I am the man who has seen torment. Yirmiyahu lamented, saying, “I am the man who has seen torment,” [i.e.,] who has seen torment more than all the prophets who prophesied concerning the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh, for the Beis Hamikdosh was not destroyed in their days, but it was [destroyed] in my days .

By the rod of His fury. Of the One who chastises and smites, i.e., the Holy One, Blessed is He.¹

footnotes: ¹ Alternatively, the enemy’s rod, i.e., this phrase reverts to ‘my enemy has annihilated,’ and how, ‘by the rod of his fury.’ (Ibn Ezra)

At me alone He repeatedly. I alone am constantly smitten, for the entire repetition of His blows is upon me.

He rotted my flesh. As in, “to rotten לְבוּל wood.”² Another explanation: ‘He has made my flesh and skin waste away,’ as in, “And the earth will wear away תִּבְלֶה like a garment,”³ i.e., both young and old lay outdoors on the ground with neither pillow nor cushion, and their flesh wore out, when they were going into exile.

footnotes: ² Yeshayahuu 44:19. ³ Ibid., 51:6.

Encircling. He encompassed me.

Gall and bitter plants. As in, “gall and bitter fruit.”⁴ The Midrash Aggadah [states] that רֹאשׁ, refers to Nevuchadnetzar in the exile of Yehoyachin; and תְלָאָה [refers to] Nevuzaradan, who completed the blow in the days of Tzidkiyahu, and he wearied me.⁵

footnotes: ⁴ Devarim 29:17. ⁵ According to this Midrash, תלאה is an expression similar to Shemos 18:8, where it means travail, hardship. (Sifsei Chachomim)

He fenced me in. He has made a wall opposite me [so that I] should be imprisoned.⁶

footnotes: ⁶ Symbolic of Nevuchadnetzar’s siege around Yerusholayim. (Lechem Dimah)

And I cannot go out. He stationed around me camps and troops of soldiers lying in wait for me.

He chained me heavily. He made heavy fetters for my feet so that I would not be able to walk, ferjes in O.F.

He represses my prayer. He shut the windows of the heavens before it.

He has made my paths crooked. If I wish to go out, I do not go out in the roads paved in a straight way, because of the enemies, but I go out on the crooked road.

He is a bear lying in wait for me. The Holy One, Blessed Is He, turned into a bear in wait for me.⁷

footnotes: ⁷ Alternatively, bear refers to Nevuchadnetzar who lay in wait to attack the Bnei Yisroel who are symbolized by a lion. (Eichah Rabbah 3:4)

He spread thorns across my roads. An expression of thorns, [meaning that] He “has strewn” them with thorns, [i.e.,] He scattered thorns on my ways.⁸

footnotes: ⁸ Alternatively, ‘he forced me off my path.’ (Ibn Ezra)

He made me hurdle them. An expression of spreading the legs.⁹ One who passes on roads that are not cleared must widen his stride, and there is an example of this in the language of the Gemara:¹⁰ “The one who pruned דְּפָשַׁח¹¹ a date palm.”

footnotes: ⁹ Alternatively, ‘he wounded me.’ (Yalkut Me’am Lo’ez) ¹⁰ Maseches Mo’ed Katan 10b. ¹¹ I.e., he separated the branches from the tree trunk. Here too, he had to separate his legs, i.e., take large strides, in order to avoid the thorns.

[He] positioned me as a target. He set me up opposite His arrows to shoot at me like a target,¹² aseneil in O.F.

footnotes: ¹² By having to hurdle over the thorns I was forced to slow down, thereby becoming an easy target for my enemy. (Lechem Dimah)

The arrows of His quiver. Arrows that are put into the quiver, called cuivre [in O.F.].

He ground. [Meaning] and He broke; and an example is, “My soul is crushed גָּרְסָה,”¹³ and similarly, “ground גֶּרֶשׂ when still fresh.”¹⁴

footnotes: ¹³ Tehilim 119:20. ¹⁴ Vayikra 2:14.

Pebblestones. Fine pebbles that are in the dust, for the exiles would knead their dough in the pits that they would dig in the ground, and the gravel would enter it, as the Holy One, Blessed Is He, said to Yechezkeil, “Make yourself implements for exile,”¹⁵ in which to drink and in which to knead a small cake, so that they should learn and do likewise, as it is stated, “And Yechezkeil will be to you for a sign.”¹⁶ But they ridiculed him and did not do so; at the end their teeth were broken.

footnotes: ¹⁵ Yechezkeil 12:3. ¹⁶ Ibid., 24:24.

He made me grovel. He turned me over in ashes like a vessel inverted on its mouth, adenter in O.F. [to throw flat on one’s face]. There is a similar [word] in the Mishnah, “Pishon the camel driver measured with a reversible measure.”¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁷ Maseches Yevamos 107b; he would invert the measure to his advantage, thereby shortchanging his customers.

I thought that my world was ruined. I said to myself because of my many troubles, “My world and my hope are gone.”

And my lament. Conpleint in O.F., [wailing].

