Sod HaNesira and the Essence of Punishment

As Tisha B’Av approaches, I would like to think that Am Israel is stopping to catch its breath, on both national and individual levels, to take the time to attempt to rectify the sins that caused the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash and the Exile it still finds itself in today. We are told that the Bet HaMikdash was destroyed due to Sinat Chinam, “Baseless hatred,” and it is therefore logical to conclude that we must counteract that sin with Ahavat Chinam, “Baseless love.” Instead of having cold interpersonal relationships unless there is a motive to act nicely to one’s fellow, one should have kind interpersonal relationships unless there is truly a reason why this is impossible.

Nowadays, Am Israel is considered to be in Chevlei Mashiach, the days that are leading up to the imminent (respectively, on the timeline starting from creation) arrival of Mashiach, IY”H. However, the question must be raised, and addressed, as to why in this generation is there so much kfira, so much abandoning of G-d and religion and moral and ethical values. Today, Jews are attacked on universal levels, from both within and without. Why is this happening now?

The Galut we find ourselves in now is considered punishment for our ill deeds. However, our understanding of punishment is clearly flawed. We view punishment as something bad that happens to us in the event of our misbehaving. This clearly cannot be. For example, HaShem appears to Avraham Avinu and tells him that his children shall inherit the Land of Israel (Canaan), and Avraham responds by saying: Bame eda ki erashena? Show me a sign that shall prove that they will inherit the land. The Maharal MiPrague boils down the root of Avraham’s response to a lack of Emunah. As a result of this lack of Emunah, this flaw in Avraham’s character, his children are sentenced to 210 years as slaves. But, his children did nothing wrong! It was Avraham who displayed a startling lack of Emunah!

We must look at the situation in this light: Avraham displays his lack of Emunah, and HaShem says that Emunah is a key character trait needed in order to inherit the Land of Israel. Because Avraham has demonstrated a lack of faith, his descendants are brought down to Egypt, and the effort it will take for them to come up out of Egypt will fix the problem of the lack of Emunah. Meaning, a situation where one must go down in order to come up.

That is punishment: being put into a situation where the effort involved in coming out of that situation will repair the lack, the flaws, that landed you there.

In Rav Kook’s philosophy, there was a concept called Sod HaNesira, which, when coupled with the above views on punishment, should help us understand certain issues of the time we find ourselves in.

When HaShem created man, he first created Adam and Chava as one being, and then separated them. It cannot be due to loneliness on the part of man, for surely HaShem would have foreseen this! We must dig deeper to understand the profound idea here.

The best way to understand the idea is through examples. Thank G-d, we have the ability to eat. It is such a natural thing to us, one of the basic keys to our physical survival. Yet, to the sickly man who, for months and months could not eat and was forced to get his nutrients through tubes hooked up to his body, and can finally again eat, now healed, eating is an amazing thing, something not taken for granted. And, I cared very little about my bedroom, until I put in the hours (literally!) it took to clean it up. Until I cleaned my room, I cared nothing for it. Until the sick man couldn’t eat, he thought nothing of the matter. Until one has worked for something, or invested emotions in something, his connection to that thing is very little. After he has done so, his connection grows immeasurably.

This is Sod HaNesira- breaking away, or being taken away from something, for the sake of connecting with it on a higher, more active level, a level of greater awareness. HaShem, in his infinite wisdom, separated Adam and Chava physically, so that they could connect to one another spiritually, which is a much greater connection. Be separated from something, have something otherwise a given be taken away from you, and the effort required to reconnect with that thing will create a stronger, higher, connection between you and it.

That is why, according to Rav Kook, the generation preceding Mashiach is steeped so greatly in kfira. In order to build a nation deserving of redemption, we must have Emunah, a connection to each other and to our national and religious roots. If we had had that connection naturally, what worth would it have had? Because of all the kfira, we are forced to toil greatly to make these connections, so in the end they will be stronger ones, ones with greater merit in them. Only through this level of connection to its faith will Am Israel merit redemption.

And, of course, only by being punished, by being thrown into Galut, will we have the opportunity to rectify our Sinat Chinam, and fix the flaws within us so that we will merit to see the day where we will dance together through the streets of Yerushalayim, in loving brotherhood, to the rebuilt Bet HaMikdash, bimhera biyamenu.