KINNAH 13

‫ֵאי ּכֹה‬
This Kinnah asks: “Eih koh?” Where is the merit of the word,
“koh,” so?

ֵ ‫א ֶמר‬
,‫ּכֹורת לְ ָאב ְּבֶֽפַצח‬ ֹ ֽ ‫ֵאי ּכֹה‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”? Hashem promised Avraham
,‫ִּב ְב ִרית ֵּבין ַה ְ ּֿבָת ִרים ּכֹה יִ ְהיֶ ה ָלֶֽנַצח‬
at the bris bein habesarim, “Koh yihyeh zarecha — So will
your children be.” He promised that the Jews would always be
as many as the stars.
,‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה ֻּב ְ ּֿלעּו ֲעָצַמי ְּבֶֽרַצח‬
But now, murderers practically swallowed up my bones.
.‫ָלָמה ֱאל ִֹהים ָזֲֽנ ְחָּת ָלֶֽנַצח‬
Why, Hashem, have You left us forever?
,‫ּצֹותָך‬ ָ ְ‫ֵאי ּכֹה ּגָ ׁש ְּכ ֶׂשה ל‬
ֶֽ ‫עֹולה לְַר‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”? At Akeidas Yitzchak,
Avraham went to bring Yitzchak as a korban to please You.
ָ ‫דֹות‬
,‫יך‬ ֶֽ ‫נֵ ְ ֿלָכה ַעד ּכֹה ִּפּתּו ְּב ֵע‬
On the way, Avraham said to Eliezer and Yishmael,
“Neilchah ad koh — We will go so far,” and went ahead
with only Yitzchak to do Hashem’s will, planning to sacrifice
Yitzchak like a sheep.

A MOST MEANINGFUL TISHAH B’AV [90]

Reproduced from A Most Meaningful Tishah B’Av
with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
 ,‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה ָּד ְ ֿקרּו ְּכֶֽפַלח ַר ְעָיֶֽתָך‬
But now, Your beloved nation is cut apart like a piece of fruit.
.‫יתָך‬
ֶֽ ‫יֶ ְעַׁשן ַא ְ ּֿפָך ְּבצֹאן ַמ ְר ִע‬
Why does Your anger burn against Your nation, Your sheep?
,‫ֵאי ּכֹה ַה ְבָטַחת ֲע ֻק ִּדים נְ ֻק ִּדים ִּב ְמׁשּואֹות‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”? When Yaakov was in Lavan’s
house, a malach appeared to him in a dream at night and prom-
ised him striped and spotted sheep.
,‫יּוחׁש אֹות‬ ַ ‫ִאם ּכֹה י‬
ַ ‫ֹאמר ּכֹה‬
Later, Yaakov said, “Im koh yomar — If so Lavan would say.”
Any time Lavan said he would pay Yaakov with spotted sheep,
then all the sheep born to him were spotted. Any time Lavan said
he would pay Yaakov with striped sheep, then all the sheep born
to him were striped. Hashem made it happen right away,
and Yaakov became wealthy.
,‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה וִ ֲּֽכ ְחָּת ִעיר ְמלֵ ָאה ְּתׁשּואֹות‬
But now, You argued with and punished Yerushalayim,
a city once filled with happiness.
ָ ‫ימה ְפָעֶֽמ‬
.‫יך לְ ַמ ֻּׁשאֹות‬ ָ ‫ָהִֽר‬
Lift Your feet to destroy the enemy who destroyed this holy city.
,‫ֵאי ּכֹה זָ ם וְ ָהַרג ִמ ְצ ִרי ְּבַגן ָנעּול ַּב ּֽק ֶֹדׁש‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”? When Moshe saw a
Mitzri beating a Jew, he killed him using the Shem HaMeforash,
Hashem’s Holy Name, and he did so in front of other Jews.
,‫ַוִּֽי ֶפן ּכֹה ָוכֹה ֻחַּתם ַּב ֲעַדת ֽק ֶֹדׁש‬
The pasuk says, “Vayifen koh va’choh — And he turned like so
and like so,” to make sure no Mitzri was watching, and his action
was kept a secret within the holy nation.
,‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה ֶחלְ ָקם ָֽאַכל ֽח ֶֹדׁש‬
But now, their portion was gobbled up in Av,
the month in which tragedies happen,
.‫ָּכל ֵהַרע אֹויֵב ַּב ּֽק ֶֹדׁש‬
when the enemy let loose his wickedness in the Beis HaMikdash.

