It's a scary
familiar term - one that we invoke to
assess the unexplainable and capture the
unimaginable. The phrase? Hester
Panim and it means that God hides
His face from us. Rather than penetrate
this notion, let us simply observe from
whence it emerges. Perhaps it will offer
us a window into the notion from which
we still suffer. Hashem paints for Moshe
the bleak picture of a post-Moshe Jewish
people: [Devarim, 31:16-18]
You are about
to die, and this people will arise and
stray after the gods of the stranger
[people] of the land that they are going
there among them, and they will forsake
Me and break My covenant that I made
with them.
Hashem
responds:
And I will wax
angry at them on that day and I will
forsake them and
I shall
conceal My face from them and ..
and many evils and troubles will happen
to them;
Bnei Yisrael
introspects:
and they will
say on that day, "Look! Because my G-d
is not within me did these evils happen
to me."
Thus far we
understand the cause and effect. Now,
we begin to wonder about Hashem's
response:
And I
will surely conceal My face on
that day because of all the wickedness
that they did, because they turned to
other gods.
It appears
that Hashem responds to Bnei Yisrael's
introspection with even further
concealment. Why? Shouldn't the Almighty
respond to Bnei Yisrael's movement by
being open and accessible ala shuva
elai v'ashuva eilechem?
Three
approaches:
First,
Ramban:
It is not a
complete confession
as we found earlier "and they shall
confess their sins" [Bamidbar 6] - but
rather it is thought and regret, that
they regret their breach and recognize
their guilt .. and because they
reflected such God should have helped
and saved them for they already denied
the idolatry .. therefore it says that
for the great evil they committed to
rely upon the idolatry, He will again
hide His face not like the first time
where He hid His mercy and they found
terrible troubles, rather they will be
hidden from the face of redemption and
they will stand with the promise of
God's mercy that He will never reject or
repulse them even in enemy lands. This
will be until they add to their regret
where they have reached the level of
complete confession
An incomplete
confession effects a lessening of the
Divine concealment. More peeks of the
Divine countenance emerge - such that
one can further reflect upon His
Providential nature. Secure in the
knowledge of basking in the Divine
promise of eternity, the nation engage
in a complete Teshuva and a full
confession
Now, Reb
Bunim of Pshischa
It is because
Hashem has left us that we are engulfed
in such troubles
Our verse is
not [as we originally thought] an
introspective one. Bnei Yisrael is
finger-wagging upwards. Hashem - YOU
left US! You moved away and that's why
these tragedies have befallen us.
An elderly
couple returns to their hometown for a
drive down memory lane. Their classic
Town car has a front bench. She is by
the window and he is driving. At each
sight - they find personal landmarks.
Here we met, .. at this hotel, we got
married .. we bought our first set of
furniture from this thrift shop .. our
baby's first steps on this block.. the
schools, the stores, the friendships.
They are caught in the past. At one
point, the wife wistfully turns to her
husband. "Don't you remember that we
used to be so close and so in love that
when we would drive we would sit right
next to each other. What has happened to
us my dear?" The husband turns to his
wife and calmy responds. "My love, I
have always been the one behind the
driver's wheel."
In truth,
Hashem's apparent distance stems from
our movement - away. Unreflective Bnei
Yisrael however are bitter - and
seeking scapegoats. Playing the blame
game of course creates a further
distancing from the Almighty. Hence, the
Divine reaction of further concealment.
Finally, a
remarkable Seforno
Because He has
removed his Shechina from our presence
did this occur to us. When they think
thus, they will not turn to pray and do
teshuva. .. I will hide Myself ,
not as they think for wherever they
shall be I go with with them as the
Rabbis teach wherever they are exiled
the Shechina is with them.
Despair. Our
verse portrays a description - not a
prescription. Hashem no longer wants a
shaychus, a relationship with me.
Therefore he has moved away. It is that
yeiush which stops any movement
towards teshuva.
A moving
gemara portrays Rabbi Meir walking with
Acheir, the sage Elisha Ben Abuyah who
lost his faith towards the end of his
life. It is Shabbos. Acheir is riding
his horse and Rabbi Meir, an expert is
extracting the good stuff from Acheir is
engaged in conversation with his former
Rebbe. As they walking outside the city,
Acheir informs Rabbi Meir that he must
return, lest he violate the techum, the
2000 cubit boundary that one may not
exceed outside the city. Rabbi Meir
seizes the opportunity:[Chagiga 16b]
He said to
him: Meir, turn backwards, for I have
already measured by means of my horse's
hoofs up to this point the legal limit
of the Sabbath. He answered him:
Return yourself as well. He said to
him: And have I not already answered
thee what I have heard from behind the
Divine curtain?(That God says "return,
my wayward children"[Yirmiyahu, 3:14] -
everyone except for Acher).
A classic
story of Elazar ben Dordaya - the man
whose immorality was legend, offers a
wondrous contrast. A moving Talmudic
account [Avodah Zarah 17]
It was said of
Elazar ben Dordaya who left not out one
prostitute. He was once informed that
there was a prostitute in one of the sea
countries, who received a pocketful of
dinars in reward, and he took this
amount and passed seven rivers until he
reached her. As he was with her, she
blew forth breath[1]
and said: As this blown breath will
not return to its place, so will Eleazar
b. Dordia never be received in
repentance.
He thereupon
went, sat between two hills and
mountains and exclaimed: O, ye hills and
mountains, plead for mercy for me! They
replied: How shall we pray for thee? We
stand in need of it ourselves, for it is
said, For the mountains shall depart and
the hills be removed! So he exclaimed:
Heaven and earth, plead ye for mercy for
me! They, too, replied: How shall we
pray for thee? .. Sun and moon, plead ye
for mercy for me! .. stars and
constellations, plead ye for mercy for
me! Said they: How shall we pray for
thee? We stand in need of it ourselves,
for it is said, And all the hosts of
heaven shall moulder away. Said he: The
matter then depends upon me alone!
Having placed his head between his
knees, he wept aloud until his soul
departed. Then a bas kol was heard
proclaiming: 'Rabbi Eleazar b. Dordai is
destined for the life of the world to
come!'
Elazar Ben
Dordaya and Acheir crisscross. One ends
up where the other began. At what point
do we reach the their nexus? They both
confront a moment - their moment of
truth. It is crisis time. They have
sunk so low. Elazar Ben Dordaya responds
to a message that emerges from the
lowest of the low, the most unholy of
sources, while Acheir, who is still able
to pierce the heavens, rejects the
implicit message of relationship found
in the tough message of the bas kol.
Elazar ben
Dordaya becomes the classic symbol of
it's never too late and the hope
springs eternal message of teshuva
while Acheir is forever seared in Jewish
consciousness as the great tragic
figure. Why? Because Acheir gave up .
As we walk
into Yom Kippur, let us internalize and
teach whoever we can that Hashem is
always waiting for us. We can and shall
never give up!
B'vracha,
Good Shabbos!
Asher Brander