Multiple interpretations explain Israel's vassalage: Rabbi Yochanan attributes it to violating the Sinai covenant (through gematria equating "Sinai" and "lamas"); Rabbi Yishmael bar Nachman attributes it to idolatry (lamas as semel, "figure"); and the Rabbis interpret lamas as "melting of the heart." Rav Ukeva recounts a conversation on the eve of Tisha b'av in which Abraham enters the Holy of Holies and God explains to him that Israel was exiled for sin, and Abraham's successive pleas for mercy—citing righteous individuals, circumcision, and Israel's sorrow—are each refuted by God with prooftexts showing the people's wickedness and rejoicing in each other's downfall.
שָׂרָתִי בַּמְדִינוֹת. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן לְפִי שֶׁעָבְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל תְּנַאי שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ מִסִּינַי, לְפִיכָךְ הָיְתָה לָמַס, הוּא סִינַי הוּא לָמַס, חוּשְׁבְּנֵיהּ דְּדֵין כְּחוּשְׁבְּנֵיהּ דְּדֵין. אָמַר רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בַּר נַחְמָן לְפִי שֶׁעָבְדוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים לְפִיכָךְ הָיְתָה לָמַס, הִיא לָמַס הִיא סֶמֶל, אָתוֹי דְדֵין הִינוּן אָתוֹי דְדֵין. רַבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה אָמַר הֲפָכָהּ לָמַס סֶמֶל. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי לָמַס, לְמַסָּא דְלִבָּא. אָמַר רַב עוּקְבָא בְּלֵיל תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב נִכְנַס אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ לְבֵית קָדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים, אֲחָזוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּיָדוֹ וַהֲוָה מְטַיֵל בּוֹ אֲרֻכּוֹת וּקְצָרוֹת. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא (ירמיה יא, טו): מֶה לִידִידִי בְּבֵיתִי, אָמַר לוֹ רִבּוֹנִי בָּנַי הֵיכָן הֵם, אָמַר לוֹ חָטְאוּ וְהִגְלֵיתִים לְבֵין הָאֻמּוֹת. אָמַר לוֹ לֹא הָיוּ בָּהֶן צַדִּיקִים. אָמַר לוֹ (ירמיה יא, טו): עֲשׂוֹתָהּ הַמְזִמָּתָהּ. אָמַר לוֹ הָיָה לְךָ לְהִסְתַּכֵּל בַּטּוֹבִים שֶׁבָּהֶם. אָמַר לוֹ סוּגֵיהוֹן בִּישִׁין, דִּכְתִיב: עֲשׂוֹתָהּ הַמְזִמָּתָהּ הָרַבִּים. אָמַר לוֹ הָיָה לְךָ לְהַבִּיט לִבְרִית מִילָה שֶׁבִּבְשָׂרָם. אָמַר לוֹ חַיֶּיךָ כָּפְרוּ בָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה יא, טו): וּבְשַׂר קֹדֶשׁ יַעַבְרוּ מֵעָלָיִךְ. וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיוּ שְׂמֵחִין בְּמַפַּלְתָּם אֵלּוּ עַל אֵלּוּ, דִּכְתִיב (ירמיה יא, טו): כִּי רָעָתֵכִי אָז תַּעֲלֹזִי, וּכְתִיב (משלי יז, ה): שָׂמֵחַ לְאֵיד לֹא יִנָּקֶה. וּמִפְּנֵי מָה נֶאֱמַר מְגִלַּת קִינוֹת אַלְפָא בֵּיתָא, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה וְרַבָּנָן, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר לְפִי שֶׁכָּתוּב (דניאל ט, יא): וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל עָבְרוּ אֶת תּוֹרָתֶךָ וגו' שֶׁהִיא כְּתוּבָה מֵאָלֶ"ף וְעַד תי"ו, לְפִיכָךְ נִכְתְּבָה הַמְגִלָּה הַזֹּאת אַלְפָא בֵּיתִין זוֹ כְּנֶגֶד זוֹ. אֵין לָהּ מְנַחֵם, אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֵין הֲוָה לָהּ. (בראשית יא, ל): וַתְּהִי שָׂרַי עֲקָרָה אֵין לָהּ וָלָד, וַהֲוָה לָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית כא, א): וַה' פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה. וְדִכְוָתֵיהּ (שמואל א א, ב): וּלְחַנָּה אֵין יְלָדִים, וַהֲוָה לָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א ב, כא): כִּי פָקַד ה' אֶת חַנָּה. וְדִכְוָתֵיהּ (ירמיה ל, יז): צִיּוֹן הִיא דֹּרֵשׁ אֵין לָהּ, וַהֲוָה לָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נט, כ): וּבָא לְצִיּוֹן גּוֹאֵל, אַף כֵּן אַתְּ אוֹמֵר: אֵין לָהּ מְנַחֵם, וַהֲוָה לָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נא, יב): אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי הוּא מְנַחֶמְכֶם.
“A princess among the nations,” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Because Israel violated the terms that they accepted at Sinai, therefore, “she has become a vassal [lamas].” Sinai is lamas, the numerical value of this equals the numerical value of that. Rabbi Yishmael bar Naḥman said: Because Israel engaged in idol worship, therefore, “she has become a vassal [lamas].” Lamas is figure [semel]. The letters of this are the letters of that. The Rabbis say: Lamas, the melting [lemassa] of the heart. Rav Ukeva said: On the eve of the ninth of Av, Abraham entered the chamber of the Holy of Holies. The Holy One blessed be He grasped his hand and was strolling with him long and short. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “What has My beloved to do in My Temple?” (Jeremiah 11:15). He said to Him: ‘Master of the universe, my children, where are they?’ He said to him: ‘They sinned and I exiled them among the nations.’ He said to Him: ‘Were there no righteous among them?’ He said to him: “She has performed her evil schemes” (Jeremiah 11:15). He said to Him: ‘You should have looked at the good ones among them.’ He said to him: ‘Most of them were wicked, as it is written: “She has performed her evil schemes with multitudes” (Jeremiah 11:15).’ He said to Him: ‘You should have looked to the circumcision in their flesh.’ He said to him: ‘As you live, they repudiated it, as it is stated: “The sacred flesh is passed from you” (Jeremiah 11:15). Moreover, these rejoiced at the downfall of those, as it is written: “When you beheld evil, then you rejoice” (Jeremiah 11:15), and it is written: “One who rejoices at calamity will not be absolved” (Proverbs 17:5).’ Why was the scroll of Lamentations stated as an alphabetical acrostic? Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda says: Because it is written: “All Israel have violated Your Torah” (Daniel 9:11), which is written [with letters] from alef through tav; therefore, the scroll was written alphabetically, one corresponding to the other. “She has no comforter.” Rabbi Levi said: Any place that it is stated: “Has no [ein],” [ultimately] she will have. “Sarai was barren, she had no [ein] child” (Genesis 11:30), but [ultimately] she had, as it is stated: “The Lord remembered Sarah” (Genesis 21:1). Similarly, “Hannah had no [ein] children” (I Samuel 1:2), and [ultimately] she had, as it is stated: “For the Lord remembered Hannah” (I Samuel 2:21). Similarly, “She is Zion, she has no one [ein] seeking her” (Jeremiah 30:17), and [ultimately] she will have, as it is stated: “A redeemer will come to Zion” (Isaiah 59:20). So, too, it says: “She has no [ein] comforter,” and [ultimately] she will have, as it is stated: “I, it is I, who am your Comforter” (Isaiah 51:12).