[91] Kinnah 13
 ָ ‫ֵאי ּכֹה טוֹב ְּכ ֻׁשַּלח ּגְ אֹול ֲעָבֶֽד‬
,‫יך‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”? When Moshe (who is also
called Tov) was sent to redeem Your servants, the Jews,
,‫ֹאמר לְ ַׁשַּלח ָעם לְ ָע ְבֶֽדָך‬
ַ ‫ּכֹה ת‬
You said to him, “Koh somar l’Bnei Yisrael — So shall you say to
Bnei Yisrael,” that the Jewish nation would be sent
out of Mitzrayim in order to serve You.
ָ ‫עּוד‬
,‫יך‬ ֶֽ ִ‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה יָ ְ ֿׁשבּו בֹוגְ ִֿדים ְּב ֵבית ו‬
But now, traitors are in the Beis HaMikdash,
where You used to meet up with the Jews.
ָ ‫מֹועֶֽד‬
.‫יך‬ ָ ‫צֹורֶֽר‬
ֲ ‫יך ְּבֶֽק ֶרב‬ ֿ ְ ‫ָׁש ֲאגּו‬
Your enemies shout and roar in that place of meeting.
,‫ֵאי ּכֹה ְּכ ִריתּות ֲחָדׁשֹות ְּב ִריתֹות‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”?
At the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim, when new agreements
(bris milah and korban pesach) were sealed,
ֿ ְ ‫ְּבכֹה ָאַמר ַּכ ֲחצֹות ֲֽליְ ָלה ְּב‬
,‫מֹופ ֵתי אֹותֹות‬
Moshe said, “Koh amar Hashem — So said Hashem:
At about midnight, I will punish the Mitzrim
with miraculous signs and kill their firstborn.”
ֶ ֵ‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה לֻ ֲהקּו ְּבַנ ֲעל‬
,‫יהם לֶ ֱאתֹות‬
But now, our enemies have gathered in the Beis HaMikdash
to trample it with their shoes.
.‫אֹותֹותם אֹותֹות‬
ָ ‫ָֽׂשמּו‬
Nevuchadnetzar, the king of Bavel, and Titus,
the general of Rome, understood the signs sent to them
by Hashem that they should destroy the Batei Mikdash,
and they did. (Nevuchadnetzar destroyed the first Beis HaMikdash
and Titus destroyed the second.)
,‫ֵאי ּכֹה ִמ ְׁשַמע ּומ ֶֹׁשה ָעָלה‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”?
Before Moshe went up to Har Sinai to receive the Torah,
Hashem told him,

A MOST MEANINGFUL TISHAH B’AV [92]

Reproduced from A Most Meaningful Tishah B’Av
with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
 ַ ‫ּכֹה ת‬
,‫ֹאמר לִ נְַות ֲּֽביִ ת ְמ ֻעָּלה‬
“Ko somar l’Beis Yaakov — So shall you say to the women,”
the excellent homemakers.
ָ ‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה נַ ֲא ֽצ‬
,‫ּוה ְּבנֵ י ַעוְ ָלה‬
But now, the resha’im mock the Jews.
.‫יִָּוַדע ְּכ ֵמ ִביא לְ ֲֽמ ְעָלה‬
And when they mock the Jews, they know that they’re
really attacking Hashem, the One Above.
,‫אֹותּיֹות ַה ְּקֿדּומֹות‬ ַ ‫ֵאי ּכֹה ִֽׂש‬
ִ ‫יח ִׁש ִּׁשים‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”? When the Kohanim
bless the Jews, they recite Bircas Kohanim, which contains
exactly sixty letters.
ִ ִ‫ּכֹה ְתָב ְ ֿרכּו לְ ִׁש ִּׁשים ּג‬
,‫ּבֹורים ּדֹומֹות‬
The mitzvah to bless the Jews begins with the words,
“Ko sevarchu — So shall you bless,” and the berachah
is as powerful as sixty mighty warriors.
,‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה ָע ְ ֿתקּו ְרדּומֹות‬
But now, the nation of Bavel, who used to be “sleeping,”
has “woken up” and become powerful.
.‫ִּב ְסָב ְך ֵעץ ַק ְר ֻּדּמֹות‬
And its axes are in the wall. At first, the Babylonians’ axes
didn’t penetrate the wall around Yerushalayim, until Hashem
decreed that the walls could be broken open, and the
Babylonians entered and destroyed the Beis HaMikdash.
ָ ‫דֹוׁש‬
,‫יך‬ ֶֽ ‫ֵאי ּכֹה ָּפץ ָלקֹוב ָעם ֵּובַר ְך ַעם ְק‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”? When Bilam opened his
mouth to curse the Jews but instead blessed Your holy nation,
ָ ‫דֹוׁש‬
,‫יך‬ ַ ‫ְּבׁשּוב וְ כֹה ְתַד ֵּבר‬
ֶֽ ‫הּומר לִ ְק‬
You commanded him, “Shuv v’choh sedaber —
Go back to Balak and so should you say,”
changing his plans from cursing to blessing for Your holy people.
,‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה ָֽצרּו ַעל ִעיר ָק ְדֶֽׁשָך‬
But now, the enemies have made a siege around Your holy city,

