(Some parts of this Sheet were adapted from an article by Marty Lockshin in TheTorah.com)
יִרְמְיָה כָּתַב סִפְרוֹ וְסֵפֶר מְלָכִים וְקִינוֹת....
Jeremiah wrote his own book, and the book of Kings, and Lamentations.
The Talmud, Bava Batra (14b), characterizes Jeremiah's book as וְיִרְמְיָה כּוּלֵּיהּ חוּרְבָּנָא,
"Jeremiah is all about destruction."
Heschel, in his "The Prophets," states about Jeremiah:
"The Age of Wrath: Utterances denoting the wrath of God, the intent and threat of destruction, are found more frequently and expressed more strongly in Jeremiah than in any other prophet. For this reasons, Jeremiah has often been called a prophet of wrath."
The Book of Jeremiah (i.e., his prophecies) might be "all about destruction."
What about Eicha? Does it provide a catalogue of sins that brought about - and justify - the Destruction? Does it explicate the iniquities that the reader(s) should not commit so that Hurban and Golah will not come about?
Eicha, in fact, provides little information about the causes for the Destruction, and some of those which are cited are unclear (at least to later readers).
The First Reference to sin: Eicha 1:8
(א) אֵיכָ֣ה ׀ יָשְׁבָ֣ה בָדָ֗ד הָעִיר֙ רַבָּ֣תִי עָ֔ם הָיְתָ֖ה כְּאַלְמָנָ֑ה רַבָּ֣תִי בַגּוֹיִ֗ם שָׂרָ֙תִי֙ בַּמְּדִינ֔וֹת הָיְתָ֖ה לָמַֽס.... (ח) חֵ֤טְא חָֽטְאָה֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם עַל־כֵּ֖ן לְנִידָ֣ה הָיָ֑תָה כׇּֽל־מְכַבְּדֶ֤יהָ הִזִּיל֙וּהָ֙ כִּי־רָא֣וּ עֶרְוָתָ֔הּ גַּם־הִ֥יא נֶאֶנְחָ֖ה וַתָּ֥שׇׁב אָחֽוֹר׃
(1) Alas!
Lonely sits the city
Once great with people!
She that was great among nations
Is become like a widow;
The princess among states
Is become a thrall....
(8) Jerusalem has greatly sinned,
Therefore she is become a mockery.
All who admired her despise her,
For they have seen her disgraced;
And she can only sigh
And shrink back.
Sin is identified as the cause for Exile and possibly the reader (listener) knew what it was; the text, however, gives no hint about its nature.
Eicha offers three other possible causes.
Cause #2: 2:14 refers to the immoral leadership of the nation's prophets and seers.
(Who are these?)
(יד) נְבִיאַ֗יִךְ חָ֤זוּ לָךְ֙ שָׁ֣וְא וְתָפֵ֔ל וְלֹֽא־גִלּ֥וּ עַל־עֲוֺנֵ֖ךְ לְהָשִׁ֣יב (שביתך) [שְׁבוּתֵ֑ךְ]
וַיֶּ֣חֱזוּ לָ֔ךְ מַשְׂא֥וֹת שָׁ֖וְא וּמַדּוּחִֽים׃ {ס}
(14) Your seers prophesied to you
Delusion and folly.
They did not expose your iniquity
So as to restore your fortunes,
But prophesied to you oracles
Of delusion and deception.
Cause #3: Eicha 4:13 refers to bloodshed committed by Kohanim and prophets.
(יב) לֹ֤א הֶאֱמִ֙ינוּ֙ מַלְכֵי־אֶ֔רֶץ (וכל) [כֹּ֖ל] יֹשְׁבֵ֣י תֵבֵ֑ל כִּ֤י יָבֹא֙ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֖י יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ {ס} (יג) מֵֽחַטֹּ֣אות נְבִיאֶ֔יהָ עֲוֺנֹ֖ת כֹּהֲנֶ֑יהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִ֥ים בְּקִרְבָּ֖הּ דַּ֥ם צַדִּיקִֽיM....
...פְּנֵ֤י כֹהֲנִים֙ לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔אוּ (זקנים) [וּזְקֵנִ֖ים] לֹ֥א חָנָֽנוּ׃ {ס}
(12) The kings of the earth did not believe,
Nor any of the inhabitants of the world,
That foe or adversary could enter
The gates of Jerusalem.
(13) It was for the sins of her prophets,
The iniquities of her priests,
Who had shed in her midst
The blood of the just....
They showed no regard for priests,
No favor to elders.
(20) Then the spirit of God enveloped Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest; he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus God said: Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD when you cannot succeed? Since you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.” (21) They conspired against him and pelted him with stones in the court of the House of the LORD, by order of the king.
אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אָבִין אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קׇרְחָה: סָח לִי זָקֵן אֶחָד מֵאַנְשֵׁי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם בְּבִקְעָה זוֹ הָרַג נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב טַבָּחִים מָאתַיִם וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה רִבּוֹא וּבִירוּשָׁלַיִם הָרַג תִּשְׁעִים וְאַרְבַּע רִבּוֹא עַל אֶבֶן אַחַת עַד שֶׁהָלַךְ דָּמָן וְנָגַע בְּדָמוֹ שֶׁל זְכַרְיָה לְקַיֵּים מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר וְדָמִים בְּדָמִים נָגְעוּ
אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ לִדְמֵיהּ דִּזְכַרְיָה דַּהֲוָה קָא מִרְתַח וְסָלֵיק. אֲמַר מַאי הַאי? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ דַּם זְבָחִים דְּאִשְׁתְּפוּךְ. אַיְיתִי דְּמֵי וְלָא אִידְּמוֹ. אֲמַר לְהוּ: אִי אָמְרִיתוּ לִי מוּטָב, וְאִי לָאו מְסָרֵיקְנָא לְבִשְׂרַיְיכוּ בְּמַסְרְקֵי דְפַרְזְלֵי. אָמְרִי לֵיהּ מַאי נֵימָא לָךְ נְבִיָּיא הֲוָה בַּן דַּהֲוָה קָא מוֹכַח לַן בְּמִילֵּי דִשְׁמַיָּא קַמְינַן עִילָּוֵיהּ וּקְטַלְינַן לֵיהּ. וְהָא כַּמָּה שְׁנִין דְּלָא קָא נָיַיח דְּמֵיהּ.
§ With regard to the Babylonian exile following the destruction of the First Temple, Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Avin says that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa says: An old man from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem related to me: In this valley that lies before you, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, killed 2,110,000 people. And in Jerusalem itself he killed 940,000 people on one stone, until the blood of his victims flowed and touched the blood of Zechariah to fulfill what is stated: “And blood touches blood” (Hosea 4:2).
The Gemara clarifies the details of what happened: Nebuzaradan found the blood of Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, and saw that it was bubbling up from the ground, and he said: What is this? Those in the Temple said to him: It is sacrificial blood that had been poured there. He brought animal blood, compared it to the blood bubbling up from the ground, and saw that it was not similar to it. Nebuzaradan said to them: If you tell me whose blood this is, it will be well for you. But if not, I will comb your flesh with iron combs.
They said to him: What shall we say to you? He was a prophet among us, who used to rebuke us about heavenly matters, and we rose up against him, and killed him (II Chronicles 24:20–22), and for many years now his blood has not settled.
Thus far we have identified three passages in Eicha that deal with the sins of the people:
1:8 - unidentified
2:14 - the immoral leadership of Israel
4:13 - bloodshed of leaders
Yoma 9b, however, introduces the traditional triad of Cardinal Sins.
מִקְדָּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן מִפְּנֵי מָה חָרַב — מִפְּנֵי שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים שֶׁהָיוּ בּוֹ: עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְגִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים.
עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, דִּכְתִיב:....
§ The Tosefta continues with a discussion of the sins of the Jewish people over the generations: Due to what reason was the First Temple destroyed? It was destroyed due to the fact that there were three matters that existed in the First Temple: Idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed.
Idol worship, as it is written....
The sugya (case) in Yoma then uses d'rashot (homiletic interpretations) to prove that Israel committed these cardinal sins. It does not cite explicit passages from Eicha or elsewhere in Tanakh to demonstrate their errant behavior. Also, its citation of the Three Cardinal Sins seems formulaic, and the lack of textual proof makes this interpretation suspect.
Cause #4, the last in the book: Eicha 5:7 - a most perplexing answer to our question
(7) Our fathers sinned and are no more;
And we must bear their guilt.
QUESTIONS FOR US TO CONSIDER:
What does this verse tell us? It seems to present a cause for the Destruction but attributes it to another generation, long gone. And the nature of their sin is not identified. Why?
Is the implication of 5:7 that a justification for the Destruction of the current generation cannot be identified? Is it proposing - without objection - that "the sins of the fathers have brought about the punishment of their children?"
Might Eicha share some of the implications of Job regarding the nature of divine justice?
Is this a rejoinder to the entire book?
Or, maybe the purpose of the book is solely to provide consolation and hope for the nation. It does not concern itself with the ethical or philosophical cause for the Destruction.
In this regard, Dr. Lockshin quotes Michael S. Moore who wrote: "[Lamentations] was primarily designed in order to lament the nation's destruction, to put forward a first step toward picking up the emotional pieces, to articulate the anger, guilt, despair, and stubborn hopes of a nation," not to explain or justify the Destruction.
