Who wrote this Megilah?
Rashi: Yirmeyah wrote it. It is the Megilah that Yehoyakim burned 1 (Mo'ed Katan 26a). There were three [Perakim - 1, 2 and 4] according to the Aleph Beis - "Eichah Yashvah", "Eichah Ya'iv", "Eichah Yu'am." He later added "Ani ha'Gever" (Perek 3), which is a triple Aleph Beis (three verses begin with each letter) - "v'Od Nosaf Aleihem Devarim Rabim ka'Hemah" (Yirmeyah 36:32) - three [new Aleph Beis's] corresponding to three [prior ones].
Ibn Ezra: It cannot be. That Megilah said "Yavo Melech Bavel v'Hishchis Es ha'Aretz" (Yirmeyah 36:29). There is no mention of Bavel in Eichah! (Perhaps even though the Megilah does not mention Melech Bavel, Yehoyakim understood this from "umi'Vanecha
Why did Yirmeyah write this Megilah?
R. Avigdor Kohen Tzedek (22) #1: He wrote it to lament every year, to justify Midas ha'Din, which was not partial to Kohen, king, officer, Chacham, youth and Kadosh place - "Asher Lo Yisa Fanim" (Devarim 10:17).
R. Avigdor (22) #2: It is to teach that just like all the curses that the early Nevi'im wrote, they came, so all the good that Hashem said via the Nevi'im will come. "V'Hayah Ka'asher Damisi
What is the significance of "Eichah"?
R. Avigdor #1, from Eichah Rabah 1:1: Its Gemara is 36; they transgressed the 36 Kerisus in the Torah.
R. Avigdor #2: It is like Ei Ko - where is the merit of Avraham, to whom You said "Ko Yihyeh Zar'echa" (Bereishis 15:5), of the Akeidah ("Nelechah Ad Ko" - ibid. 22:5) and of Yakov 1 "Ko Somar l'Veis Yakov" (Shemos 19:3).
Why didn't he say the merit of Kabalas ha'Torah, which that Parashah discusses? (PF)
What is the significance that the first four Perakim are according to the Aleph Beis?
Sanhedrin 104b: Because they transgressed the Torah, which was given via the Aleph Beis, they were stricken with the Aleph Beis 1 .
R. Avigdor: The Beis ha'Mikdash was not destroyed until they transgressed the entire Torah, from Aleph to Tav.
R. Avigdor (22): It is [to make it easy to remember,] so it will be fluent in their mouths, like a song.
R. Moshe Shapiro: Anything expressed in words is via the Aleph Beis! Rather, it is like the Gemara says later. The Churban was due to the Meraglim, who switched the Torah's order, and put their Peh (mouths) before their Ayin (eyes; they decided to give a bad report before seeing the land). Therefore, in Perakim 2-4, Ayin and Pei are switched (the verses beginning with Pei precede those beginning with Ayin). Refer to 2:16:1:1 and the note there.
In what sense is it "Badad"?
Rashi: It is alone without its residents. Ibn Ezra - "Badad" is a noun; it can apply to something masculine or feminine.
R. Avigdor: It is alone from (without its) nation, from Nevu'ah, and from Kehunah.
What do we learn from "ha'Ir Rabasi Am"?
Sanhedrin 104a: They would marry young women to older men and vice-versa, in order to produce more children.
R. Avigdor #1: It increased its nation.
R. Avigdor #2: A great nation was in it during the Regalim.
R. Avigdor #3: It was able to contain its nation - no one ever said 'it is hard for me to find lodging in Yerushalayim' (Avos 5:5).
R. Avigdor #4: There were 192 alleys in Yerushalayim. Each had 24 Chatzeros, each of which had twice the number of men who left Egypt 1 .
If so, there were more than five billion residents, an average of more than 5000 people per square meter! Even if there were 1000 people to each Korban Pesach, there would be over five million Korbanos Pesach. One year, they counted slightly more than a million Korbanos Pesach, and it was called the 'fat' Pesach (Pesachim 64b)! Perhaps R. Avigdor means that Yerushalayim was proper to have so many alleys
Why is there a Yud at the end of "Rabasi"?
Rashi: Rabasi Am is like Rabas Am; the Yud is extra 1 .
Rashbam: It is not extra. It is often added for something constant, like "ha'Yoshevi va'Shamayim" (Tehilim 123:1). This city was always great.
Palgei Mayim: Hashem speaks; it is My nation - I 'copied' my Kedushah only onto Yisrael.
Ibn Ezra: The accent is on the penultimate syllable to show that the Yud is not due to first person conjugation, e.g. "Ohavti Ladush" (Hoshe'a 10:11).
How was [Yerushalayim] like a widow?
Rashi citing Sanhedrin 104a: She was not a real widow, rather, like a woman whose husband went overseas on condition to return.
Ibn Ezra: She despairs of having a husband again.
What do we learn from "Rabasi va'Goyim Sarasi ba'Medinos"?
R. Avigdor citing Sanhedrin 104a: Wherever they would go, they would be princes to their masters. A case occurred in which a captor was astonished at the Chachmah of a young captive. He kissed him, made a feast for him, blessed Hashem for giving such Chachmah to His chosen nation, and freed his captives.
Ibn Ezra: This Rabasi, unlike the previous, is an expression of grandeur, like "v'Rabei ha'Melech" (Yirmeyah 41:1), "Al Kol Rav Beiso" (Esther 1:8).
R. Avigdor citing Eichah Rabah: It was great in Da'as and Chachmah. When a Yerushalmi man would come to Athens, they would seat him on a gold chair to hear his Chachmah.
What is the significance of "Haysah la'Mas"?
Rashbam, Ri Kara: Others used to pay taxes to it - now it pays taxes to others! Rashbam - Haysah is present tense. Most of this Megilah is present tense.
R. Avigdor: The letters of la'Mas are the same as Semel (image - they served images), and its Gematriya equals that of Sinai (they transgressed the Torah given on Sinai).
Palgei Mayim: The verse laments three matters - Yerushalayim is bereft of its residents, Yisrael are like a widow, without Ru'ach ha'Kodesh, and Eretz Yisrael switched from authority to paying taxes.
