Seeing the Beauty in the Hebrew Word איכה…

What’s beautiful about the Hebrew word איכה is that it captures the very human tension between the need to lament, to express our frustration, indignation or sorrow but also contains in it the key to moving through our lamentations. The call to responsibility and that doesn’t dwell on “Where were you?” or “Where will you be?” but begins with this very moment… Ayeka. Where are you.

Michael Bernstein, “The Secret of Tisha B’ Av: From Eicha to Ayeka”, The Times of Israel (30 July 2014) [http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-secret-of-tisha-b-av-from-eicha-to-ayeka]