Proofs from Jermiah's prophecy about Israel's sins
(א) מִֽי־יִתְּנֵ֣נִי בַמִּדְבָּ֗ר מְלוֹן֙ אֹֽרְחִ֔ים וְאֶֽעֶזְבָה֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י וְאֵלְכָ֖ה מֵֽאִתָּ֑ם כִּ֤י כֻלָּם֙ מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים עֲצֶ֖רֶת בֹּגְדִֽים׃
(ב) וַֽיַּדְרְכ֤וּ אֶת־לְשׁוֹנָם֙ קַשְׁתָּ֣ם שֶׁ֔קֶר וְלֹ֥א לֶאֱמוּנָ֖ה גָּבְר֣וּ בָאָ֑רֶץ כִּי֩ מֵרָעָ֨ה אֶל־רָעָ֧ה ׀ יָצָ֛אוּ וְאֹתִ֥י לֹא־יָדָ֖עוּ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ (ג) אִ֤ישׁ מֵרֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ הִשָּׁמֵ֔רוּ וְעַל־כׇּל־אָ֖ח אַל־תִּבְטָ֑חוּ כִּ֤י כׇל־אָח֙ עָק֣וֹב יַעְקֹ֔ב וְכׇל־רֵ֖עַ רָכִ֥יל יַהֲלֹֽךְ׃ (ד) וְאִ֤ישׁ בְּרֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ יְהָתֵ֔לּוּ וֶאֱמֶ֖ת לֹ֣א יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ לִמְּד֧וּ לְשׁוֹנָ֛ם דַּבֶּר־שֶׁ֖קֶר הַעֲוֵ֥ה נִלְאֽוּ׃ (ה) שִׁבְתְּךָ֖ בְּת֣וֹךְ מִרְמָ֑ה בְּמִרְמָ֛ה מֵאֲנ֥וּ דַעַת־אוֹתִ֖י נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס} (ו) לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת הִנְנִ֥י צוֹרְפָ֖ם וּבְחַנְתִּ֑ים כִּי־אֵ֣יךְ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י בַּת־עַמִּֽ....
(ח) הַֽעַל־אֵ֥לֶּה לֹא־אֶפְקׇד־בָּ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה אִ֚ם בְּג֣וֹי אֲשֶׁר־כָּזֶ֔ה לֹ֥א תִתְנַקֵּ֖ם נַפְשִֽׁי׃ {ס} (י) וְנָתַתִּ֧י אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֛͏ִם לְגַלִּ֖ים מְע֣וֹן תַּנִּ֑ים וְאֶת־עָרֵ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה אֶתֵּ֥ן שְׁמָמָ֖ה מִבְּלִ֖י יוֹשֵֽׁב׃ {ס}
(יא) מִֽי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הֶחָכָם֙ וְיָבֵ֣ן אֶת־זֹ֔את וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר פִּֽי־יְהֹוָ֛ה אֵלָ֖יו וְיַגִּדָ֑הּ עַל־מָה֙ אָבְדָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ נִצְּתָ֥ה כַמִּדְבָּ֖ר מִבְּלִ֖י עֹבֵֽר׃ {ס} (יב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֔ה עַל־עׇזְבָם֙ אֶת־תּ֣וֹרָתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם וְלֹא־שָׁמְע֥וּ בְקוֹלִ֖י וְלֹא־הָ֥לְכוּ בָֽהּ׃ (יג) וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ אַחֲרֵ֖י שְׁרִר֣וּת לִבָּ֑ם וְאַֽחֲרֵי֙ הַבְּעָלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִמְּד֖וּם אֲבוֹתָֽם׃ {פ}
(יד) לָכֵ֗ן כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר יְהֹוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִ֧י מַאֲכִילָ֛ם אֶת־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה לַעֲנָ֑ה וְהִשְׁקִיתִ֖ים מֵי־רֹֽאשׁ׃ (טו) וַהֲפִֽצוֹתִים֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יָדְע֔וּ הֵ֖מָּה וַאֲבוֹתָ֑ם וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֤י אַֽחֲרֵיהֶם֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב עַ֥ד כַּלּוֹתִ֖י אוֹתָֽם׃
(1) Oh, to be in the desert,
At an encampment for wayfarers!
Oh, to leave my people,
To go away from them—
For they are all adulterers,
A band of rogues. (2) They bend their tongues like bows;
They are valorous in the land
For treachery, not for honesty;
They advance from evil to evil.
And they do not heed Me
—declares the LORD. (3) Beware, every man of his friend!
Trust not even a brother!
For every brother takes advantage,
Every friend is base in his dealings....
In their deceit,-b they refuse to heed Me
—declares the LORD.
(6) Assuredly, thus said the LORD of Hosts:
Lo, I shall smelt and assay them—
For what else can I do because of My poor people? ....
(8) Shall I not punish them for such deeds?
—says the LORD—
Shall I not bring retribution
On such a nation as this? ....
(10) I will turn Jerusalem into rubble,
Into dens for jackals;
And I will make the towns of Judah
A desolation without inhabitants.
(11) What man is so wise
That he understands this?
To whom has the LORD’s mouth spoken,
So that he can explain it:
Why is the land in ruins,
Laid waste like a wilderness,
With none passing through?
(12) The LORD replied: Because they forsook the Teaching I had set before them. They did not obey Me and they did not follow it, (13) but followed their own willful heart and followed the Baalim, as their fathers had taught them....
(15) I will scatter them among nations which they and their fathers never knew; and I will dispatch the sword after them until I have consumed them.
above the people Higher than the people, in order to make his voice heard. In Lamentations Rabbah (Proem 23), it is interpreted as meaning that he relied on himself; he was a prince higher than all the people, a prophet and a priest, and it was Yom Kippur, and he was the king’s son-in-law, and he was not afraid to say the prophecy. Concerning this incident, it was stated (Lam. 2:20): “shall priest and prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of the Lord?”