עמוס, פרק ה׳, פסוק א׳

The prophet's message takes a dramatic turn, shifting from harsh warnings to profound mourning. He raises his voice in weeping, offering a lament for the future destruction of the people [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. This heartbreaking transition occurs because the nation stubbornly refuses to repent and return to God [רד״ק]. The prophet urges them to truly listen to his words, hoping they will absorb the reality of their situation and begin to mourn for themselves [אבן עזרא].

This specific lament is directed exclusively toward the Ten Tribes, known as the House of Israel, rather than the Kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem [אברבנאל]. To understand this distinction, one can look to a parable of a king whose two sons died one after the other. When the first son passed away, the king had the strength to mourn the loss himself. However, by the time the second son died, his strength was entirely depleted, and he had to call upon professional mourners to weep on his behalf.

In a similar way, during the exile of the Ten Tribes, God Himself acts as the mourner, directly expressing His grief over the people. In contrast, during the later exile of Judah, God calls upon others to mourn. The fundamental difference between these two events lies in the scope of the tragedy. The exile of the Ten Tribes was a disaster that struck the people alone. However, the exile of Judah and Jerusalem was a twofold tragedy. Not only were the people banished, but the Divine Presence also departed from the Temple. This created a compounded grief that included both the suffering of the exiled nation and the sorrow of God's withdrawing presence [אברבנאל].