Eikha Rabbati: Rachel's Tears, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

How are we to understand the Midrash about Rachel's tears saving Am Yisrael? The Midrash Rabba collection on Megilat Eikha includes some of the most moving literature in the canon. A brief introduction to Midrash Agada, followed by a briefer introduction to Midrash Eikha, is followed by a study of a famous proem ("Petichta") involving the unsuccessful intervention by the Avot and Mosheh Rabbenu to defend the people - until Rachel speaks up and tells her story...

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