This is a text study based on a midrash from the midrashic collection, Lamentations Rabbah (or Eikha Rabbah). Tisha B’Av marks a difficult moment in the Jewish calendar, in which stark theological challenges are posed alongside a sense of mourning for tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people.
In this midrash, we read a description of God learning to mourn via the ministering angels about the behaviour of human beings at times of mourning.
Eikha Rabbah is one of the rabbinic texts that can be studied on Tisha B’Av, because, whereas Torah study in general is supposed to be a joyous activity, studying texts that deal with the destruction of the temple is considered to be in keeping with the tone of the day.
The text study sheets can be downloaded from here.
Lamentations Rabbah – Tisha B Av
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