The Book of Lamentations, the sad prophecy of Jeremiah regarding the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem and the subsequent exile of our nation, forms the centerpiece of the Tisha B’Av mourning.
It is read in public on the eve of Tisha B’Av and then again quietly the following day. Many of the day’s kinot (elegies) are based on this haunting book of the Bible. Much of this book is structured according to the Hebrew alphabet, as if the holy language itself is weeping for the destruction of G‑d’s home and the displacement of His nation.