[93] Kinnah 13
Reproduced from A Most Meaningful Tishah B’Av
with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
 ָ ‫ִׁש ְ ּֿלחּו ָב ֵאׁש ִמ ְקָּדֶֽׁש‬
.‫יך‬
and caused the Beis HaMikdash to go up in flames.
ָ ‫יחת לְ וִ ּיִ ם ְׁשלֵ ֶֽמ‬
,‫יך‬ ַ ‫ֵאי ּכֹה ִק‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”? When You took the Leviim,
Your perfect ones, into Your service,
ָ ‫עֹולֶֽמ‬
,‫יך‬ ָ ‫ּכֹה ַת ֲע ֶׂשה ָל ֶהם לְ ַט ֲהָרם לְ ֵבית‬
You said, “Koh saaseh lahem l’taharam — So should you do to
them, in order to make them pure,” so they could serve in Your
Mishkan.
ָ ‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה ָר ֲעׁשּו וְ ִה ְרִֽעיׁשּו ָׁשֶֽמ‬
,‫יך‬
But now, the enemies stormed into the Beis HaMikdash down
below, and caused Your Beis HaMikdash in Shamayim to tremble.
.‫ָלָֽא ֶרץ ִח ְ ּֿללּו ִמ ְׁשַּכן ְׁשֶֽמָך‬
They knocked the kedushah of Your Holy Home to the ground.
,‫ׁשֹופרֹות ֶֽע ֶרץ‬
ְֿ ‫ֵאי ּכֹה ִׁש ְבַעת‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”? When the Jews surrounded
the city of Yericho, and seven Kohanim blew seven shofros,
ָ ‫ּכֹה ַת ֲע ֶׂשה ֵֽׁש ֶׁשת ָי ִמים לְ ַה ִּפיל‬
,‫חֹומה ָלָֽא ֶרץ‬
they were following Your instructions:
“Koh saaseh sheishes yamim — So should you do for six days,”
so the walls of the city would come down on the seventh day.
,‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה ְׁשָע ִרים ָט ְ ֿבעּו ָבָֽא ֶרץ‬
But now, the gates of the Beis HaMikdash have sunken into the
ground.
.‫ֹוע ֵדי ֵאל ָּבָֽא ֶרץ‬
ֲ ‫ָׂש ְ ֿרפּו ָכל ֽמ‬
And the enemies burned all of Hashem’s meeting places on earth.
ָ ‫ֵאי ּכֹה ְּתׁשּועֹות ֲאָס ֵמי‬
,‫אֹוצר‬
Where is the merit of the word “so”? Through the word “koh,”
You promised that yeshuos and salvations would come out of the
Beis HaMikdash, a storehouse overflowing with plenty.
,‫ְּבכֹה ָאַמר ֲא ֶׁשר ַלחֹוזִ ים ָנָצר‬
All of the Neviim said nevuos beginning with the words,
“Koh amar Hashem — So said Hashem.”

A MOST MEANINGFUL TISHAH B’AV [94]

Reproduced from A Most Meaningful Tishah B’Av
with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
 ,‫וְ ֵהן ַעָּתה ֻּת ְ ּֿפחּו ְפָרַחי ַּב ֲחַצר‬
But now, my children, who are as beautiful as flowers,
are swollen from starvation in each courtyard.
.‫ַעד ָמַתי ֱאל ִֹהים יְ ָֽח ֶרף ָצר‬
How long, Hashem, will our enemies disgrace us
and embarrass us?

