Lamentations Rabbah

Lamentations Rabbah Proem 2

R. Abba bar Kahana began: Who is the wise man who will understand this . . . (Jeremiah 9:11). R. Simeon ben Yoḥai taught: If you have seen towns uprooted from their place in the land of Israel, know that they did not provide the salaries of the Bible teachers and the Mishnah teachers, as it is stated: For what reason did the land perish. . . . The Lord said: Because they have forsaken My Torah (Jeremiah 9:11–12).

Rabbi [Judah the Prince] would dispatch R. Assi and R. Ammi to go out and establish [educational programs] in the cities of Israel. They would enter the city and say to them [the residents], “Bring us the guardians of the city.” They would bring them the head of the city watch and the police. They would say to them, “Are these the guardians of the city? These are the destroyers of the city.” They [the residents] would say to them, “Who are the guardians of the city?” They would say to them [the residents], “They are the Bible teachers and the Mishnah teachers, who contemplate, review, and observe the Torah day and night,” because it is stated: You shall contemplate it day and night (Joshua 1:8), and it says: If the Lord does not build a house . . . [if the Lord does not guard a city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil] (Psalm 127:1).

R. Huna and R. Jeremiah said in the name of R. Samuel ben R. Isaac: We have found that the Holy One overlooked idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed but did not overlook disdain of the Torah, as it is stated: For what reason did the land perish? (Jeremiah 9:11). It is not written here that it was due to idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed; rather, Because they have forsaken My Torah (Jeremiah 9:12).

R. Huna and R. Jeremiah said in the name of R. Ḥiyya bar Abba: It is written: They have forsaken Me and did not observe My Torah (Jeremiah 16:11). If only they had forsaken Me and observed My Torah. By engaging in it, the light that is in it would have returned them to the good [path].

R. Huna said: Study Torah even if it is not for its own sake, as through doing so not for its own sake, one comes to do so for its own sake. R. Joshua ben Levi said: Each and every day a divine voice emerges from Mount Horeb and says: Woe unto the people due to the affront to Torah.

Samuel taught it in the name of R. Samuel bar Ammi: When does the kingdom issue a decree [of oppression] and the decree is effective? When Israel casts the words of Torah to the ground; that is what is written: A host was given for the continual offering for transgression; [it cast truth to the ground, and it acted and succeeded] (Daniel 8:12). Host is nothing other than kingdoms, as it is stated: The Lord will reckon with the host of heaven in heaven [and with the kings of the earth on the earth] (Isaiah 24:21). The continual offering—this is Israel, as it is written: You shall contemplate it day and night (Joshua 1:8). For transgression—this is the [transgression of] Torah. Whenever Israel casts the words of Torah to the ground, the kingdom issues a decree, and it is effective, as it is stated: It cast truth to the ground . . . and truth is nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: Acquire truth and do not sell (Proverbs 23:23). If you cast the words of Torah to the ground, the kingdom succeeds immediately; that is what is written: And it acted and succeeded (Daniel 8:12). R. Judah ben Pazi said: Israel has forsaken good . . . (Hosea 8:3), and good is nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: For I have given you a good lesson, [My Torah, do not forsake it] (Proverbs 4:2).

R. Abba bar Kahana said: No philosophers arose for the nations of the world like Balaam ben Beor and Avnimus the weaver [possibly Oenomaus of Gadara, a known Cynic philosopher]. They [the nations of the world] said to them [the philosophers], “Are we able to successfully challenge this nation?” They said to them, “Go and visit their synagogues; if the children are reciting aloud, you will be unable to overcome them, but if not, you will be able to overcome them, for this is what their patriarch promised them when he said to them: The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau (Genesis 27:22). As long as the voice of Jacob is in the synagogues and the study halls, the hands are not the hands of Esau. But, when his voice is not reciting in the synagogues and the study halls, the hands are the hands of Esau.” So, it says: Therefore, just as straw consumes a tongue of fire, [and a flame destroys stubble, their root will become rot and their blossom will rise like dust; for they have forsaken the Torah of the Lord of hosts, and they have scorned the word of the Holy One of Israel] (Isaiah 5:24). Does straw consume fire? Is it not the way of fire to consume straw, and yet it states: Therefore, just as straw consumes a tongue of fire (ibid.). Rather, straw—this is the house of Esau, as it is stated: The house of Jacob will be fire, the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for straw (Obadiah 1:18). A tongue of fire (Isaiah 5:24)—this is the house of Jacob; and a flame destroys stubble (ibid.)—this is the house of Joseph; their root will become rot (ibid.)—these are the patriarchs, who are the roots of Israel; and their blossom will rise like dust (ibid.)—these are the tribes, who are the blossoms of Israel. Why? For they have forsaken the Torah of the Lord of Hosts . . . (ibid.). R. Yudan said: For they have forsaken the Torah of the Lord of hosts—this is the Written Torah; and they have scorned the word of the Holy One of Israel (ibid.)—this is the Oral Torah. When they cast the words of Torah to the ground, Jeremiah began lamenting over them, Eikha [How solitary the city sits?] (Lamentations 1:1).

