Excerpting: “A Most Meaningful Tishah B’Av—A Simplified Translation of Select Kinnos With Stories and Inspiration” by Rabbi Yechiel Spero. ArtScroll Mesorah Publications. 2024. Hardcover. 324 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1422641392.
Kinnah 9: אֵיכָה תִפְאַרְתִּי
(Courtesy of Artscroll)
Background
This Kinnah speaks of berachos (blessings) and kelalos (curses), with the last line of each stanza containing a quote from Parashas Bechukosai, where Hashem speaks about the blessings and curses. He promises that if we follow His mitzvos and behave properly, we will be blessed with many amazing rewards: wealth, peace, protection, and best of all, His Shechinah among us. At the same time, He warns us that if we don’t follow His ways and keep the mitzvos, then we will face curses and punishments. This Kinnah speaks about the curses that came upon us because we did aveiros.
Even though we may face difficult times as a result of not keeping the mitzvos, we must understand that Hashem never stops loving us. That love is hidden inside the punishment.
A Story
The following true story can help us understand how Hashem’s love works, even when things seem scary or difficult.
Toward the end of the summer, the Levy family went to a men’s beach near their home in Eretz Yisrael for a mini-vacation. The kids paired up as buddies to look out for each other while swimming, and they all had a blast.
At 7:00, Mr. Levy called everyone back. The children gathered up their tubes, towels, and goggles, and placed everything in their swimming bags. But then Mr. Levy noticed that Nachi, his seven-year-old son, was missing.
Shalom, Nachi’s buddy, then explained that at 6:30, Nachi had said he was tired and was heading back to the beach. Since they were close to the shore, Shalom had watched him walk back most of the way, and then jumped back into the water for the last half hour.
Now, the question was: Where was Nachi?
The Levys and the lifeguard searched the beach frantically. By 8:00, the Levys were in full panic mode, as it would soon be dark. The lifeguard called the authorities and soon the beach was filled with rescue crews, Hatzalah members, and helicopters, all using powerful searchlights. The boys cried as their father called their mother to come. Word spread throughout the city to daven for a lost child.
The search continued through the night. As the sun began to rise, the Levys were losing hope. What were the chances that a seven-year-old could survive the whole night in the water?
But just then, they heard happy sounds over the radio. “Hayeled nimtza. V’hu ba’chaim! The child has been found. And he’s alive!”
The Levys cried tears of joy and relief. Nachi was alive. He had spent the whole night in the water, holding onto his tube.
He was rushed to the hospital to check that all was okay. Baruch Hashem, he was fine. Holding him close, his parents asked him, “How did you manage the whole night? How did you hold onto the tube without letting go? Didn’t you feel like giving up?”
He answered, “I did feel like giving up. I was ready to let go of the tube. But then I saw the searchlight from the helicopter. Once I knew that you were looking for me, I made sure to hang on until I was found.”
This story teaches us something very important. Sometimes, we may feel lost and without hope, like we’re drifting alone in the dark. But if we realize that Hashem is on the lookout for us because He loves us, we will find the strength to hang on.
A Lesson
Look for the “searchlight” of Hashem’s love, and know that it’s always there, even when it’s hard to see. Just like Nachi saw the searchlight and knew his parents were looking for him, you can trust that Hashem is always looking for you, ready to bring you back into His loving Arms.
Reprinted from “A Most Meaningful Tishah B’Av” by Rabbi Yechiel Spero with permission from the copyright holder, ArtScroll Mesorah Publications.