When remembering. My soul [remembers] my affliction and my misery and is bowed down within me. This is the simple meaning according to the context of the verse.¹⁸ But, the Midrash Aggadah explains זָכוֹר תִּזְכּוֹר, as, “I know that in the end You will remember what was done to me,¹⁹ but my soul is bowed down within me waiting for the time of remembrance.” On this [explanation] the liturgical author based, “With this I know that You have to remember, but my soul is bowed down within me until You remember.”

footnotes: ¹⁸ I.e., תזכור is in the ‘third person feminine,’ and refers to his soul. ¹⁹ I.e., תזכור is in the ‘second person masculine,’ and refers to God. In the Hebrew language, the ‘second person masculine’ and the ‘third person feminine’ are identical. (Sifsei Chachomim)

Still I take this to heart. After my heart told me that my hope from God was gone, I will reply this to my heart, and I will continue to hope. What is it that I will reply to my heart?

By the grace Adonoy we have not perished. And the entire section until, “Why should [a living man] bemoan, etc.”²⁰

footnotes: ²⁰ Below, verse 39.

We have not perished. תָמְנוּ is] the same as תַמּוּ [ended].²¹ And some explain כִּי לֹא תָמְנוּ as in, “Will we ever stop תַּמְנוּ dying?”²² It is the kindnesses of God that we were not annihilated, that we have not perished because of our sins.

footnotes: ²¹ I.e., in ‘the third person’ meaning ‘they have not perished.’ But according to Rashi’s second explanation, תמנו is in the ‘second person’ meaning ‘we have not perished.’ (Sifsei Chachomim) ²² Bamidbar 17:28.

Each morning refreshed. Your kindnesses are renewed from day to day.

Your faithfulness is immense. Your promise is great, and it is a great thing to believe in You that You will fulfill and keep what You promised us.

‘Adonoy is my portion,’ my soul declares. God is my portion; therefore it is proper that I should hope in Him.

It is good to hope in stillness. The vav of וְיָחִיל is superfluous just like the vav of “וְאַיָּה וַעֲנָה”²³ [is superfluous in וְאַיָּה. It is good for man to hope, and remain silent and wait for God’s salvation.

footnotes: ²³ Bereishis 36:24.

Let him stay alone. Whoever was befallen by mourning and trouble should sit alone and wait for good [to come].

And wait. An expression of waiting, as in, “If they say thus to us, ‘Wait דֹּמוּ!’”²⁴ [in the incident dealing] with Yehonoson.

footnotes: ²⁴ I Shmuel 14:9.

For He [God] has cast it upon him. For the Master of Decrees has put this decree upon him.²⁵

footnotes: ²⁵ Alternatively, ‘until He removes it,’ i.e., until He removes the suffering from him. (Targum)

For God does not forsake forever. It is therefore good to wait.

Rather should he [man] cause grief. If man brings grief upon himself because of his sin[s], afterwards, He will yet have compassion in accordance with His immense grace.²⁶

footnotes: ²⁶ Alternatively, ‘He first afflicts, then pities according to His abundant kindness.’ (Targum)

Cause grief ... Cause grief. [Both words] are expressions of grief.

For He does not torment willfully nor cause men grief. From His heart and from His will;²⁷ rather the sin causes [the grief].

footnotes: ²⁷ Alternatively, if man does not humble himself from haughtiness, God will cause him grief. (Targum)

By crushing underfoot. This refers back to, “For He does not torment willfully by crushing underfoot, etc. nor through the miscarriage of one’s justice, etc. nor by aggrieving a man in his dispute.” All these, God did not condone. He did not approve of them, and it did not enter His thought to do so.²⁸

footnotes: ²⁸ Alternatively, ‘by crushing underfoot’ refers to Nevuchadnetzar. (Midrash Eichah 3:30)

Does not condone. He does not approve that the heavenly tribunal should distort a person’s dispute, as in, “What did you see רָאִיתָ that you did, etc.”²⁹

footnotes: ²⁹ Bereishis 20:10.

Whosoever issued a declaration that took effect, etc.

From the Almighty, etc. And if you attempt to say that this evil did not come to me from His hand, that it is coincidence that has befallen me; this is not so. For both bad occurrences and good occurrences, who has commanded and they came to pass, unless God ordained? And He commands neither bad nor good [to come]. But what should a living man bemoan? “A man for his sins.” Every man should bemoan his sins, because they are what bring the evil upon him. (“They did not emanate from the Almighty,” Rabbi Yochonon said, “From the day that the Holy One, Blessed Is He, said, ‘See, I have placed before you today the life and the good, etc.,’³⁰ neither evil nor good has come from His command.” Rather the evil comes by itself to the one who commits evil, and the good to the one who does good.) Therefore, what should one bemoan? Why should a man be angry, if not about his sins?

footnotes: ³⁰ Devarim 30:15.

