This proem to the reading of Lamentations on the Ninth of Av, anniversary of the destruction of the Temple, opens with a passage describing the leper and his impurity which are allegorically interpreted to refer to the Temple. Zion is doomed because, like the leper, she is polluted and disgraced. The unexpected comparison of the leper and the Temple builds up a tension that is resolved only at the end. At the same time, a message of consolation is derived from the notion that the period of exile will last only as long as the period of transgression.

Rabbi Alexandri 83 opened his discourse. “And the leper in whom the plague is” (Lev. 13:45): “the leper” refers to the Temple; in whom the plague is—this is idol-worship which defiles like the plague (as it is said, “And they profaned My sanctuary and defiled it”). 84 “His clothes shall be rent”: these are the priestly garments; “the hair of his head shall go loose”: as it is said, “And the covering of Judah was laid bare” (Is. 22:8): that which should have been covered, 85 He disclosed. “And he shall cover his upper lip”: When Israel was exiled among the nations of the world, not one of them was able to bring a word of Torah out of his mouth. “And shall cry, ‘Unclean, unclean’”: this is the destruction of the First and Second Temples. 86

Rabbi Yose ben Halafta said: Whoever knows how many years Israel worshipped idols also knows when the son of David will come; 87 and we have three verses to support this statement. The first is, “And I will visit upon her the days of the Baalim, 88 wherein she offered unto them…” (Hos. 2:15). The second is, “And it came to pass that, as He called, and they would not hear; so shall they call, 89 and I will not hear” (Zech. 7:13). The third is, “And it shall come to pass that you shall say, ‘Wherefore has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’… Just as you have forsaken Me… so shall you serve strangers in a land that is not yours” (Jer. 5:19).

Rabbi Yohanan and Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish both commented on this matter. Rabbi Yohanan said: This point may be derived from “because, even because” (Lev. 26:43), indicating measure for measure. Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish said: It may be derived from “Your land, strangers devour it against you” (Is. 1:7): i.e., corresponding to what you have done, strangers shall devour it. Rabbi Alexandri derived it from this verse, “All the days wherein the plague is in him he shall be unclean… he shall dwell alone” 90 (Lev. 13:46). “How does the city dwell alone…” (Lam. 1:1).

82. J. Heinemann with J. J. Petuchowski, Literature of the Synagogue (New York: Behrman House, 1975), pp. 131–3.

83. He cannot be considered the author of the proem in its entirety, since his exposition is quoted at the end in his name.

84. No such biblical verse exists, so some manuscripts omit it. Cf. Ezek. 5:11, “For you have defiled my sanctuary with all your abominations.”

85. Possibly the Holy of Holies, which was uncovered and laid bare at the time of the destruction of the Temple.

86. The aggadists often understood Scripture as hinting at events much later than the text in question.

87. For the total number of years of punishment and exile, after which the messiah will come, will be equal to the number of years Israel worshipped idols.

88. That is, the exact number of days.

89. For the same period of time.

90. Israel will “dwell alone” in exile for an amount of time corresponding to the days in which it was polluted by idol-worship.