Keep Dreaming
Z Background — Nothing Stands in Our Way

T hese two words, ‫אי כֹּה‬, ֵ are at the beginning of each stanza of
this Kinnah, asking: Where is the merit of the word ‫( כֹּה‬so)?
But you might wonder: What is so special about the word ‫?כֹּה‬
The Kinnah gives many examples. Hashem used the word ‫כֹּה‬
when He promised that we would become a great nation. The word
also hints to the zechus of the korban pesach and bris milah when
the Yidden left Mitzrayim. In addition, when Hashem commanded
the Kohanim to bless us, the pasuk begins with the word ‫כֹּה‬: “‫כֹּה‬
‫ — ְתָב ְרכוּ ֶאת ְבּנֵ י יִ ְשָׂר ֵאל‬So shall you bless Bnei Yisrael” (Bamidbar
6:23). Throughout the Torah, the word ‫ כֹּה‬is used as a sign of bera-
chah, a promise of good things, or a zechus.
But now, on Tishah B’Av, on the day the Beis HaMikdash was
destroyed, we say this Kinnah and we ask: “‫ — ֵאי כֹּה‬Where are
those blessings and promises and merits now?” And we cry, “Ad
masai Elokim yecharef tzar — How long, Hashem, will our enemies
disgrace and embarrass us?”
Yet, while other people may give up after suffering so much,
the Jewish people are unique. Nothing stands in our way. Through-
out our history, we have faced so many challenges and each time,
we came out on top.
This applies to each one of us. Even after a disappointment in
life, we can climb back up and get to where we want to be.

[95] Kinnah 13
Reproduced from A Most Meaningful Tishah B’Av
with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
 As long as we have a dream and a hope, it can happen.
And nothing will stand in our way.

Z A Story
On January 1, 2020, nearly 100,000 people gathered at
MetLife Stadium to celebrate the Siyum HaShas of Daf Yomi
(the program of learning both sides of a Gemara page each
day). Reb Shimon Alkon, who had traveled there from Mexico,
was sitting next to an elderly Jew he had never met. When the
dancing began, Reb Shimon and the old man began dancing
together like lifelong friends. It was very special. The old man
said he felt an extra joy at that moment, as if the whole siyum
was just for him. Then he shared his story:
“I grew up many years ago in Lublin, the hometown of Rav
Meir Shapiro, the founder of Daf Yomi. One Simchas Torah
when I was very young, Rav Meir lifted me onto his shoulders
and danced around with great excitement. He gave me a
berachah, ‘One day, you will finish Shas (the whole Gemara)!’
“I was happy with the berachah but too young to
understand what it meant. I had never learned a page of
Gemara in my life. But I said, ‘Amen!’ and we kept dancing. A
few years later, I began to learn Gemara.
“Then, after a few more years passed, World War II broke
out and all Jewish life stopped. All schools and yeshivos were
closed. I can’t begin to describe the horrors I went through.
I lost everyone. At one point, I thought my life was over, and
I cried out to Hashem, ‘Rav Meir promised me I would finish
Shas. I have to stay alive so I can continue to learn and his
berachah will come true!’ Hashem performed a miracle for me,
and I survived.
“After the war, I made my way to America. Though my
body was no longer in danger, my neshamah was. Before long,
I no longer kept Shabbos. I stopped eating kosher and didn’t
put on tefillin. I certainly wasn’t learning Gemara.
“Then, one night, I had a frightening dream. Rav Meir

A MOST MEANINGFUL TISHAH B’AV [96]

Reproduced from A Most Meaningful Tishah B’Av
with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
 Shapiro himself was standing in front of me. He began to
speak and he sounded upset. ‘You’re only alive because you
promised to finish Shas, and I spoke up on your behalf in
Shamayim. Now, get out of bed and go learn!’
“I was very shaken up. I began to think about the life I
had left behind, about my family, about sitting on Rav Meir’s
shoulders. I clearly remembered crying to Hashem to save me
so I could finish Shas.
“Without question, the time had come to do teshuvah
and to begin learning Gemara again. I called my children
together and told them everything: about my past life, about
my promise. I also told them about the dream and Rav Meir’s
demand that I keep my promise.
“Not only did I become a complete baal teshuvah, but my
children and their families did, too.
“Today,” the old man said as he finished his story, “I’m
celebrating that siyum. Yes, I finished Shas and I kept my
promise.”

• Bringing Us Closer •
We must never stop dreaming. For ourselves. For
each other. For the Jewish people.
We have fought through challenges so many times.
We’ve been there.
Now, we must climb the ladder again.

[97] Kinnah 13
Reproduced from A Most Meaningful Tishah B’Av
with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, Ltd.