## Rashi on Lamentations Chapter 5

###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:4:1
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:4:1)

**מֵימֵינוּ בְּכֶסֶף שָׁתִינוּ.** שֶׁהָיִינוּ יְרֵאִים לִשְׁאוֹב מַיִם מִן הַנָּהָר מִפְּנֵי הָאוֹיְבִים, וְהָיִינוּ קוֹנִים מֵהֶם בְּכֶסֶף:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**We pay to drink our own water.** Since we were afraid to draw water from the river because of the enemies, we bought [water] from them with money.¹

footnotes:
¹ Alternatively, ‘we are accustomed to drink from silver cups, and now we even have to pay to drink from wooden cups. (Yalkut Me’am Lo’ez)


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:5:1
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:5:1)

**עַל צַוָּארֵנוּ נִרְדָּפְנוּ.** מֵעוֹל עֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**We are hounded around our necks.** Because of the yoke of hard labor.


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:5:2
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:5:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:5:2)

**יָגַעְנוּ.** לֶאֱסוֹף מָמוֹן וּנְכָסִים:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**We exhaust ourselves.** To gather money and property.


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:5:3
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:5:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:5:3)

**וְלֹא הוּנַח לָנוּ.** יְגִיעֵנוּ בְּיָדֵינוּ, כִּי הָאוֹיְבִים הָיוּ גוֹבִים וְחוֹטְפִים הַכֹּל בְּמִסִּים וְגֻלְגָּלִיּוֹת וְאַרְנוּנִיּוֹת:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**But nothing remains for us.** [Of] our toil in our hands, because the enemies would collect and seize everything for taxes, head taxes, and property taxes.²

footnotes:
² Alternatively, ‘and we were given no rest [ולא הונח לנו].’


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:6:1
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:6:1)

**מִצְרַיִם נָתַנּוּ יָד.** דֶּרֶךְ אָדָם הַנּוֹפֵל וְרוֹצֶה לַעֲמוֹד, מוֹשִׁיט יָד לְמִי שֶׁאֶצְלוֹ לַעֲזוֹר לוֹ, וְאַף כַּאן, לְמִצְרַיִם הוֹשַׁטְנוּ יָד שֶׁיַּעְזְרוּנוּ:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Toward Egypt we extended a hand [for assistance].** It is customary for a person who is falling and wishes to stand up to stretch out a hand to someone nearby to help him. Here too, we stretched out a hand to Egypt that they should help us.³

footnotes:
³ Alternatively, Egypt gave us their hand[shake], i.e., an expression of making an oath, that they would assist us. (Ibn Ezra)


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:6:2
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:6:2)

**אַשּׁוּר.** שֶׁיַּשְׂבְּעוּנוּ בְלַחְמָם:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**[Toward] Ashur.** That they sate us with their bread.


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:6:3
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:6:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:6:3)

**נָתַנּוּ.** כְּמוֹ "נָתַנְנוּ". דַּגְשׁוּת הַנּוּ"ן מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת בִּמְקוֹם נוּ"ן שְׁנִיָּה, וְכֵן, "כִּי מִמְּךָ הַכֹּל וּמִיָּדְךָ נָתַנּוּ לָךְ". וְכֵן, "וְנָתַנּוּ אֶת בְּנֹתֵינוּ לָכֶם":

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**We extended [a hand].** נָתַנּוּ is] the same as נָתַנְנוּ. The *dagesh* in the *nun* takes the place of the second *nun*, as in, “for all is from You, and from Your hand we have given נָתַנּוּ it to You,”⁴ and as in, “and we will give וְנָתַנּוּ our daughters to you.”⁵

footnotes:
⁴ I Divrei Hayomim 29:14.
⁵ Bereishis 34:16.


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:9:1
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:9:1)

**בְּנַפְשֵׁנוּ נָבִיא לַחְמֵנוּ.** בְּסַכָּנַת נַפְשֵׁנוּ. הָיִינוּ מְסֻּכָּנִים, כְּשֶׁהָיִינוּ מְבִיאִים מְזוֹנוֹתֵינוּ מִן הַשָּׂדֶה, מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב הַמִּדְבָּר:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**We gain our bread at the risk of our lives.** With our life in jeopardy. We were in danger when we would bring our food from the field because of the sword of the wilderness.


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:10:1
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:10:1)

**נִכְמָרוּ.** נִתְחַמְּמוּ, וְכֵן, "כִּי נִכְמְרוּ רַחֲמָיו". וּבִלְשׁוֹן גְּמָרָא יֵשׁ הַרְבֵּה: "עַל הַכּוֹמֶר שֶׁל עֲנָבִים". "מִכְמָר בְּישְׂרָאֵל":

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Inflamed.** Became heated, as in, “for his mercies were aroused נִכְמְרוּ”;⁶ and in the language of the Gemara there are many instances, “a heating vessel כּוֹמֶר of grapes”;⁷ “the heating מִכְמָר of the flesh.”⁸

footnotes:
⁶ Ibid. 43:30.
⁷ Maseches Yevamos 97a.
⁸ Maseches Pesachim 58a.


