“Eclipse of the light of heaven, eclipse of God – such indeed is the character of the historic hour through which the world is now passing.”
— Martin Buber, The Eclipse of God
וְאָנֹכִ֗י הַסְתֵּ֨ר אַסְתִּ֤יר פָּנַי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא עַ֥ל כׇּל־הָרָעָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה כִּ֣י פָנָ֔ה אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃
לֹא־הִגִּ֣ידָה אֶסְתֵּ֔ר אֶת־עַמָּ֖הּ וְאֶת־מֽוֹלַדְתָּ֑הּ כִּ֧י מׇרְדֳּכַ֛י צִוָּ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תַגִּֽיד׃ {ס}
ס.ת.ר - to hide
(יג) כִּי יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי הַסְתָּרוֹת, וּכְשֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ נִסְתָּר בְּהַסְתָּרָה אַחַת, גַּם כֵּן קָשֶׁה מְאֹד לְמָצְאוֹ, אַךְ אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן, כְּשֶׁהוּא נִסְתָּר בְּהַסְתָּרָה אַחַת, אֶפְשָׁר לִיגַע וְלַחֲתֹר עַד שֶׁיִּמְצָא אוֹתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, מֵאַחַר שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ נִסְתָּר מִמֶּנּוּ, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ נִסְתָּר בְּהַסְתָּרָה תּוֹךְ הַסְתָּרָה, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁהַהַסְתָּרָה בְּעַצְמָהּ נִסְתֶּרֶת מִמֶּנּוּ, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ כְּלָל שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ נִסְתָּר מִמֶּנּוּ – אֲזַי אִי אֶפְשָׁר כְּלָל לִמְצֹא אוֹתוֹ, מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ כְּלָל מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.
(יד) וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (דברים ל״א:י״ח): וְאָנֹכִי הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר; דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁאַסְתִּיר הַהַסְתָּרָה...
(טו) אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת אֲפִלּוּ בְּכָל הַהַסְתָּרוֹת, וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּהַהַסְתָּרָה שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַסְתָּרָה, בְּוַדַּאי גַּם שָׁם מְלֻבָּשׁ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי בְּוַדַּאי אֵין שׁוּם דָּבָר שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה בּוֹ חִיּוּת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי בִּלְעֲדֵי חִיּוּתוֹ לֹא הָיָה לוֹ קִיּוּם כְּלָל. וְעַל־כֵּן בְּוַדַּאי בְּכָל הַדְּבָרִים, וּבְכָל הַמַּעֲשִׂים, וּבְכָל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת, מְלֻבָּשׁ שָׁם הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּבְיָכוֹל. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, עוֹשִׂין דְּבַר עֲבֵרָה, שֶׁהוּא שֶׁלֹּא כִּרְצוֹן הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, עִם כָּל זֶה בְּוַדַּאי יֵשׁ שָׁם חִיּוּת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, אַךְ שֶׁהוּא בְּהֶעְלֵם וּבְצִמְצוּם גָּדוֹל.
(13) 3C. There are two [levels of] concealment. When God is hidden in a single concealment, then as well it is very difficult to find Him. Yet when He is hidden in a single concealment it is still possible for an individual to toil and strive until he finds Him, since he is aware that God is hidden from him. But when God is concealed in a concealment within a concealment, in other words the concealment itself is concealed from him so that he is completely oblivious to the fact that God is hidden from him—then it is entirely impossible to find Him, since he is not at all aware <that God is hidden there>.
(14) This is analogous to “I will haster astir (thoroughly hide)” (Deuteronomy 31:18)—that is, “I will conceal the concealment,”...
(15) Yet, in truth, even in all the concealments—even in a concealment within a concealment—God is certainly enclothed there as well. Indeed, there is nothing that is without the life force of God, since without His life force it could not exist. Therefore, God is certainly enclothed in all <words> and all deeds and all thoughts, as it were. And even if, Heaven forbid, a person is guilty of sin, which is a transgression of God’s will, God’s life force is certainly still there, albeit in a most hidden and contracted manner.
Activity:
Participants receive a sheet of paper and are asked to decorate one side as the self they show to the world and the other side as the hidden self.
- What would it take to bring some of our hidden side into the light?
- Why do we hide certain truths about ourselves? What makes something remain hidden?