“Let him sit alone and be silent, because He has laid it upon him” (Lamentations 3:28).“Let him sit alone and be silent” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: The Holy One blessed be He summoned the ministering angels and said to them: ‘A mourning king of flesh and blood, what does he do?’ They said to Him: ‘He dons black and covers his head with sackcloth.’ He said: ‘I, too, will do so.’ That is what is written: “I clothe heavens with blackness and I make sackcloth their garment” (Isaiah 50:3).Moreover, He asked them: ‘A mourning king of flesh and blood, what [else] does he do?’ They said to him: ‘He extinguishes the lights.’ He said to them: ‘I, too, will do so.’ That is what is written: “The sun and the moon darkened, and the stars withdrew their shine” (Joel 2:10).Moreover, He asked them: ‘A mourning king of flesh and blood, what [else] does he do?’ They said to him: ‘He walks barefoot.’ He said to them: ‘I, too, will do so.’ That is what is written: “The Lord, in a tempest and in a storm is His way, and clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3).Moreover, He asked them: ‘A mourning king of flesh and blood, what [else] does he do?’ They said to him: ‘He sits and is silent.’ He said to them: ‘I, too, will do so.’ That is what is written: “Let him sit alone and be silent, because He has laid it upon him.”57The verse is understood to mean that God will be silent because He has brought the mourning upon Himself.“Let him put his mouth in the dust, perhaps there is hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who strikes him; let him be filled with disgrace” (Lamentations 3:29–30).“Let him put his mouth in the dust, perhaps there is hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who strikes him; let him be filled with disgrace” – Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] was interpreting verses and when he reached the following verses, he would weep: “Samuel said to Saul: Why did you disturb me to bring me up?” (I Samuel 28:15).58The Gemara (the rabbinic commentary on the Mishnah) in Ḥagiga (4b) indicates that Samuel thought he was being summoned to a heavenly judgement and was scared. If Samuel, the great prophet, was scared of heavenly judgement, all the more so those of lesser stature should be scared. This is why Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi cried when reading this verse. And it is written: “For behold, He forms mountains and creates winds; He recounts to a person what were his deeds [seḥo]” (Amos 4:13) – even matters lacking substance are written for a person in his ledger.59This is derived from the term seḥo, which can be interpreted to mean speech [siḥo]; God keeps track even of every frivolous comment a person might make (see Ḥagiga 5b). Who writes them? “He who turns dawn into darkness…[the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name]” (Amos 4:13). “Seek the Lord all you humble of the earth…” (Zephaniah 2:3). And it is written: “Hate evil, and love good, [and display justice at the gate; perhaps the Lord, God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph]” (Amos 5:15).60Despite there being an abundance of virtue, nevertheless, only perhaps “He will be gracious”? Why? “For every action God will bring to judgment [for every unknown]” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).61God will bring judgment even for unknown, that is, unwitting, transgressions. And this, “let him put his mouth in the dust [perhaps there is hope].”62Only perhaps there is hope? And it is written: “Let him offer his cheek to one who strikes him; let him be filled with disgrace.”63After all this, the end result could very well be disgrace.