Three Weeks of Poetry: A Closer Look at the Kinnot

Despite the wanton destruction of all the is sacred Titus decided not to destroy the western wall. In this kinnah we will learn why and discuss  how a heavenly voice tries to awaken God. Click here for Kinnah text .  Register for our Tisha B'Av Yom Iyyun

In this kinnah we ask G-d’s why He does not fulfil His promises. Yet at the same time we discuss why the destruction of the Temple is a reason for joyous song. Click here for Kinnah text .  Register for our Tisha B'Av Yom Iyyun

He found a lost Torah scroll. There was no greater leader since Moshe. Then one fateful decision cost him his life. Why did one of Judah's greatest kings ignore Yirmiyahu's warning—and what can his tragic mistake teach us about the limits of conviction and the necessity of humility? Click here for Kinnah text .  Register for our Tisha B'Av Yom Iyyun

The Temple fell because of war. But this Kinah says something darker: we destroyed it from within. We had everything, community, purpose, daily ritual, and we threw it away. This is the mourning of a people who woke up too late to what they'd lost. Click here for Kinnah text .  Register for our Tisha B'Av Yom Iyyun

What destroys a society from within? In this kinah, Rav Elazar HaKalir traces the Temple's destruction not only to Rome, but to corrupt leadership, a public eager to embrace comforting falsehoods over painful truths, and the tragedy of internal division. Yet even amid devastation, the kinah closes with an enduring message of hope: the Jewish people will one day return to their land. Click here for...

How long can we hold on to hope? Click here for Kinnah text .  Register for our Tisha B'Av Yom Iyyun

How could this happen? What of the covenant?  Click here for Kinnah text .  Register for our Tisha B'Av Yom Iyyun

The heresy of trying to explain our suffering, and why we have to hope regardless.  Click here for Kinnah text .  Register for our Tisha B'Av Yom Iyyun

Please join Rabbi Jay for Three Weeks of Poetry: Connecting to the Kinot  a daily podcast from 17 Tammuz through 9 Av. In each minute episode, we'll uncover the history, literary beauty, and enduring messages of one kinah, helping transform the Kinnot from ancient poems into a moving and meaningful experience On Today's episode we introduce some of the goals of the Kinnot.  Click here to sponsor a...