Below is a collection of Megillat Eicha resources, created by The Lookstein Center staff or contributed to the site by Jewish educators.

This is a growing collection. Check back soon or write to us at content@lookstein.org if you didn’t find what you’re looking for.

 

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Megillat Eicha Overview

Megillat Eicha is a text of lamentations written about the destruction of the First Temple. According to the Talmud, it was written by Jeremiah the prophet. Within the megillah, there is imagery, poetry, and expression related to the emotions and scenes surrounding the destruction of the temple. The speaker in the megillah alternates between being an observer of the destruction and Jerusalem herself. The text details scenes of the destruction of the temple, which vary in terms of their detail, imagery, and descriptions, but also provides a holistic picture of what the destruction of the temple was for those who experienced it. It explores the emotions Jerusalem and the Jewish nation feel because of the destruction. It also describes why the destruction may have happened and God’s involvement in the destruction. It contains elements of crying out to God, as well as elements of tefillah.

Educational Points for Connection
  • When teaching Sefer Yirmiyahu, Megillat Eicha can be utilized as a supplement to better understand the depths of the emotional reactions felt due to the destruction of the Temple.
  • It can be used as a vehicle to analyze the importance of the Temple in the religious life of the Jewish people.
  • Megillat Eicha is read on Tisha B’Av, and educators can utilize the text to better understand what is being mourned on the fast day. In addition, it is the first example of a kinnah, a lamentation, of which many others are recited on Tisha B’Av. It can be used to frame that practice as well.
Key People/ Places in Megillat Eicha

Jerusalem, Bet HaMikdash (Temple), Bnei Yisrael (the Jewish people), God, the “Gever – (the narrator of chapter 3 of the megillah, typically understood to be Jeremiah the prophet)

Key Themes in Megillat Eicha
  • Jerusalem as an entity that “feels”
  • Questioning as an expression 
  • Trying to understand God’s ways
  • Examining tragedies that took place surrounding the destruction of the Temple
  • Prayer as a response to tragedy
  • Examining struggle, challenge, destruction, and despair
  • God’s relationship with the Jewish people
Key Pesukim/Phrases from Megillat Eicha
  • איכה (פרקים א,ב,ד,ה) – the word “eicha” appears multiple times throughout the megillah and is critical to understanding the larger theme of questions God that appears in the megillah.
  • אני הגבר (ג:א) – This is a key phrase where Jeremiah (the author of the text) connects the destruction of the temple with his personal experience.
  • השיבנו ה׳ אליך ונשובה (ה:כא) – A key refrain of prayer that is repeated after the conclusion of the reading of the megillah on Tisha B’Av. This is also included in the prayer recited after the Torah is returned to the Ark, often sung in synagogues on Shabbat and holidays.

Videos

Eicha Song – This song by Sam Glaser shares the story of Tisha B’Av and hope for the future.