Conclusions of פרק ה

In פרק ה, we see tremendous development with ירושלים. Not only is she speaking in the collective instead of the individual, but she's just asking to restore her relationship with Hashem - she just wants to go back to what they used to have. In comparison to פרק א, it seems like a totally different person! In פרק א, we see someone who is mourning, upset, individualistic, and focused on the betrayal of their enemies. But in פרק ה, we see a relaxed, collective, collected, and a focus on the loss of their relationship with G-d.

We see a change in the מקונן's description of ירושלים -- it goes from a description of events in terms of that they sinned, but not realizing to a description of events in terms of they sinned, but they're realizing. It's paralleling development of Jerusalem from an objective perspective. Also, we see a change in ירושלים personified as an individual to being personified as a community. She starts off as a selfish individual with no comfort, to being so angry that he can't talk, and then to them realizing we sinned and G-d won't destroy the community and he wants a relationship again. Also there's a similar transformation with the גבר - he goes from an individual to a member of the community.

The chiastic structure of the ספר illustrates the two separate responses to tragedy and alienation from G-d. The first is the childish response "I want to understand the world" - this response is found in ב and ד. He thinks G-d's unjust. We just don't know though, there's something beyond us. It's unsatisfying, but whatever. The world is run by a system I don't get. The second is the "everything is good -relationship with G-d. - found in א and ה. It's a more grown-up, reflective perspective. She's saying, we sinned and we deserve it - do your thing G-d!

I think it's really appropriate to read איכה on ט באב. We're mourning over the clarity that we once had, our strong relationship with G-d. We're mourning over a time when we didn't feel alone and like we had to have blind faith. It teaches us how to respond to tragedy and how to connect with G-d even though he doesn't respond to us.

It also really helps us today, in the modern world. It seems like we're so so distant from the times of the Tanach and like they were so much better than us and we can't relate to them. But really, they struggled then also. They had the same questions as us, yet they still found a way to live through it. They learned to live with their questions. So too, we have to learn to accept that we don't know everything and live with our questions and connect to G-d.