Jewish tradition grapples with this very idea – the concept of God’s hidden face, and what it means for us.
Da'at Tevunot, a Kabbalistic text, explores this idea. It suggests that even when things seem bleak, when we feel distant from the Divine, that hiddenness isn’t forever. It's not meant to be punitive, but rather a catalyst. Even when God pours out wrath upon sinners, they bear their sins until sin is removed from the world, when their uncircumcised hearts will surrender and they will repent and live. According to the text, even in these moments, the "heavenly singularity" – that unique divine spark – still wants to reveal itself.
But why the concealment in the first place? Da'at Tevunot argues that it's precisely so that God can return and reveal His countenance to us, and that we might repent with His mercy. It's a choice left to us.
This brings us to a crucial point: this state of hiddenness, this weighing of good and bad, isn’t meant to last forever. There's a timeline, a purpose. The text tells us that the "heavenly thought" allotted a specific time for souls to be rectified – some through righteousness, some through repentance, and others even through suffering. Think of it like a cosmic refining process.
How long is this process? Well, our Rabbis tell us it’s been set at six thousand years (Rosh Hashanah 31a; Sanhedrin 97a). After that, the world will be renewed. Humanity, instead of being like… well, asses, will become like angels. We'll be free from the "coarse material" that weighs us down, the negative consequences, and most importantly, the yetzer hara – the evil inclination.
Even in the Messianic Age, this idea of transformation persists. As the prophet Ezekiel (36:26-27) says, "And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh… and I will cause you to follow my laws…" This isn't just a surface-level change; it's a deep, internal shift.
The Sages even say (Shabbos 151b, Midrash Rabbah Ecclesiastes 12:2) that in the Messianic era, we will reach a point where “the years will arrive where you will say I have no desire for them (Ecclesiastes 12:12) - these are the days of the Messiah, which have no merit and no obligation.” Why? Because once we’re purified from the evil inclination, our service to God becomes almost… automatic.
The idea being that when people are purified from the evil inclination, service is only through enforced impetus, and praise does not reach him at all.
So, what does all this mean for us now? Perhaps it's a reminder that even in the darkest times, there's a plan unfolding. That the challenges we face, the sense of distance we feel, are part of a larger process of refinement and transformation. It’s a call to action, an invitation to participate in repairing the world, to move towards a time of greater revelation and connection.