Lamentations(Eicha) With Rabbi Mendel Kaplan

This class studies the verse (Eicha 1:14) in which Jeremiah's warnings about the devastation that would visit the Jewish people reveals a profoundly orchestrated choreography woven into the timing and magnitude of G-d's punishment. The steady snowballing effect of sin will invariably accumulate until a cascade of catastrophic consequences chokes us; yet the destruction is never complete and we always rise from the ashes.

This class focuses on the verse (Eicha, 1:13) “From on High He sent a Fire...” Our sages understood this to mean literally: G-d Himself actually rained down fire to burn the Beit HaMikdash so the heathens could not boast that they destroyed it themselves! From beneath G-d metaphorically spreads out an ensnaring trap as Jerusalem hurling us back into our exile of desolation and dysfunction whose expiration date seems to have come and gone without redemptive transformation. This all sounds most unusual; yet its message may well surprise inspire you.

In this class we listen to Jerusalem pour her heart out to proverbial passersby in emotional distress, bitterly lamenting her misfortune and destruction. The in-depth analyses of this verse reveals how this poetic prophecy provide insight, encouragement and inspiration to help us deal with our own painful realities, as well as appreciate the highs, lows and unique travails of our collective Jewish experience! (Lamentations 1:12)

Megillat Eicha begins in verse 11: “All her people are sighing...” as the prophet laments the dreadful starvation that gripped the nation. Utterly consumed with hunger they exchanged handfuls of gold for tiny morsels of bread. Blinded by their insatiable quest for physical subsistence they lost sight of life’s meaning and purpose altogether. In studying this verse, you’ll also discover the non-literal modern alter-ego of this condition, and how this mournful prophesy actually provides insight, encouragement and inspiration to help us refocus our lives today.

This class on Megillat Eicha focuses on verse 10 of the first chapter. As the destroyers entered the Holy Temple to plunder its gold and silver, they were joined by a strange accomplice who brazenly laid a hand on our greatest treasure of all, and, in a singular act of desecration, cast us to the lowest level of despair. In studying this tragic verse, you’ll discover how it provides us encouraging insight into what's really important in life – and how to best contend with the challenging realities we face today.

This text-based class on Megillat Eicha focuses on verse 9 of the first chapter.

This text-based class on Megillat Eicha focuses on verse 8 of the first chapter.

This text-based class on Megillat Eicha focuses on verse 7 of the first chapter.

This text-based class on Megillat Eicha focuses on verse 6 of the first chapter.

This text-based class on Megillat Eicha focuses on verse 5 of the first chapter.