Let's take a step back and look at how much we have accomplished in our class already. We learned about Shlomo and his role as Kohelet. He found the meaning of life in a contemplation that was composed of 12 chapters. Kohelet taught us that if we recognize that God is all-knowing and all-powerful, we can have a very meaningful life. We learn that there is something that higher than us, and when He gives us a gift, we don't throw it away because it was taken advantage of. A few weeks ago, we started the second book in Megillot, Eicha. Eicha is a sad book because it reminisces on the destruction of our dear city, Jerusalem in 5 short chapters. We started and finished it "in the blink of an eye."
I think that we can learn something about this phrase in the context of these two books. Kohelet talks about finding the meaning of life, but it starts out with Shlomo's dream in Givon, when he asked God for the ability to judge fairly between right and wrong. Because Shlomo asked for these wise things, Hashem gave him much more which included money, prosperity, and respect from the world around him. When Shlomo acquired all of these things, he wasted them and that is what led him to search for the meaning in life. After he lost everything, everything around him became "hevel." How long did it take Shlomo to lose all of his riches? He lost them in "the blink of an eye." From this we have to learn that when we are given gifts, either from God or a person around us, we must handle them well, not take advantage of them, and not let them disappear like Shlomo's did "in the blink of an eye."
Eicha was a "blink of an eye" in and of itself. It is so short, and I think we can learn a lot from the fact that the book itself is physically short, and the destruction and sadness described within the book. Why did the destruction come about in the first place, is the first question that we must ask ourselves? It came about because of the people's sins. The leaders (including Shlomo) influenced the people with his sins, which caused the people to sin beyond belief. I can't even count how many times in Tanach, B'nei Yisrael are told that if they sin they will be IMMEDIATELY punished. When the Jews sinned, they were given a warning by Yirmiyahu, but they didn't listen causing Hashem to go ahead with his original plan and punish the people. Once the people sinned, they and Jerusalem were punished "in the blink of an eye." We are explained the immense sadness of Jerusalem (as a people) in the book of Eicha. It is so short though. Jerusalem was destroyed in the blink of an eye, and from this we can learn that if we sin as the people back then did, destruction to us could come "in the blink of an eye."
How do you think these two books relate to this phrase? Do you agree or disagree with what I said? Do you think we will be able to apply this concept in the next three books of Megillot that we are going to learn?
Interesting thought. I get what you mean by it all happening quickly, but I don't know if agree with the exact phrasing. It seemed like it all took some time to happen--not in the blink of an eye. The people were sinning for a long time before they were punished and Yirmiahu and Yishayahu took a lot of time to warn them and get them to repent. Only after neither of their attempts worked and the people had reached an all time low were they actually punished. It does seem like once they are punished, it all happens rather quickly. The people go from being this glorious people in the glorious city to starving on the broken streets of Yerushalyim while their enemies attack and the babies cry. It seems like the punishment happens in a "blink of an eye" but I wouldn't say the sins caused the punishment in a "blink of an eye."
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