So said the Lord of hosts: Attend, and call for the lamenting women (Jeremiah 9:16). R. Yoḥanan, R. Simeon ben Lakish, and the rabbis: R. Yoḥanan said: [This is analogous] to a king who had two sons. He grew angry at the first, took the rod, struck him, and exiled him. He said: Woe unto him, from what tranquility was he exiled. He grew angry at the second, took the rod, struck him, and exiled him. He said: It is I whose culture is faulty. So too, the ten tribes were exiled, and the Holy One began saying this verse in their regard: Woe unto them, as they have strayed from Me (Hosea 7:13). When Judah and Benjamin were exiled, the Holy One said, as it were: Woe is Me, for My hurt (Jeremiah 10:19).

R. Simeon ben Lakish said: [This is analogous] to a king who had two sons. He grew angry at the first, took the rod, struck him, and he convulsed and died. He began lamenting him. He grew angry at the second, took the rod, struck him, and he convulsed and died. He said, “I no longer have the strength to lament them; rather, call the lamenting women, and they will lament them.” So too, the ten tribes were exiled, and the Holy One began lamenting them: Hear this word that I recite as a lamentation for you, house of Israel (Amos 5:1). When Judah and Benjamin were exiled, the Holy One said, as it were, “I no longer have the strength to lament them.” That is what is written: Call for the lamenting women . . . and let them hasten and take up wailing over us, [and our eyes will shed tears, and our eyelids will flow with water] (Jeremiah 9:16–17). It is not written here, “over them,” but rather: over us, Me and them. It is not written here, “and their eyes will shed tears,” but rather: our eyes, Mine and theirs. It is not written here, “and their eyelids will flow with water,” but rather: our eyelids, Mine and theirs.

The rabbis say: [This is analogous] to a king who had twelve sons. Two died, and he began finding solace with the [remaining] ten. Two more died, and he began finding solace with eight. Two died, and he began finding solace with six. Two died, and he began finding solace with four. Two died, and he began finding solace with two. When they all died, he began lamenting them: How solitary sits [the city once great with people . . .]? (Lamentations 1:1).

Lamentations Rabbah 2:1:3; 4:25

2:1:3. R. Elazar said: The Holy One never associates His name with evil but rather with good. That is what is written [in this verse]. It is not written here (Ezekiel 9:5–6), “And to those God said in my hearing,” but rather: And to those He said in my hearing: Pass through the city behind him and smite; let your eye not pity and do not have compassion.The elderly, the youth and the maiden, the children and the women you shall kill for destruction, but do not approach any man upon whom is the sign; begin from My Temple (Ezekiel 9:5–6). How is it so? At that moment, the Prosecutor [Satan, the prosecuting attorney in the heavenly court] sprang before the throne of glory and said before Him, “Master of the universe, which of them was killed for the sake of Your name? Which of them had his brain pierced for the sake of Your name? Which of them gave his life for the sake of Your name?” He said: “[Granted, but] they do not warrant a writ of condemnation.” R. Aibu said: The Holy One said, “Let My Temple be destroyed, but let no hand touch the righteous.” R. Judah ben R. Simeon said, “It [the Temple] and they both warrant a writ of condemnation.”

R. Tanḥuma and R. Abba [said] in the name of R. Abba: The Holy One never promises a good and recants, but here He recanted [by taking away His Temple, or alternatively, the righteous among Israel]. That is what is written: Begin with My Temple (Ezekiel 9:6). Do not read it as My Temple [mikdashi] but rather as “My holy ones” [mekudashai]: Begin with “My holy ones.”¹ Immediately, it is written: It was as they were smiting, and I remained and I fell upon my face, and I cried out and said: Alas, Lord God, are You destroying the entire remnant of Israel? (Ezekiel 9:8). Remnant is nothing other than the righteous; therefore he comes and says: The Lord demolished and had no compassion (Lamentations 2:2). [ . . . ]

4:25. The punishment for your iniquity is completed, daughter of Zion; [He will not continue to exile you. He will reckon your iniquity, daughter of Edom, He will expose your sins] (Lamentations 4:22). R. Ḥelbo said in the name of R. Yoḥanan: The removal of Pharaoh’s ring [with which he signed oppressive edicts] regarding Israel in Egypt was better than the forty years that Moses prophesied to them, because with this one there was redemption, and with that one there was no redemption. R. Simeon ben Lakish said: The removal of Ahasuerus’ ring regarding Israel in Media was better than the six hundred thousand prophets who prophesied in the days of Elijah. Why? Because with this one there was redemption, and with that one there was no redemption. The rabbis say: The scroll of Lamentations over Israel was better than the forty years that Jeremiah prophesied to them. Why? Because Israel received complete retribution for their sins on the day that the Temple was destroyed. That is what is written: The punishment for your iniquity is completed, daughter of Zion.