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:10:2
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:10:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:10:2)

**זַלְעֲפוֹת רָעָב.** כְּמוֹ "וְרוּחַ זִלְעָפוֹת", לְשׁוֹן שְׂרֵפָה:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Burning hunger.** As in, “and a burning זִלְעָפוֹת wind,”⁹ an expression of burning.

footnotes:
⁹ Tehilim 11:6.


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:13:1
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:13:1)

**טְחוֹן נָשָׂאוּ.** כְּשֶׁהָיוּ הָאוֹיְבִים מוֹלִיכִין אוֹתָם בְּקוֹלָרִין, הָיוּ נוֹתְנִים עַל כְּתֵפֵיהֶם רֵחַיִם וּמַשָׂאוֹת כְּדֵי לְיַגְּעָם. וְכֵן, "בָּעֵץ כָּשָׁלוּ", כָּשַׁל כֹּחָם. וּלְשׁוֹן כִּשְׁלוֹן נוֹפֵל בְּתַשּׁוּת כֹּחַ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּעֶזְרָא "וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה כָּשַׁל כֹּחַ הַסַּבָּל". וְכֵן "הִכְשִׁיל כֹּחִי":

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Encumbered with millstones.** When the enemies led them away in neck irons, they would place on their shoulders millstones and burdens in order to tire them.¹⁰ And similarly, “[and boys] staggered with beams,” [meaning that] their strength failed. The expression of staggering כִּשְׁלוֹן applies to the weakening of strength, as is stated in Ezra, “And Yehudah said, ‘the strength of the bearer has failed,’”¹¹ and similarly, “He has caused my strength to fail.”¹²

footnotes:
¹⁰ Alternatively, ‘youths were forced to grind wheat,’ a task which drains their strength. (Ibn Ezra)
¹¹ Nechemyah 4:4.
¹² Eichah 1:14.


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:17:1
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:17:1)

**עַל זֶה הָיָה דָוֶה לִבֵּנוּ וְגוֹ'.** עַל הַמְפֹרָשׁ בַּמִּקְרָא שֶׁל אַחֲרָיו: "עַל הַר צִיּוֹן שֶׁשָּׁמֵם". וְ"שׁוּעָלִים הִלְּכוּ בוֹ":

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**For this our hearts ached, etc.** Because of that which is delineated in the verse following, “Over Mount Tzion, which was devastated [and] foxes meandered over it.”¹³

footnotes:
¹³ Below, verse 18. Our hearts ache only for the destruction of Mount Tzion, and nothing else. (Palgei Mayim)


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:19:1
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:19:1)

**אַתָּה ה'.** יָדַעְנוּ כִּי לְעוֹלָם תֵּשֵׁב וְהוֹאִיל וְכֵן הוּא:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Adonoy, You.** We know that You will remain forever. And because that is so...


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:20:1
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:20:1)

**לָמָּה לָנֶצַח תִּשְׁכָּחֵנוּ.** הֲלֹא נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לָנוּ בְּךָ כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאַתָּה קַיָּם כַּךְ שְׁבוּעָתְךָ קַיֶּמֶת:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Why [then O Eternal] do You forget us.** Have You not sworn to us Yourself that just as You exist, so does Your oath exist?


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:22:1
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:22:1)

**כִּי אִם מָאֹס מְאַסְתָּנוּ.** בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לֹא הָיָה לְךָ לְהַרְבּוֹת קֶצֶף עַד מְאֹד כַּאֲשֶׁר קָצַפְתָּ:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**For although You may have considered us contemptible.** Although we have sinned, [nonetheless] You should not have been angered as much as You have been.


###### Rashi on Lamentations 5:22:2
[Rashi on Lamentations 5:22:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20Lamentations/r/5:22:2)

**הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ ה'.** מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמְּסַיֵּם בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹכֵחָה הֻצְרַךְ לִכְפֹּל מִקְרָא שֶׁלְּפָנָיו פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת, וְכֵן יְשַׁעְיָה וּתְרֵי עָשָׂר וְקֹהֶלֶת:

**The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001:**
**Adonoy return us.** Because he concludes with words of reproof, he had to repeat the preceding verse again,¹⁴ and so did Yeshayahu, Trei Osor, and Koheles.

footnotes:
¹⁴ In order to end on a note of consolation.