The words, “Akiva, you have comforted us; Akiva, you have comforted us,” were said twice to indicate that Rabbi Akiva comforted them by revealing that the destruction itself is part of the consolation. This also explains the repetition in the verse, “Nachamu, nachamu—Comfort, comfort My people.”
Regarding the verse, “Nachamu, nachamu ami—Comfort, comfort My people,” the Midrash states that because the Jewish people “were stricken doubly,” their consolation will likewise be doubled.
It must be understood: What is meant by a “double consolation,” and what is the special significance of this? After all, they were also “stricken doubly.”
This can be understood by first explaining the conclusion of Tractate Makkos:
“Once, Rabbi Akiva and the other Sages heard the sound of the crowds of Rome… They said to him: ‘Why are you laughing?’ He replied: ‘Why are you crying?’ They said to him: ‘These people, who bow to idols and offer incense to false gods, dwell securely and peacefully, while the House that was the footstool of our G‑d has been burned by fire—and should we not cry?’ He said to them: ‘That is precisely why I laugh. If this is the reward granted to those who transgress His will, how much more so will be the reward of those who fulfill His will.’
“On another occasion… when they reached Mount Scopus, they tore their garments… When they saw a fox emerging from the place of the Holy of Holies, they began to cry, while Rabbi Akiva laughed. They said to him: ‘Why are you laughing?’ He replied: ‘Why are you crying?’… He said to them: ‘It is written, “I will appoint for Myself faithful witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Yeverechiah.” Uriah prophesied, “Zion shall be plowed like a field,” while Zechariah prophesied, “Old men and old women will yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem.” Now that Uriah’s prophecy has been fulfilled, it is certain that Zechariah’s prophecy will also be fulfilled.’ With these words, they said to him: ‘Akiva, you have comforted us; Akiva, you have comforted us.’”
Several matters require explanation.
What was Rabbi Akiva asking when he said, “Why are you crying?” This question is especially difficult in the second incident, since Rabbi Akiva himself also tore his garments, yet he nevertheless asked them, “Why are you crying?”
Furthermore, why, from among all of Uriah’s prophecies, did Rabbi Akiva specifically quote the verse, “Zion shall be plowed like a field”?
The explanation is as follows:
In the first incident, Rabbi Akiva’s question was not why they were crying over the destruction. Rather, he asked why they had begun crying specifically at that moment. They already knew that the Beis HaMikdash had been destroyed. What new significance was there in seeing the condition of Rome?
They answered that although the destruction had already taken place, why did it need to occur in such a manner that Rome should “dwell securely and peacefully,” while the House of Hashem remained destroyed?
To this Rabbi Akiva replied: “If this is the reward of those who transgress His will, how much more so will be the reward of those who fulfill His will.”
In halachic terms, their position was that the present outweighs the future. Since the present situation involves a desecration of Hashem’s name, one should not disregard that present desecration merely because a far greater elevation will eventually emerge from it.
This is similar to the halachic discussion concerning whether a person should eat on the Fast of Gedaliah so that he will be able to fast properly on Yom Kippur.
In the second incident as well, Rabbi Akiva asked, “Why are you crying?” His question was why they began to cry specifically upon seeing the fox, rather than before that moment.
In this second incident, Rabbi Akiva added a deeper explanation by quoting the prophecy, “Zion shall be plowed like a field.”
When a field is plowed, the overturning and breaking of the earth is itself part of the process that enables future growth. In the same way, the destruction itself is part of the fulfillment of the prophecy, “Old men and old women will yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem.”
This is why Uriah and Zechariah are described as witnesses. A matter is established specifically “through the testimony of two witnesses.” Uriah’s prophecy of destruction and Zechariah’s prophecy of redemption are not two separate testimonies. They are two parts of one unified testimony.
Therefore, the Sages said, “Akiva, you have comforted us,” twice. The repetition indicates that Rabbi Akiva comforted them not only with the knowledge that redemption would eventually follow the destruction, but also with the realization that the destruction itself was part of the process of consolation and redemption.
This is likewise the meaning of the repetition, “Nachamu, nachamu,” explained above.
Rabbi Akiva in particular was able to perceive this because he was the son of converts and therefore had a special connection with the transformation of darkness into light.
Furthermore, he began studying Torah only at the age of forty. He was therefore capable of looking beyond the present situation and seeing the future—recognizing that he would ultimately succeed in learning Torah—rather than focusing only on his present condition.