[*] represents my private notes.

Midrash Rabbah - Lamentations I:51

51. It is related that Doeg b. Joseph died and left a young son to his mother,2 who used to measure him by handbreadths and give his weight in gold to the Temple3 every year. When, however, the besieging army surrounded

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(1) Buber's reading is: Six years and a half and two hours.

(2) In Yoma 38b the child's name is given as Doeg b. Joseph, and his mother is said to have donated his weight in gold every day.

(3) Lit. ‘to heaven’.

Lam. 133

Jerusalem, his mother slaughtered him and ate him; and Jeremiah lamented before the Omnipresent, saying, ’See, O Lord, and consider, to whom Thou hast done thus! Shall the women eat their fruit, the children that are dandled in the hands?’ (Lam. II, 20).1 But the Holy Spirit retorted, ’Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?’ (ib.) referring to Zechariah the son of Jehoiada.2

Another interpretation of FOR THESE THINGS I WEEP: R. Judah and R. Nehemiah offer explanations. R. Judah says: [The weeping was] over the loss of sense and the departure of the Shechinah. Was it possible that Zedekiah should see others piercing his eyes3 without having the sense to dash his head against the wall until he expired? But instead he caused his sons to be slain in his presence4; and concerning that time it was said, The heart of the king shall fail,5 and the heart of the princes (Jer. IV, 9). R. Nehemiah said: [The weeping was] over the cessation of the priesthood and kingship. That is what is written, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth (Zech. IV, 14), alluding to Aaron and David. Aaron puts in a claim on behalf of his priesthood and David on behalf of his kingship. R. Joshua b. Levi said: [The weeping was] over the cessation of Torah,6 as it is stated, These are the statutes and the ordinances (Deut. XII, 1).7 R. Samuel b. Nahmani said: [The weeping was] over idolatry. That is what is stated, This8 is thy God, O Israel (Ex. XXXII, 4). Zabdi b. Levi said: [The weeping was] over the cessation of the sacrifices. That is what is stated, These ye shall offer unto the Lord in your appointed seasons (Num. XXIX, 39).

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(1) Tippuhim (‘dandled in the hands’) is read as tefuhim ‘measured by handbreadths’, as a mark of intense love.

(2) V, p. 8. We have here cause and effect, the sin and its punishment.

(3) Cf. II Kings XXV, 7.

(4) By not committing suicide. The Rabbis maintain that he did not actually become blind until his sons were killed (M.K. and ‘E.J.).

(5) Lit. ' shall be lost ‘, which is a Hebrew idiom for loss of understanding and common sense.

(6) Which led to the exile--similarly the following statements.

(7) And for these (statutes and ordinances) I weep--similarly the following.

(8) Heb. eleh, lit. ‘these’.

Lam. 134

The Rabbis say: [The weeping was] over the cessation of the levitical watches. What advantage, then, had the world from these watches? On Monday they fasted for the safety of those who were travelling by sea. On Tuesday they fasted for the safety of wayfarers. On Wednesday they fasted for the children that they should not be afflicted with croup and die. On Thursday they fasted for pregnant women that they should not miscarry and for nursing mothers that their children should not die.1 But is it not a fact that we may not fast for two objects at the same time2; as it is written, So we fasted and besought our God for this (Ezra VIII, 23),3 and a verse in Daniel declares, That they might ask mercy of the God of heaven concerning this secret (II, 18)--i.e. not for two secrets? The fact, however, is as R. Hiyya b. Abba said: For both the withholding of rain and the exile4 we may fast at one and the same time, but we may not fast on Friday or the Sabbath because of the honour of the Sabbath.

MINE EYE, MINE EYE RUNNETH DOWN WITH WATER. R. Levi said: It may be likened to a physician one of whose eyes was weak [and watered] and he said, ' MY eye weeps for my other eye.’ Similarly Israel is called ‘the eye of the Holy One, blessed be He’, as it is said, For the Lord's is the eye of man and all the tribes of Israel (Zech. IX, 1). If it is possible to say so, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Mine eye weeps for My other eye’ [i.e. Israel]. 5

BECAUSE THE COMFORTER IS FAR FROM ME, EVEN HE THAT SHOULD REFRESH MY SOUL. What is the name of King Messiah? R. Abba b. Kahana said: His name

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(1) Ta'an. 27b.

(2) Ib. 8b.

(3) The phrase for this denotes one thing.

(4) In the version in P. Ta'an. 68b the reference is to the withholding of rain and locusts, the two things being similar as a danger to the food supply. On the present reading ‘E.J. explains that drought and exile are likewise regarded as the same thing, because through the famine caused by drought people must wander away from their homes to seek sustenance. So here too, fasting for expectant mothers and nursing-mothers is for a similar object.

(5) This is the Midrashic explanation of the repetition, MINE EYE, MINE EYE.

Lam. 135

is ‘the Lord’; as it is stated, And this is the name whereby he shall be called, The Lord is our righteousness (Jer. XXIII, 6).[* in this passage, Mashiach ben David is to be called HaShem Tzadkonie (The Lord our Righteousness)]1 For R. Levi said: It is good for a province when its name is identical with that of its king, and the name of its king identical with that of its God. ‘It is good for a province when its name is identical with that of its king,’ as it is written, And the name of the city from that day shall be the Lord is there (Ezek. XLVIII, 35).2 ‘And the name of its king identical with that of its God,’ as it is stated, ’And this is the name whereby he shall be called, The Lord is our righteousness.’ R. Joshua b. Levi said: His name is ' Shoot ‘; as it is stated, Behold, a man whose name is Shoot, and who shall shoot up out of his place, and build the temple of the Lord (Zech. VI, 12). R. Judan said in the name of R. Aibu: His name is ‘Comforter’; as it is said, THE COMFORTER IS FAR FROM ME. R. Hanina said: They do not really differ, because the numerical value of the names is the same, so that ' Comforter ' is identical with ' Shoot ‘.

