Prophet of gloom or comfort: The conflicting portrayals of Jeremiah's prophecy in Pesiqta 'de-rabh Kahana'

The pisqaot of the Pesiqta 'de-rabh Kahana' (PDRK) accompanying the two haphtarot of rebuke that precede Tiš'a be-abh radically differ in their appraisal of Jeremiah and his prophecy. In the first pisqa\ The words of Jeremiah, Jeremiah's prophecy is portrayed as a harsh rebuke, contrasted with the gentler prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel, and compared with the similarly harsh prophecy of Moses. The second pisqa\ Hear the word of the Lord, paints Jeremiah's prophecy in a gentle light, comparing it with Jacob's respectful rebuke of Laban, and this time contrasting it favorably with the harsh and disrespectful language used by Isaiah and Ezekiel. While there are several ways we might understand the shaip differences between these two juxtaposed pisqa'ot, I suggest that the editor of PDRK intentionally fashioned them in this manner so as to influence and shape the mood of the synagogue audience hearing them during these three weeks.