This week’s Parsha is always read on the Shabbos before Tisha B’Av (the day of mourning for the destruction of the Jewish temples and other Jewish calamities). On the night of Tisha B’Av, Megilas Aicha (Book of Lamentations) is read which laments the destruction of the first Bais HaMikdash along with the exile of the tribe of Yehudah.
“How can I carry alone your troubles, your burdens, and your strife?” (Devarim 1:12)
The verse above begins with the word, “How” or, “Aicha” in Hebrew, and Megilas Aicha also begins with the word, “Aicha”. In fact, when we read this week’s Parsha on Shabbos morning, it is the custom that when we get to this verse, we read it with the same, sad and mournful tune that we use when we read Megilas Aicha.
The Midrash in the very beginning of Aicha Rabbah explains:
“There were three who prophesied with the language of ‘Aicha’ – Moshe, Yishayahu, and Yirmiyahu. Moshe said, ‘How can I carry alone...’, Yishayahu said, ‘How has she become like a prostitute...’, and Yirmiyahu said, ‘How lonely has the once so populous city become...’
Rabbi Levi said, ‘The above is analogous to a noble woman with three servants who saw her in three different states. One servant saw her in a state of peace, one saw her in a state of rebellion, and one saw her in a state of dishevelment. Moshe saw Bnei Yisrael in peace and with honor [i.e. powerful, exalted, and feared by other nations, yet still saw the seeds that would spell future disaster and therefore said] ‘How can I carry alone...’ Yishayahu saw her in rebellion [i.e. he saw that Bnei Yisrael were sinning openly] and said, ‘How has she become like a prostitute...’ Yirmiyahu saw her in dishevelment [i.e. after Hashem punished Bnei Yisrael and forced them into exile) and said, ‘How lonely has the once so populous city become...’”
Returning to Moshe’s lament in this week’s Parsha, we find that Rashi, based upon the Sifrei, provides us with insight into all three of the matters mentioned above by Moshe.
“‘[How can I carry alone] your troubles...’: This teaches us that Bnei Yisrael were troublesome [people]; if one saw that his opponent in a lawsuit was [justifiably] about to win, he would say, ‘I have [other] witnesses to bring, [more] evidence to introduce, or I [will exercise my right to] add judges to you [in your tribunal]’ [Meaning, he would unjustly delay the verdict in the hope that his opponent would eventually give up.]
‘...and your burdens...’: This teaches us that Bnei Yisrael were heretics. If Moshe was early leaving his tent [in the morning] they would say, ‘Why does the son of Amram leave [his tent] so early? Perhaps he is not at ease inside his house?’ [Meaning, he does not have a peaceful relationship with his wife.] If he left [his house] late, they would say, ‘Why does the son of Amram not leave? What do you think? He is [probably] sitting and devising evil schemes and plots against you.’
‘...and your strife.’ This teaches us that Bnei Yisrael were contentious (Sifrei).”
What is common to all three of Moshe’s observations above? Each of the three items of which Moshe finds unbearable, has to do with a certain lack of Emes (truth) that Bnei Yisrael possessed. Regarding lawsuits, they could not bear to admit the possibility that their opponent was right and that they were wrong. In the second instance, the perspective in which they looked at Moshe was not truthful. Instead of being honest and appreciative for all that Moshe had done for them, they looked at him negatively and accused him of having marital issues (if he left his house early) or that he was plotting against them (if he left his house late). In the last instance, they had a false and negative view of the world, which made them contentious.
And perhaps this is what Moshe is lamenting when he said, “How can I carry you?” – he was lamenting the lack of Emes that he saw in Bnei Yisrael. Maybe we too, should lament with Moshe when we hear this verse read in Shul on this Shabbos before Tisha B’Av.
