Tisha baav

Tonight we read in Eicha that it was the religious leadership that caused the Churban.

Perek 4:

מֵחַטֹּאות נְבִיאֶיהָ עֲוֺנֹת כֹּהֲנֶיהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ דַּם צַדִּיקִים׃

“It was for the sins of her prophets,  

The iniquities of her priests,  

Who had shed in her midst  

The blood of the just.”

The very next pesukim show how the remaining religious leaders were in denial even as death and the Churban were taking place. They were still preoccupied with tumah instead of helping their fellow Jews who were being murdered and abused:(disclaimer-this is my own chiddush on how to interpret these next two pasukim)

נָעוּ עִוְרִים בַּחוּצוֹת נְגֹאֲלוּ בַּדָּם בְּלֹא יוּכְלוּ יִגְּעוּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶם׃

“They wandered blindly through the streets,  

Defiled with blood,  

So that no one was able  

To touch their garments.”

סוּרוּ טָמֵא קָרְאוּ לָמוֹ סוּרוּ סוּרוּ אַל־תִּגָּעוּ כִּי נָצוּ גַּם־נָעוּ אָמְרוּ בַּגּוֹיִם לֹא יוֹסִפוּ לָגוּר׃

“‘Away! Unclean!’ people shouted at them,  

‘Away! Away! Touch not!’  

So they wandered and wandered again;  

For the nations had resolved:  

‘They shall stay here no longer.’”

As a result, midah k’neged midah, the people finally realized the evil of the leadership that caused God’s countenance to abandon them—and therefore they abandoned the leaders:

פְּנֵי יְהֹוָה חִלְּקָם לֹא יוֹסִיף לְהַבִּיטָם פְּנֵי כֹהֲנִים לֹא נָשָׂאוּ וּזְקֵנִים לֹא חָנָנוּ׃

“GOD’s countenance has turned away from them,  

And will look on them no more.  

They showed no regard for priests,  

No favor to elders.”

https://www.sefaria.org/Lamentations.4.16