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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- The Three Weeks
- The Ninth of Av
"Three prophets employed the word 'eicha' ('how') in their prophecies: Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Moses said, 'How can I myself alone bear your troublesomeness!' (Deuteronomy 1:12), Isaiah said, 'How is the faithful city become a harlot!' (Isaiah 1:21), and Jeremiah the prophet said, 'How does the city sit solitary!' (Lamentations 1:1).
"R' Levi said: This may be likened to a matron who had had three groomsmen: one beheld her in her happiness, a second beheld her in her infidelity, and the third beheld her in her disgrace. Similarly, Moses beheld Israel in their glory and happiness and exclaimed, 'How can I myself alone bear your troublesomeness!' Isaiah beheld them in their infidelity and exclaimed, 'How is the faithful city become a harlot!' Jeremiah beheld them in their disgrace and exclaimed, 'How does the city sit solitary!' "
We might interpret the above Midrash regarding the iniquities of the Jewish people in the following manner: A lady is suffering from ailment and three types of physicians are called to provide diagnoses regarding her condition. Or, alternately, what we have here are three stages of the sickness.
Moses our Teacher, the greatest of all prophets, succeeds in unveiling the incipient sickness while the nation is still outwardly healthy, at the peak of its bloom. He uncovers various symptoms that predicate the possibility of an evolving illness: "How can I myself alone bear your troublesomeness, your burdensomeness, and your contentiousness!"
Rashi interprets this verse: "Your troublesomeness" - This teaches us that the Israelites were troublesome. If one of them would see that his rival was about to win a law suit, he would say, "I have [additional] witnesses to bring, I have [more] proof to bring, I want to add additional judges over you." "Your burdensomeness" - This teaches that they were that they treated the judges with little respect. "Contentiousness" - This teaches that they were discontented (Rashi on Deuteronomy 1:12). Moses already foresaw the "eicha" - the exile.
Isaiah the Prophet was the physician who uncovered the state of the patient when she was already ill, when the faithful city had become a harlot. Sometimes a disease is only discovered in autopsy.
Jeremiah the Prophet sees the nation wilt, already in exile, as the land sits desolate and ruined. Ostensibly, the final verse in the book of Lamentations is one of complete despair. "But you have utterly rejected us; you are very angry against us." However, our custom is to end the book by going back and reading the preceding verse, "Turn us to You, O Lord, and we shall be returned; renew our days as of old" in order to end on a positive note.
The Midrash explains that there is no contradiction here. "You have utterly rejected us; you are very angry against us." Rejection is absolute, no hope, but anger can be rectified. Anger passes. The final verse is actually a question by Jeremiah: Is God rejecting Israel, or is He just angry? The verse contains a question and an answer: "You have utterly rejected us? No, You are very angry against us." Therefore, it is possible to request that God "renew our days as of old."
The sages (Yalkut Shimoni, end of Eicha) envision the materialization of our request, and add:
"In the End of Days the Almighty will transform the Ninth of Av into joy and happiness and into festive occasions, and He will Himself rebuild Jerusalem and gather in the exiles, as it is written, "He builds Jerusalem, ingathers the outcasts of Israel" (Psalms 147:2).
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Translated biblical verses and Midrashic sources in the above article may have been taken from, or based upon, Davka's Soncino Judaic Classics Library (CD-Rom).
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
