At first glance, the story in kina 11 stands out among the kinnot. It doesn’t focus on the destruction of the Temple, or on the subsequent exile, but rather on the death of Yoshiyahu, the last righteous king of Judah, an event that occurred decades before the churban. We will see that this event foreshadowed the coming tragedy. Yet as we read the kina, we wonder what a story so focused on one individual is doing toward the beginning of the kinnot service.

The story opens as the Egyptian army proudly marches through Israel, on its way to wage war with the Assyrian empire. The Egyptians treated Israel peacefully, merely asking for a clear passage through the land. The prophet Yirmiyahu warns Yoshiyahu not to answer peace with war. Ignoring the prophet's instruction, the king proudly musters his troops belligerently against the vast Egyptian army. The outcome is catastrophic. Yoshiyahu is killed by the Pharaoh's archers, and with his death dies the Jewish people's last hope for repentance. From the very beginning of his reign, Yoshiyahu had led the nation toward repentance. The Navi praises his sincerity as unparalleled since the time of Moshe (Melachim Bet 23:25). Yet, by failing to heed Yirmiyahu’s warning, Yoshiyahu fell short as a decision maker. Yoshiyahu had put Klal Yisrael on a path of return that could, perhaps, have staved off the churban. With his death, the question of churban transformed from one of "if" to one of "when."

As told by the kina, the story focuses on one individual, Yoshiyahu. However, Chazal add a layer of context, one that trains our sights on the nation’s role in this sad outcome. Yoshiyahu’s disobedience of the prophet Yirmiyahu appears brazen. It flies in the face of his role as a righteous hero, a spearhead of religious revival. How can it be that such a flawless leader failed so suddenly? What came over the righteous king to ignore a prophet's warning?

Chazal offer a striking answer, actually hinted at in the kina’s fourth stanza. They tell us that Yoshiyahu stumbled because he thought too highly of his people. He thought the Jews had followed his lead and totally eliminated idolatry. Had that been true, the Jewish army would indeed have had nothing to fear (see Taanit 22a,b). Sadly, this was not the case. In truth, many Jews had hidden the idols in their doorposts, where Yoshiyahu’s police wouldn’t find them (Eichah Rabbah 1:12). Those hidden idols erased the merit that Yoshiyahu needed for victory over the Egyptians. In Chazal’s eyes, Yoshiyahu died because the people failed him. They didn’t live up to his leadership, to his goal of total repentance. Seen this way, the story challenges us to introspect. We must realize that great leadership will never be enough. A leader can lead, but it is up to the followers to follow. If we are dissatisfied with the state of the Jewish people, the first place to look is not at its leaders. We first must look in the mirror, and ask ourselves if we are ready to be led.