:
“Zion, wilt thou not ask if peace's wing / Shadows the captives that ensue thy peace / Left lonely from thine ancient shepherding? Lo! west and east and north and south — world-wide / All those from far and near, without surcease / Salute thee: Peace and Peace from every side." (Translation from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judah_Halevi)
צִיּוֹן, הֲלֹא תִשְׁאֲלִי לִשְׁלוֹם אֲסִירַיִךְ, דּוֹרְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵךְ וְהֵם יֶתֶר עֲדָרָיִךְ: