GC#107 - The Pain Of Rhetoric - Perek Shira 38 - Song of The Clouds Part 2

I asked my friend, “What’s the term for when you ask a question without expecting an answer?” He didn’t respond because it was rhetorical. I met a total stranger and mentioned the fact that I liked rhetorical questions. He said, "Who cares?" I said, "that's a classic!"

Where would we be without rhetorical questions?

Some questions remain unanswered because it’s too painful to answer them. Some questions remain unanswered because we really know the answers to them and they just don’t need to be expressed.

One question permeates Tisha B’Av – from the Shabbos before, to the day itself…. Eicha… How? How have we fallen so low? Some translations recognise the rhetorical nature so well, that they don’t even frame it as a question – they just say ‘Alas!’

We need to examine this painful question – to which we know the solution…and we need to put that solution into practice…