We read in the Megilla Eicha (1:15-22)
טז: עַל-אֵלֶּה | אֲנִי בוֹכִיָּה עֵינִי | עֵינִי יֹרְדָה מַּיִם כִּי-רָחַק מִמֶּנִּי מְנַחֵם מֵשִׁיב נַפְשִׁי הָיוּ בָנַי שׁוֹמֵמִים כִּי גָבַר אוֹיֵב
יז: פֵּרְשָֹה צִיּוֹן בְּיָדֶיהָ אֵין מְנַחֵם לָהּ צִוָּה ה’ לְיַעֲקֹב סְבִיבָיו צָרָיו הָיְתָה יְרוּשָׁלַם לְנִדָּה בֵּינֵיהֶם
“For these things I weep; my eye, my eye runs down with tears, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me; my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed.
“Zion spreads out her hands, and none is there to comfort her; the Lord has commanded against Jacob adversaries around him; Jerusalem is like a menstruating woman among them.”
With poetic license, I offer:
For these things I weep; my eye, my eye fills with tears, because there is no comfort to relieve my soul; Gds children are desolate and wait in Exile, for the Satan has prevailed.
Zion’s hands reach out to them, and there is none to make them understand that the Gd of Jacob has prepared the way for them to return: Jerusalem beckons them home, but they prefer to occasionally visit the Kotel instead and kiss it good bye each time, some even with tears in their eyes.
Despite Gds call for Israel to return (Yeshaya 40:1-5) and be consoled נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי יֹאמַר אֱלֹהֵיכֶם because indeed Yisrael’s iniquity is pardoned; and despite the Navi’s call:
ב: דַּבְּרוּ עַל-לֵב יְרוּשָׁלַם וְקִרְאוּ אֵלֶיהָ כִּי מָלְאָה צְבָאָהּ כִּי נִרְצָה עֲוֹנָהּ כִּי לָקְחָה מִיַּד יְהֹוָה כִּפְלַיִם בְּכָל-חַטֹּאתֶיהָ
– Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her fighting is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from Gds hand double for all her sins, our leaders in Exile still tell our children we have to wait for the Moshiach before we may return.
The Navi continues:
ג: קוֹל קוֹרֵא בַּמִּדְבָּר פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהֹוָה יַשְּׁרוּ בָּעֲרָבָה מְסִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ
ד: כָּל-גֶּיא יִנָּשֵֹא וְכָל-הַר וְגִבְעָה יִשְׁפָּלוּ וְהָיָה הֶעָקֹב לְמִישׁוֹר וְהָרְכָסִים לְבִקְעָה
ה: וְנִגְלָה כְּבוֹד ה’ וְרָאוּ כָל-בָּשָֹר יַחְדָּו כִּי פִּי ה’ דִּבֵּר
- The wilderness has been prepared; Gds children have built Kvish 6 in the desert,
a highway for our ingathering as Gd promisedת - And today’s highway infrastructure and tunnels and bridges where many valleys have been filled and mountains and hills lowered. When you ride on the Ayalon, Route 1 or 443 to Jerusalem, see how the crooked is made straight and the rough places made smooth and accessible, for Gds children to return,
- The glory of Gd is daily being revealed by the ingathering of 6 million children, so far; all flesh now see it together; Gd has spoken.
ח: יָבֵשׁ חָצִיר נָבֵל צִיץ וּדְבַר-אֱלֹקינוּ יָקוּם לְעוֹלָם
ט: עַל הַר-גָּבֹהַ עֲלִי-לָךְ מְבַשֶּׂרֶת צִיּוֹן הָרִימִי בַכֹּחַ קוֹלֵךְ מְבַשֶּׂרֶת יְרוּשָׁלָם הָרִימִי אַל-תִּירָאִי אִמְרִי לְעָרֵי יְהוּדָה הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
י: הִנֵּה אֲדֹנָי ה’ בְּחָזָק יָבוֹא וּזְרֹעוֹ מֹשְׁלָה לוֹ הִנֵּה שְֹכָרוֹ אִתּוֹ וּפְעֻלָּתוֹ לְפָנָיו
יא: כְּרֹעֶה עֶדְרוֹ יִרְעֶה בִּזְרֹעוֹ יְקַבֵּץ טְלָאִים וּבְחֵיקוֹ יִשָּׂא עָלוֹת יְנַהֵל
- The grass withers, the flower fades; but Gds word endures forever.
- You who love Zion, rise up and see Jerusalem’s return and shout it on the highest mountain; You who bring your simchas to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid. See the renewed cities of Judah and Shomron. This is your Gd!
- Behold, Gd comes with strong hand and outstretched arm. Behold, his reward is with Him, His children have returned.
- He feeds his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs with his arm and carries them in His bosom, gently leading those that are with young.
For these things I weep . . .
- The arrogance of ignorance on the status of Israel’s return בדרך הטבע.
- The fear and timidity of our Torah leaders even to listen to arguments for שחרור הנפש in now resurrected Zion, just as the secular Zionists so successfully did with שחרור הגוף.
- The bad talk against Israel today as a defense mechanism to justify their “waiting”.
- The שכינה represented in the שישים ריבוי in Israel also weeps as it waits for its misguided Torah leadership in Galut to catch up with the reality that is Israel today
- Those who wait to die and prefer being brought here in a box instead of as we appeal in our daily tefilot – ותולכנו קוממיות לארצנו.
May we all see the rebuilding of our Beit Hamikdash speedily and in MY time as well.
