איכה, פרק ה׳, פסוק י״ז

The climax of the lament shifts the focus from physical suffering to a profound internal and emotional brokenness. The external agony gives way to a sick heart and blurred vision, capturing the absolute sorrow of both national and spiritual loss. The heart is described as physically ill and in pain [ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה], while the darkening of the eyes is a direct physical consequence of relentless, endless crying [אבן עזרא]. This state of sickness is compared to a woman who is temporarily separated from her home. If a brief separation warrants such a description, it is entirely fitting for the Israelites, who have been exiled from the Temple for many long years [תורה תמימה].

A central question emerges regarding the exact nature of the disaster that triggers this intense mourning. One perspective suggests that despite all the terrible afflictions endured previously, the heart truly aches for only one thing: the desolation of Mount Zion [רש"י, פלגי מים].

Alternatively, the mourning serves as a summary of distinct past tragedies. In one view, the grief is divided between the loss of sovereignty and the double tragedy that befell Mount Zion—both its sheer emptiness and the presence of foxes roaming its grounds. These foxes are understood either as literal animals or as a metaphor for foreign nations breaching the Holy of Holies [לחם דמעה]. Another perspective contrasts the destruction of the Temple with the passing of the righteous. The loss of righteous individuals is considered a far more severe blow that darkens the eyes. Even after the Temple was destroyed, a measure of comfort remained because the Divine Presence never left the Western Wall. The death of the righteous, however, is an absolute loss that cannot be replaced [נחל אשכול].

A final approach shifts the focus of the mourning from the tragic results to their underlying causes. The primary grief is not over the ruined wood and stones of the Temple, but over the sins that caused God to distance Himself from the Israelites [לחם דמעה]. Specifically, the sorrow points back to the sin of the Golden Calf, viewed as the root of all subsequent troubles. The people are punished measure for measure; the very expression of their current sickened heart mirrors the language they used when they first questioned the fate of Moses [תורה תמימה]. Furthermore, their ongoing grief reflects their subsequent declaration of the idol as their deity. The deep sadness stems from the fact that this rebellion caused the shattering of the tablets, stripping the Israelites of the spiritual freedom from the evil inclination and death that they had just been granted at Mount Sinai [לחם דמעה]. Additionally, this profound internal pain is linked to the neglect of Torah study, a failure that ultimately led to the Temple being trampled like a winepress [תורה תמימה].