Introduction
We are approaching the end of the first chapter of Eicha, in the verses where Knesset Yisrael no longer merely describes her destruction, but turns upward in supplication. In verse 21, two distinct pains are laid bare: the agony of the destruction itself, and the agony of public humiliation - that all the nations heard, saw, and not only failed to offer comfort, but actively rejoiced. Let us examine this verse in light of the teachings of the Alshich HaKadosh, the author of Lechem Dim'ah, and the Ridvaz.
שָׁמְעוּ כִּי נֶאֱנָחָה אָנִי אֵין מְנַחֵם לִי כָּל אֹיְבַי שָׁמְעוּ רָעָתִי שָׂשׂוּ כִּי אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ הֵבֵאתָ יוֹם קָרָאתָ וְיִהְיוּ כָמֹנִי׃ - They have heard that I sigh, there is none to comfort me; all my enemies have heard of my misfortune and rejoiced, for You have done it; bring the day You have proclaimed, and let them become like me.
"They have heard that I sigh" - The Explanation of the Alshich HaKadosh
The Alshich HaKadosh explains: Tzion turns, as it were, to all the nations and says to them, "Listen, all you peoples, to how I sigh." In the normal course of the world, anyone who visits a house of mourning and hears the cause of grief, the deep sorrow, how much the person is suffering - he does not simply turn around and leave immediately. He sits with the mourner for a while, comforts him, and speaks words of solace. Yet here, even though they heard that I sigh, "there is none to comfort me." You heard my troubles; at least say something! Yet no one offers me even a single kind word.
This applies to the nations in general. And specifically regarding each of the enemies: "All my enemies have heard of my misfortune" - and not only did they refrain from consoling me, which I might have accepted, but they "rejoiced." They heard of my suffering and felt joy. From this stems the supplication: Master of the Universe, did You not promise that when an enemy rejoices over another's downfall, "Lest the Lord see it and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him" and direct it toward you, as it is written, "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls"? Therefore, our appeal now is that You fulfill what You have spoken: "Bring the day You have proclaimed, and let them become like me" - remove the afflictions from me and bring them upon them. Why? Because You promised, Master of the Universe, that when an enemy rejoices over my downfall, he is the one who will receive the afflictions. "All my enemies have heard of my misfortune and rejoiced" - on the contrary, bring the suffering upon them, and lift it from me.
Lechem Dim'ah: Public Humiliation
The author of Lechem Dim'ah explains: We approach, as it were, and cry out: Master of the Universe, the suffering itself could be endured, but the fact that my suffering was broadcast in public - for that, there is no comfort for me. A person is willing to absorb immense shame and degradation as long as it remains strictly between him and the Master of the Universe. But once it unfolds out in the open, in public view - heaven forbid, it magnifies the anguish a thousandfold, a millionfold, a billionfold.
We see that sometimes a person subjected to overwhelming shame is driven to the absolute worst - to take his own life. The reality of human dignity and humiliation is deeply severe. Therefore Tzion cries out: "They have heard that I sigh" - because everyone heard my groans and saw the terrible state into which I fell, "there is none to comfort me." Why? Because "all my enemies have heard of my misfortune and rejoiced." This is something one cannot simply absorb or overlook; it is a burden so unbearable that I cannot break free from it.
Hence the prayer: Master of the Universe, bring this upon them, and then I will find a measure of relief, a measure of solace. You rejoiced? You saw what happened to me? You saw me in my disgrace? Now you shall undergo the very same thing. This will somewhat relieve me of the worst pain of all - the public humiliation, the fact that "all my enemies have heard of my misfortune and rejoiced."
"Rejoiced, for You have done it" - Why the Revelation of Hashem's Hand Evokes the Enemy's Joy
We must understand: What is the connection between these phrases? Why did "all my enemies rejoice" specifically because "You have done it"? The explanation is that had the enemies perceived this catastrophe as mere happenstance, they would not have rejoiced to such an extent. Random chance is fickle: today it strikes one, tomorrow it could strike another. Had a tsunami washed over the land, heaven forbid, the nations would not have taken much joy in it, for they would have reasoned: today it happened to them, but tomorrow it could happen to us.
