How?

We discussed in class why this book is called Eicha. We learned that it is an elongated version of the word "eich"- "how". It is crazy how that one little word holds a tremendous amount of pain, desolation, and hopelessness.  It is a perfect way to sum up this book, in my opinion, from what I've seen so far.

In the first section of Perek Aleph (pessukim 1-11) we hear from the narrator, describing the way in which he thinks Yerushalayim would speak of her pain. It's sad, for sure, but it is nothing like the way in which Yerushalayim herself explains her emotions. In pessukim 12-20 we get the subjective account of her experience. The things Yerushalayim says and the way in which she says them is enough to make your heart ache. It is so beautifully poetic, so much emotion behind the words. Here are just a couple of examples of pessukim that rip your heart out and tear it to pieces.

טו. סִלָּה כָל אַבִּירַי | אֲדֹנָי בְּקִרְבִּי קָרָא עָלַי מוֹעֵד לִשְׁבֹּר בַּחוּרָי גַּת דָּרַךְ אֲדֹנָי לִבְתוּלַת בַּת יְהוּדָה:

The Lord has trampled all my mighty men in my midst, He summoned an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord has trodden as in a wine press the virgin daughter of Judah.

טז. עַל אֵלֶּה | אֲנִי בוֹכִיָּה עֵינִי | עֵינִי יֹרְדָה מַּיִם כִּי רָחַק מִמֶּנִּי מְנַחֵם מֵשִׁיב נַפְשִׁי הָיוּ בָנַי שׁוֹמֵמִים כִּי גָבַר אוֹיֵב:

For these things I weep; my eye, yea my eye, sheds tears, for the comforter to restore my soul is removed from me; my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed.

Yerushalayim is like a mother weeping over the loss of a child, a sadness that is completely unfathomable. She has lost everything and everyone that she loved. I have tears coming to my eyes as I write this. Perhaps I'm just a very emotional person, but nevertheless, the power of this book is undeniable. 

Although the first section of Perek Aleph is necessary to understand the objective side, which gives a basis of understanding the pain of Yerushalayim herself, I think that the recounting by Yerushalayim is much more emotional and meaningful. For me, it left a much larger impact. I felt like I was experiencing the loss and the emotions along with Yerushalayim, a truly heartbreaking experience, indeed.