How can the saddest day of the year, marking the most catastrophic tragedies in history, be called a holiday?
Megillas Eichah is written from the perspective of Yerushalayim mourning its fate, lamenting its loss. The pasuk in Eichah 1:15 says, “Kara alai moed lishbor bachurai — He has declared a set time against me to break my young men.”
But the word moed can also be interpreted as “holiday.” According to that definition, the words “kara alai moed” would mean “proclaim upon me a holiday.” Indeed, because of this verse, certain halachic elements of “holiday” are attributed to Tishah B’Av, such as not reciting Tachanun, neither on Tishah B’Av itself, nor during Minchah on the day prior.
What does this mean? How can the saddest day of the year, marking the most catastrophic tragedies in history, be called a holiday?
The following are four original approaches toward answering this question.
Create a free account to keep reading.
