The following is a Tisha B’Av kinnah for the October 7 massacre, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage. It has seven stanzas, each naming a community ravaged on that day. These are, more or less, the seven communities most devastated by the attack, and they are listed in the order of the number of victims that were killed. Stanzas one, two and three begin with mention of Shabbat, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah respectively, all of which were observed on October 7 in Israel, and this repeats with stanzas four, five and six. The end of the kinnah is a request for Hashem’s vengeance and redemption. The kinnah has references to pesukim in Tanach, the siddur and comments of Rashi on Chumash.
Thank you to Rabbi Dr. David Berger for providing edits, Rabbi Haim Jachter and Rabbi Elliot Schrier for reading, and Sefaria.org for sources. Google Translate was also used as a tool for writing the kinnah. HaGaon HaRav Asher Weiss also read the kinnah, although I did not get a chance to hear his thoughts. May this kinnah become null and all mourning of the Three Weeks and Tisha B’Av cease במהרה בימינו, when these days transform from sorrow to celebration.
תשעה באב: קינה לשביעי באוקטובר
באו אויביך ביום השביעי,
הנה ברעים שבר בת עמי,
ויפן כה וכה והלא אין הצלה,
הטבח הנורא בשמחת התורה:
עצרת כמשפט ביום השמיני,
בכוֹ תבכה דמעות על בארי,
כי אין מים לשאוב מזו האדמה,
פריצת החומה בשמחת התורה:
ביום חגיגת אש דת למו,
בא ישמעאל לעשות צחוקו הוא מריבו,
ובנחל עוז נשמעה צעקה,
זעקה גדולה ומרה בשמחת התורה:
בכפר עזה היה יום המנוחה,
פתאום בעוטף חרב והבערה,
אוי כי גבר החיל הרשע,
שריפה עצומה בשמחת התורה:
עצרת תהיה לכם במלאכה עצורים,
בזיקים ראו פגרים מתים,
כי מלאה הארץ חמס ודם של קדושה,
שפיכת דם עבדך בשמחת התורה:
ביום תורת משה חוקים ומשפטים,
בניר עוז נפלו גבר טף ונשים,
ויקחו את אחינו בצרה ובשביה,
יגון ואנחה בשמחת התורה:
עזה תחיל מאוד,
כי בנתיב העשרה נפל הפרגוד,
הסר צער עמך, שלח איש צדיק ונושע,
נקום על העצרת, היא שמחת התורה:
Translation
Your enemies came on the seventh day,
Behold in Re’im, a “ruin of my poor people,”
He turned this way and that but alas, there was no rescue,
The awful slaughter on Simchat haTorah:
Atzeret according to the law on the eighth day,
Cry tears for Be’eri,
For there is no water to draw from this land,
The breaching of the wall on Simchat haTorah:
On the day of celebration of the “fiery law,”
Ishmael came to laugh, to fight,
And in Nahal Oz a shout was heard,
“A loud and bitter cry” on Simchat HaTorah:
In Kfar Aza, it was the day of rest,
Suddenly in the South, sword and burning,
Woe, for the evil legion has prevailed,
A massive burning on Simchat HaTorah:
Atzeret it shall be for you, from work we cease,
In Zikim they saw dead corpses,
“For the earth is filled with violence (Ḥamas)” and blood of holiness,
The spilling of the blood of your servant on Simchat haTorah:
On the day of the Torah of Moses, “statutes and judgements,”
In Nir Oz fell man, child and woman,
And they took our brothers into suffering and captivity,
“Sorrow and sighing” on Simchat haTorah:
Gaza was overwhelmed with fear,
For in Netiv HaAsara the partition fell,
Remove the suffering of your nation, send the “righteous, triumphant” man,
Avenge the Atzeret, Simchat haTorah.
Daniel Brauner is a contributor to The Jewish Link. He is an incoming student at Yeshiva University and lives in Teaneck. Contact him at [email protected].