The following story supports what R. Judan said in the name of R. Aibu: It happened that a man was ploughing, when one of his oxen lowed. An Arab passed by and asked, ‘What are you?’ He answered, ‘I am a Jew.’ He said to him, ‘Unharness your ox and untie your plough’ [as a mark of mourning]. ' Why? ' he asked. ' Because the Temple of the Jews is destroyed.’ He inquired, ‘From where do you know this?’ He answered, ‘I know it from the lowing of your ox.’ While he was conversing with him, the ox lowed again. The Arab said to him, ‘Harness your ox and tie up your plough, because the deliverer of the Jews is born.’ ‘What is his name?’ he asked; and he answered, ‘His name is "Comforter".’ ‘What is his father's name?’ He answered, ' Hezekiah.’ ' Where do they live? ' He answered, ‘In Birath ‘Arba3 in Bethlehem of Judah.’

The man sold his oxen and plough and bought felt garments for children. He journeyed from one city to

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(1) Cf. B.B. 75b (Sonc. ed., p. 303).

(2) The Talmud (loc. cit.) adds: ' Do not read shamah "there" but shemah "its name",’ i.e. ' the Lord shall be its name’.

(3) In J. Ber. 5a the reading is: ‘in the royal capital of Bethlehem.’

Lam. 136

another and from one province to another until he reached that place. All the villagers came to buy garments from him, but the mother of that child made no purchase of him. He asked her, ‘Why do you not buy children's felt garments?’ She answered, ' Because a hard fate is in store for my child.’1 ‘Why?’ he asked; and she answered, ‘Because close on his coming the Temple was destroyed.’ He said to her, ‘We trust in the Lord of the Universe that as close on his coming it was destroyed so close on his coming it will be rebuilt.’ He continued, ‘Take some of these felt garments for your child and after some days I will come to your house to collect the money.’ She took some and departed. After some days the man said, ‘I will go and see how the child is getting on.’ He came to the woman and asked, ' How is the child? ' She answered, ' Did I not tell you that a hard fate is in store for him? Misfortune has dogged him.2 From the time [you left] there have been strong winds and a whirlwind came and carried him off.’ He said to her, ' Did I not tell you at his coming [the Temple] was destroyed and at his coming it will be rebuilt?’3 R. Abun said: Why should I learn this from an Arab when there is an explicit text wherein it is stated, And Lebanon4 shall fall by a mighty one (Isa. X, 34),[* In this passage, it reads “the Lebanon” instead of “Lebanon” the definite article appears in the Hebrew MT. Thus implying the cedars used to make the temple. A euphamism for the Temple] which is followed by, And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots (ib. XI, 1)?5

The school of R. Shila said: The Messiah's name is ‘Shiloh’, as it is stated, Until Shiloh come (Gen. XLIX, 10), where the word is spelt Shlh.6 The School of R. Hanina

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(1) So Jastrow. The text is doubtful, and the Pal. Talmud has a different version. The tradition was that the Messiah would be born on the day that the Temple was destroyed.

(2) The text is uncertain.

(3) The fact that the storm carried him away was evidence that the child was to be used for a supernatural purpose.

(4) The Temple, v. p. 102.

(5) Which teaches that on the same day that the Lebanon (sc. the Temple) shall fall, there shall come forth a shoot, etc., sc. the Messiah.

(6) The point is not dear. The received text is actually vkha , not vka as the Midrash states. Following M.K. and ‘E.J. the passage is to be explained thus: The School of R. Shila said: The Mesdah's name is ' Shilah ' (not ' Shiloh’), as it is stated, Until Shiloh come, where the word is written Shilah ( vkha as emended), i.e. without a waw at the end, and so it may read, ‘Shilah’.

Lam. 137

said: His name is ' Haninah ‘, as it is stated, I will not give you Haninah (Jer. XVI, 13).1 The School of R. Jannai said: His name is ' Yinnon ‘; for it is written, E'er the sun was, his name is Yinnon (Ps. LXXII, 17).2 R. Biba of Sergunieh3 said: His name is ' Nehirah ‘, as it is stated, And the light (nehorah) dwelleth with Him (Dan. II, 22), where the word is spelt nehirah.

R. Judah b. R. Simon said in the name of R. Samuel b. R. Isaac: King Messiah, whether he be of those still living or of those who are dead, bears the name of David. R. Tanhuma said: I will give his reason, viz. Great salvation giveth He to His king; and showeth mercy to His Messiah (PS. XVIII, 51), and the text continues, not ‘and to David’ but to David and to his seed, for evermore.4

MY CHILDREN ARE DESOLATE, BECAUSE THE ENEMY HATH PREVAILED. R. Aibu said: It is like the tuber of a cabbage; as the latter grows the former diminishes in size.5 R. Judah b. R. Simon said: It is like a sow which grows smaller as her litter grows bigger.6