However, since the nations saw - and as we discussed in the previous verses, it was clearly discernible that this was the hand of Hashem, it was evident how the Holy One, blessed be He, was exacting retribution from us - the nations then see that "You have done it." And why? Because of our sins. This is what led the nations to rejoice: they deserve it, the Jewish people deserve it. Had it been a natural disaster, they would have sympathized with us, for who knows, tomorrow it might happen to me; but if it is because of the sins of Israel, they rejoice. "All my enemies heard of my trouble and rejoiced" - why? "Because You have done it." "You brought the day You designated" - the day You proclaimed in advance You brought upon us, and that was the cause of the gentile's joy: look, you have it coming to you, this is from Hashem.
The Claim of the Nations: "Let Them Be Like Me"
One can add to this: after all, the gentiles - the Christians, for example - claim that they are the true Israel, and their proof is from the suffering of the Jewish people. According to their claim, since the Jewish people did not accept "that man" (whose name is an acronym for yimach shemo vezichro - may his name and memory be blotted out), strict Divine justice strikes them as a result and they suffer. They also had prophecies that the Jewish people would never return to their land, that the Holy One, blessed be He, dispossessed them of all good and stripped them of all their virtues - as cited in the introduction to Sefer HaKuzari (and whoever wishes may hear this in the shiurim on Sefer HaKuzari). From there they come and claim: we are the original Israel; their distinction was taken from them and given to us, and when you speak of who Israel is - we are Israel.
It emerges, then, that precisely because "You have done it," "they heard of my trouble and rejoiced." This brought them to rejoice: do you see? Hashem did this to you. You did not accept the messiah, you were unwilling to accept that man, you crucified him - now do you understand why you suffer? This is proof that our religion is true; this is proof that we are the Jewish people. And this is what can be said to be alluded to here: "All my enemies heard of my trouble and rejoiced because You have done it; You brought the day You designated" - You brought what You proclaimed in advance and exacted retribution from the Jewish people for not accepting the faith of that man. "Let them be like me" - they claim that they have now become Israel, believing that we, Israel, are now them. And why? "Because You have done it" - because You, Master of the Universe, exacted retribution from us, and this is seemingly punishment for our refusal to accept the faith of the "religion of love" - that very love for whose sake rivers of blood were spilled throughout history.
"You Brought the Day You Designated" - Two Explanations
The Ridvaz explains "You brought the day You designated" as a request for the future: as if to say, bring a day and proclaim calamity upon them. That is to say: Master of the Universe, bring upon them a day on which You will proclaim calamity against them.
It can also be explained regarding the past: Master of the Universe, You brought all this calamity upon us on a day that You had already designated in advance, as the One Who "proclaims the generations from the beginning." This day is designated for calamity, as we have mentioned several times - this is the day of Tisha B'Av. And since that is so, the evil is sevenfold greater: because it is a day predisposed to calamity, the calamity that comes upon it is exceedingly severe.
In summary: in a single verse, all layers of pain are encompassed. "They heard that I sigh" - everyone heard and no one comforted, unlike the customary way of coming to a house of mourning and speaking consolingly to the mourner's heart, whereas here there is no comforter. "All my enemies heard of my trouble and rejoiced" - public disgrace, which is the hardest of all, and concerning it is the prayer, "Let them be like me," for the Holy One, blessed be He, promised that one who gloats over another's misfortune will receive the afflictions. "Because You have done it" - precisely because they clearly saw that this was the hand of Hashem and not mere coincidence, the nations rejoiced and said that Israel deserved it, and from this they based their claim that they have inherited our place. "You brought the day You designated" - whether as a plea that He proclaim a day of calamity upon them, or as a description that the calamity came on a day predisposed to tragedy, namely Tisha B'Av, and therefore it was so severe.