In Hebrew, the book of Lamentations is called Eikhah which simply means‘ how?’
Eikhah? How did we get here? Israel too fell victim to a fantasy of impregnability— not guaranteed by God, but by a high-tech, thinly-guarded fence that was overwhelmed in minutes. Arrogance fed the group think that Hamas was simply incapable of successfully mounting such a devastating attack despite dire warnings from scattered military intelligence analysts to the contrary. Eikhah? How did this happen?
Eikhah? How did it happen that that this year when I read Lamentations’ harrowing descriptions of death and famine, I will be seeing Gaza today more vividly than Jerusalem?
Eikhah? How will I be thinking about hope? By struggling to face the responsibility for our hand in the unfolding tragedy. By wondering what acts of repentance are required of us. By refusing to accept that tomorrow must be a clone of today.
Biblical translations follow the JPS Tanakh: A Gender-Sensitive Translation.
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