As we know, regular learning is forbidden on Tisha B’Av, so we will quote some pesukim from Megilat Eicha, which was written by Yirmiyah HaNavi, whom we’ve been quoting for the past three weeks. We started with the haftara, where he warned us about what is going to be.
The Gemarah tells us that Yirmiyah wrote Eicha before the Churban actually occurred. He told us what was going to happen, before it actually took place. He took his prophecy to the king, but the king tore it up, threw it into a fire and would not accept the prophecy. Yirmiyah then wrote it a second time, and actually repeated everything again.
We will quote from the third chapter
After all he has said, he uses the words (pasuk יח)
והתחלתי מה׳
I have given up my hope
Everything was going down hill, and at this rock-bottom, his words were
אבד נצחי
I’m lost forever
But then he then turns around and says, in pasuk כ״א ,
זֹ֛את אָשִׁ֥יב אֶל־לִבִּ֖י
The following things I will place in my heart,
עַל־כֵּ֥ן אוֹחִֽיל׃ (ס)
Therefore, I will continue to hope for Him
What are these things?
חַֽסְדֵ֤י ה׳ כִּ֣י לֹא־תָ֔מְנוּ
Hashem’s kindness is forever
כִּ֥י לֹא־כָל֖וּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃
Because His mercy never ends.
This means that eventually Hashem’s mercy will be rekindled, because Hashem’s mercy is forever. We just have to wait and be patient, because Hashem’s mercy will be rekindled and we will see that Yermiyah was right. People had those feelings in the concentration camps, and in all the challenges in our history. Eventually Hashem’s kindness and mercy is rekindled. Like the Tomar Devorah tells us, Hashem’s anger eventually dissipates, even if we don’t do Teshuva, and His kindness and mercy for us is rekindled.
Yirmiyah then quotes different words of hizzuk. The first thing that talks to Yirmiyah is,
חֲדָשִׁים֙ לַבְּקָרִ֔ים
Every morning, the kindness of Hashem is rekindled. Every morning,
להגיד לבקר חסדיך
Even in the darkest of times, Hashem’s Hessed is there in creation
רַבָּ֖ה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃
Hashem’s loyalty, His guarantee to us, is great
Therefore, says Rashi,
דבר גדול הוא להאמין בך
It’s a great thing to believe in G-d
שֶׁתְּקַיֵּם וְתִשְׁמֹר מַה שֶּׁהִבְטַחְתָּ לָּנוּ:
That G-d will fulfill and keep what He guaranteed us- Mashiach will come.
I trust G-d’s promises.
Another explanation, which we might have mentioned in the past, of the two words
רַבָּ֖ה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃
Your loyalty is great,
and the words
חֲדָשִׁים֙ לַבְּקָרִ֔ים -we are new in the morning,
refer to a person waking up in the morning after going to sleep at night.
Sleep is compared to a 60th of death, so when you get up in the morning, you are getting a new life! When we go to sleep at night, we give G-d our souls and He gives them back to us in the morning.
רַבָּ֖ה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃
G-d is very loyal.
He could have kept our souls, but He gave them back to us.
When we go to sleep at night and get up in the morning, and see that G-d is loyal and He gives us our souls back, we also believe in the Emunah of Tehiyat HaMetim.
ונאמן אתה לחיות מתים
G-d is loyal. The dead people that are asleep for a long period of time will also get back up, because Hashem is loyal. Everyone will get back up. It’s a promise of Tehiyat HaMetim- Mashiach will come.
Additionally, Yirmiyah says
חֶלְקִ֤י ה׳ אָמְרָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֔י
My soul says I’m a portion of G-d
This means that a little bit of me is connected to Hashem. Just like Hashem is forever, my neshama is forever, and the Jewish people are forever.
עַל־כֵּ֖ן אוֹחִ֥יל לֽוֹ׃ (ס)
Therefore I continue to hope.
Because G-d is forever and we are forever.
ט֤וֹב ה׳ לְקוָֹ֔ו
G-d is good to those who hope to Him,
But not to everyone,
לְנֶ֖פֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶֽׁנּוּ
To the one who seeks Him;
We have to keep searching
ט֤וֹב וְיָחִיל֙ וְדוּמָ֔ם לִתְשׁוּעַ֖ת יְהוָֽה׃
It is good to wait patiently Till rescue comes from Hashem.
Sometimes we just have to be דומם-quiet. And wait.
ט֣וֹב לַגֶּ֔בֶר כִּֽי־יִשָּׂ֥א עֹ֖ל בִּנְעוּרָֽיו׃ (ס)
It is good, sometimes, to carry the yoke of G-d’s decrees,
As difficult as that might be, just carry it
יֵשֵׁ֤ב בָּדָד֙ וְיִדֹּ֔ם כִּ֥י נָטַ֖ל עָלָֽיו׃
Sit alone quietly, because you have accepted it.
יִתֵּ֤ן בֶּֽעָפָר֙ פִּ֔יהוּ
Put dirt in your mouth
Rashi says this means don’t complain. Quietly accept.
אוּלַ֖י יֵ֥שׁ תִּקְוָֽה׃
There may yet be hope.
יִתֵּ֧ן לְמַכֵּ֛הוּ לֶ֖חִי
Literally-Turn your cheek to the one who hit you
יִשְׂבַּ֥ע בְּחֶרְפָּֽה׃ (ס)
Be satiated with the embarrassment
Rashi says this means Don’t kick at Yisurim- difficulties
Accept the Galut/ exile we are in.
If someone hits you or makes a decree against you, of course do your hishtadlut, but after everything, you accept it; We are in Galut
Tell yourself
כִּ֣י לֹ֥א יִזְנַ֛ח לְעוֹלָ֖ם אֲדֹנָֽי׃
Hashem will not forsake us forever.
Yes, there will be suffering and difficulties, but Hashem will not forsake us forever.
We have to realize, as it says a few pesukim later....
מִפִּ֤י עֶלְיוֹן֙ לֹ֣א תֵצֵ֔א הָרָע֖וֹת וְהַטּֽוֹב׃
Good and evil don’t come out from G-d
Which means that G-d empowers us. We have freedom of choice, and ultimately we are responsible for all of this, with all of our deeds and actions.
מַה־יִּתְאוֹנֵן֙ אָדָ֣ם חָ֔י
What can a living person complain about?
If you, who are still alive, need something to complain about,
גֶּ֖בֶר עַל־חטאו [חֲטָאָֽיו׃] (ס)
Complain about your sins
That is what is causing the problems.
Until now, this has been one long speech that Yirmiyah is giving on this point. For today, we will end with
נַחְפְּשָׂ֤ה דְרָכֵ֙ינוּ֙ וְֽנַחְקֹ֔רָה וְנָשׁ֖וּבָה עַד־יְהוָֽה׃
Let us search out and analyze our deeds, and do Teshuva.
That’s the purpose of all of this- to repent and come closer to G-d.
That’s the takeaway of Megilat Eicha.
That’s why the last words of the Megilah are repeated, because we want to walk away with this takeaway:
הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ ונשוב
Hashem bring us closer, and we’ll come back
It’s the age old discussion - who should make the first move?
Here, we are asking Hashem to make the first move and bring us back
חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃
Bring us back to the old days,
That’s what we are hoping and praying for.
BeEzrat Hashem this should be the last Tisha B’Av, in the merit of our Emunah and Bitachon, which is a source for zechuyot.
We should be zoche to
משיח צדקינו, במהרה בימינו אמן
Mashiach, speedily in our days. Amen