Let us uplift our hearts together with our hands. When we lift up our hands to heaven let us also lift up our hearts with them to return, to bring back our hearts before the Omnipresent, Blessed is He. Another explanation: “With our hands.” אֶל כַּפָּיִם means] to the clouds, to heaven, as [Scripture] states, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s palm, rising.”³¹ And similarly, “Over the clouds He covers the rain.”³² But the Midrash of our Rabbis [states], “Let us uplift our hearts” sincerely to the Holy One, Blessed Is He, like a person who washes his hands to clean them, casts from his hands all contamination, for “he who confesses and abandons will obtain mercy,” but he who confesses but does not abandon [his sins] is like one who [is ritually impure who] immerses himself while holding a[n impure] creeping animal in his hand.³³

footnotes: ³¹ I Melochim 18:44. ³² Iyov 36:32. ³³ Until he casts it away he will not become ritually pure. See Rashi in Maseches Ta’anis 16a.

We have transgressed and rebelled. This is our way, because of the evil inclination.

And you have not forgiven. And for You, forgiveness is fitting, for so is Your way.

You have covered Yourself in wrath. You set up anger to be a barrier between You and us, and You pursued us with it.

Spittle, abominable. This is mucus; in the language of the Mishnah, “his phlegm and his mucus,”³⁴ which is drawn out through the lungs and emitted through the throat.

footnotes: ³⁴ Maseches Bava Kama 3b.

You made us. This is in the present tense.

Terror then the pit. When we fled because of the terror, we fell into the pit.³⁵

footnotes: ³⁵ See Yeshayahuu 24:17-18.

Ruin. An expression of desolation, as in, “ruin.”³⁶

footnotes: ³⁶ The last three words “as in ‘ruin’” is omitted from Rashi’s text. (Sifsei Chachomim)

[It will flow] without pause. Without change or cessation.

My eye has made me ugly, sorrowing over my soul, more than all the inhabitants of my city. Yirmiyahu was from a family of kohanim, and he said, “My eye, with its tears, sullied my face over my soul more than all the inhabitants of my city.”

Made me ugly. And expression of sullying, as in, “and sullied my radiance with dirt.”³⁷

footnotes: ³⁷ Iyov 16:15.

More than all the inhabitants of my city. My family has more reason to cry than all the families of the city, for it was chosen for sanctity and for the service of the Holy One, Blessed Is He, over all Yisroel.

They bound my life to the dungeon. In prison.

They bound. They bound, as in, “the converging צוֹמֶת of the sinews;”³⁸ “from within your kerchief לְצַמָּתֵךְ,”³⁹ estreinirent in O.F.

footnotes: ³⁸ Maseches Chulin 76a. ³⁹ Shir Hashirim 4:1.

And cast stones upon me. On the mouth of the well [=dungeon]. That is what they did to Doniyeil;⁴⁰ and Yirmiyahu foresaw it with the Holy Spirit.

footnotes: ⁴⁰ See Donieil 6:18.

They bound my life to the dungeon. And although they confined my life in the dungeon from which I cannot ascend, they did not take this to heart [i.e., they were not satisfied]

The waters rose, etc. When a person is in water up to his waist, there still is hope, but if the water rises over his head, he then says, “My hope is gone,” but I do not do this, rather “I called out, etc.”

The waters rose. The nations of the world.⁴¹

footnotes: ⁴¹ I.e., ‘Water’ is an allegory referring to the nations of the world.

You came near on the day I called to You. So were You accustomed in the earlier days to draw near to me on the days I called.

You fought, O God, the battles of my soul. In the days past.

You have seen, Adonoy, how aggrieved I am. In this distress, that my enemies wronged me.

Administer justice for me. As You have already done.

Break their hearts. A breaking of the heart, as [Scripture] says, “I will break you, O Yisroel,”⁴² [and as in,] “who broke your adversaries in your hand.”⁴³ Another explanation of מְגִנַּת לֵב is ‘stopping up of the heart,’ trouble and sighing, which are like a shield against their heart. But he who explains it as an expression of grief is wrong, because there is no nun in this word, for the nun in יָגוֹן is not a radical, but it is like the nun of הָמוֹן from the [same] root as הָמוּ גוֹיִם, and like the nun of קָלוֹן from the root of נִקְלֶה, and like the nun of צִיּוֹן from the root of צִיָּה, and similarly the nun of שִׁבְרוֹן from the root of שֶׁבֶר. (and like the nun of שִׁמָּמוֹן and שִׁגָּעוֹן. It appears to me that this is the correct reading, and this is easy to understand.)

footnotes: ⁴² Hosheia 11:8. ⁴³ Bereishis 14:20.

[Turn them] into fools. תַּאֲלָתְךָ is] an expression of [foolishness,⁴⁴ as in], “the princes of Tzo’an have become foolish נוֹאֲלוּ.”⁴⁵

footnotes: ⁴⁴ Alternatively, an expression of suffering, i.e., ‘turn Your suffering, as it were, to them [our enemies].’ Whenever the Bnei Yisroel suffer, God suffers, as it were, with them. Or תאלתך is an expression of a curse [אלה] i.e., ‘bring upon them the curses [written in the Torah].’ ⁴⁵ Yeshayahuu 19:13.