“See, Lord, for I am in distress, my innards burn, my heart

Midrash Rabbah Eikhah Rabbah 1:55

Curated by The Jewish Mythology Team · Published January 7, 2025

“See, Lord, for I am in distress, my innards burn, my heart overturned within me, for I have been defiant. Outside the sword bereaves; in the house, it is like death” (Lamentations 1:20).“See, Lord, for I am in distress, my innards burn [ḥamarmaru],” Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ḥanina said: He rendered them filled with parasitic worms [morot]. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: He rendered them filled with clumps.211The term ḥamarim can mean piles or clumps (see (Exodus 8:1)0). “My heart overturned within me.” Why? “For I have been defiant.” “Outside the sword bereaves; in the house, it is like death.” This is what Moses said: “Outside, the sword will bereave, and terror within” (Deuteronomy 32:25).

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Moses Death Tribulation Humor Wit

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