Similar to the way we described the national state of exile, is the state of the Torah. It too fell at the time of the Destruction until much of its holy light was hidden.
The Torah of Eretz Yisroel at the time of the Bais HaMikdosh is very lofty and beyond the comprehension of those of us living in exile where the soul is gone and the body is shattered. The Torah of the Schechina, in its full shining glory, cannot be absorbed by people living in darkness under the influence of alien cultures who are lacking the Schechina.
This is not just an incremental distinction like the difference between a child and an adult, but it is like the distinction between being alive and being dead. During Temple times the soul shone in a complete body, the Schechina pounded in every person's heart. Prophecy shone forth and people were able to achieve great spiritual heights, they experienced their united existence as a nation whose purpose was to be the beloved of Hashem as expressed in the Song of Songs.
It was unnecessary to speak of the purpose of Mitzvos or their reward because each person could experience the spiritual world personally. The prophets did not speak about the World to Come and of this world as a means to an end. Spiritual realities were so clearly present that there was no need for any explanation.
That was the state of richness that enveloped us. But in exile the world is dark. The Scheniah is gone, the Neshama is hidden, the body is alone, lying in the dirt. We have been broken multiple times and remain just as light dust, spread around the world with no Schechina, no spiritual revelations, no glorious monarchy, no Sanctuary and no prophets.
The Torah of Eretz Yisroel at the time of the Bais HaMikdosh is very lofty and beyond the comprehension of those of us living in exile where the soul is gone and the body is shattered. The Torah of the Schechina, in its full shining glory, cannot be absorbed by people living in darkness under the influence of alien cultures who are lacking the Schechina.
This is not just an incremental distinction like the difference between a child and an adult, but it is like the distinction between being alive and being dead. During Temple times the soul shone in a complete body, the Schechina pounded in every person's heart. Prophecy shone forth and people were able to achieve great spiritual heights, they experienced their united existence as a nation whose purpose was to be the beloved of Hashem as expressed in the Song of Songs.
It was unnecessary to speak of the purpose of Mitzvos or their reward because each person could experience the spiritual world personally. The prophets did not speak about the World to Come and of this world as a means to an end. Spiritual realities were so clearly present that there was no need for any explanation.
That was the state of richness that enveloped us. But in exile the world is dark. The Scheniah is gone, the Neshama is hidden, the body is alone, lying in the dirt. We have been broken multiple times and remain just as light dust, spread around the world with no Schechina, no spiritual revelations, no glorious monarchy, no Sanctuary and no prophets.
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