Lamentations (Eicha): Tisha B'Av Reading, Customs, and Cantillation
The Book of Lamentations — known in Hebrew as Eicha (אֵיכָה, "How," its opening word) — is one of the Five Megillot (scrolls) in the Ketuvim (Writings) section of the Hebrew Bible. Traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, it is a set of five poems mourning the Babylonian siege and destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple (traditionally dated 586 BCE). Four of its five chapters are built on the Hebrew alphabet: chapters 1, 2, and 4 are single alphabetical acrostics of 22 verses each, chapter 5 has 22 verses but is not an acrostic, and chapter 3 is a triple acrostic of 66 verses running through the alphabet three times.
When it’s read
Eicha is chanted on Tisha B'Av (the Ninth of Av), the major fast day commemorating the destruction of both the First and Second Temples. It is read in the synagogue at night, after the evening (Maariv) prayers, at the very start of the fast. In many communities it is also read again the following morning, though this practice varies from place to place.
Customs
The reading is done in an atmosphere of mourning. The reader and congregation customarily sit on the floor or on low stools and benches, like mourners sitting shiva, rather than the reader standing at a lectern as in a normal megillah reading; in many congregations the lights are dimmed or lowered. So that the book does not end on its bleak final note, the penultimate verse — "Hashiveinu," "Take us back, O LORD, to Yourself" (Lamentations 5:21) — is repeated aloud after the final verse (5:22), often with the congregation chanting it aloud and the reader repeating it. The same Eicha melody also surfaces elsewhere in the year: on Shabbat Chazon, the Shabbat right before Tisha B'Av, the word "Eicha" in the Torah reading (Deuteronomy 1:12) is chanted in the Lamentations tune, and during the Purim Megillah reading certain verses in the Book of Esther that describe danger to the Jews are chanted in the Eicha melody despite Purim's festive character.
How it’s chanted
Eicha is chanted with its own distinct, mournful cantillation (trope) system, separate from the standard weekly Torah trope. In most Ashkenazi traditions there are six different cantillation modes, one of which is reserved for Eicha. Its signature feature is that each verse typically begins in a major mode and ends in its relative minor, producing a sorrowful effect. Several Eicha trope motifs are identical to their Torah-trope counterparts, but the overall melody is unique to Lamentations. Chapter 3 is frequently given a special, more haunting tune that sets it apart from the other chapters, and on Tisha B'Av morning the haftarah is itself chanted largely in the Eicha mode rather than the usual haftarah melody. TropeTrainer includes voicing systems for the Lamentations (Eicha) cantillation so you can hear exactly how each phrase is meant to sound.
Browse the voicing systems TropeTrainer offers, then hear and practice this reading at adjustable speed.
Frequently asked questions
When is Lamentations (Eicha) read?
Eicha is read on Tisha B'Av (the Ninth of Av), the fast day mourning the destruction of both Temples. It is chanted at night, after the evening (Maariv) service, as the fast begins. Many communities read it again the next morning, though this varies by community. On Shabbat Chazon, the Shabbat just before Tisha B'Av, the word 'Eicha' in Deuteronomy 1:12 is also chanted in the Lamentations melody.
How do you chant Lamentations (Eicha)?
Eicha has its own mournful cantillation (trope) system, distinct from the weekly Torah trope. Each verse generally begins in a major mode and ends in its relative minor, giving the reading its sorrowful character, and chapter 3 often gets a special, more haunting tune. Some Eicha motifs overlap with Torah trope, but the melody as a whole is unique to Lamentations. The most reliable way to learn it is to hear the trope phrases sung — TropeTrainer offers a Lamentations (Eicha) voicing system for exactly this.
What is the difference between Eicha and Lamentations?
They are the same book. 'Lamentations' is the English title, while 'Eicha' (אֵיכָה, 'How') is the Hebrew name, taken from the book's opening word. It is one of the Five Megillot in the Ketuvim (Writings) section of the Tanakh and is traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah.
Why do people sit on the floor when reading Eicha?
Tisha B'Av is observed as a day of communal mourning for the destruction of the Temples, so the reading is conducted like a house of mourning. The reader and congregation customarily sit on the floor or on low stools, as mourners do during shiva, and in many congregations the lights are dimmed. To avoid ending on the book's bleak final verse, the hopeful 'Hashiveinu' verse (5:21) is repeated aloud after the last verse.
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