[Avodah] churban habayit

[Eli Turkel]

Well, which do you think is worse: Galut, or the Churban?

Which do you think is worse, the tremendous loss of life, or the Churban? >>

Why do we need to choose? Why not stress both losses. After all there
are many kinnot on many issues.
Similarly Eichah has only some minor references to the bet hamikdash.
I would have expected a lot more. Again not instead but in addition to
the destruction of the city.

Remember that the day of Tisha Ba-av commemorates the destruction
of the Temple which began burning on the 9th and into the 10th of av.
The city itself actually fell later.
The gemara tells of those who wanted to stop eating meat and wine
to remember the loss of korbanot and R. Yehoshua's answer. The
stress in later years was on the loss of the Temple more than the
loss of Bar Kochva which led to a greater loss of life.

-- 
Eli Turkel