The Land I Will Show You, sec. 5, chapter 11

The Decree of Exile and the Possibility of Repentance

(For the previous chapter of “The Land I Will Show You, click here. For the ToC, click here.)

11: The Decree of Exile and the Possibility of Repentance

The deep meaning of the saga of exile and redemption and its secrets were fully clarified. We have learned what is included in the loss of the indwelling of the Shechinah and how Its return will appear. Initially, we knew Hashem; then we lost this level; and ultimately, it is destined to return in a new but similar form.

This approach resolves a significant question regarding the possibility of repentance and the attainment of redemption. Could the Children of Israel always have merited redemption if they had only returned to Hashem? There are contradictions on this matter. On one hand, there are clear sources that show that repentance would not have been effective during the thousand years of exile decreed upon the Children of Israel absolutely. This is what is said in the Midrash Ha’Ne’elam about the Congregation of Israel in their exile:

And every time, she repented... except for the fourth exile, as she has not yet repented, and everything depends on repentance... If she had repented, she would not have remained in exile [but] one day.[1]

This clearly implies that repentance would not have been effective to hasten the redemption within the thousand years, but only that the exile would not extend beyond the predetermined time. As Rabbi Yitzchak Abravanel defined it:

Three boundaries of time were decreed by Him, blessed be He... the first is the boundary of time of prevention of his [the Messiah’s] coming, which is the time the nation will necessarily stand in exile, irreversibly – until its completion the coming of the Messiah will be prevented; and the second is the boundary of time of the possibility of his coming, which is the time that Hashem, blessed be He, decreed after the completion of the boundary of prevention, that the coming of the Messiah will be possible: If Israel merits through repentance and good deeds, the Messiah will come, and if they do not merit, his coming will be delayed until the end of that entire possible time.[2]

On the other hand, it is clear from the words of the Sages that the Messiah could always come if the Children of Israel would repent. Thus, the Messiah himself answered Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi's question of when he will come: "Today!" And Elijah explained his words: "Today, if you will listen to His voice."[3] If the Children of Israel would listen to the voice of Hashem, immediately, on that day, the Messiah would appear and redeem them. Even within the period of a thousand years of exile; but were not a thousand years decreed upon the Children of Israel absolutely?![4]

According to what was explained, everything is completely clear. Repentance can and cannot help, because there is repentance and there is repentance. There is repentance that turns back the clock; if the Children of Israel had gone back to attain the original knowledge of Hashem properly, without sin, the Shechinah would have returned to dwell among them (indeed, this is but a tautology). This measure always applies. If a person seeks and finds Hashem properly, so that he is a complete righteous, then Hashem is found by him. However, this achievement can be elusive. If sin causes them not to do so, or if they do not have the opportunity to do so – because the circumstances suitable for repentance do not develop – they must wait until the exile does its part and they transform along with the entire world. Then, at the end of this period, they will have the opportunity to return with a different repentance: When they return, they will achieve something new, that is, a new approach in the relationship between man and God. This process takes a thousand years, and without a doubt, at the end of that period, the circumstances allowing for this repentance will be created, and then, after that: "If they were to be subjugated more, it isn’t according to the King’s decree, but only since they don’t want to return to Him."[5] Everything happened according to plan, and now it depends only on our will. The opportunity is present and very near, in mouth and in heart to do.[6]

In summary – these are the periods: The first period of knowing Hashem for a thousand years was granted to us even though we were not entirely worthy of it. This is the meaning of Yaakov buying the "day" from Esau – meaning, whether the children of Jacob are worthy of it or not, they knew Hashem.[7] Then, there was a thousand-year period in which the knowledge of Hashem was not given for free but at a price, meaning only if we are completely worthy, and also on that “today” the Shechinah would return – if you will listen to His voice. And then began the period when everyone is worthy, if only they want.

The whole question now is whether we want.

(For the next chapter of “The Land I Will Show You,” click here.)

---

The Hebrew book is available for purchase from me directly, in Judaica stores, and online, here: 

---

[1] Page 23b.

[2] Yeshuos Meshicho, Königsberg 1861, page 11b.

[3] Sanhedrin 98a.

[4] This question is discussed by Abravanel, Yeshuos Meshicho, Königsberg 1861, pages 21b and 31a; Shem HaGedolim, the section of Gedolim, letter Aleph, entry 209 in the gloss; and Va’Yoel Moshe, Essay on the Three Oaths, sec. 71.

[5] In the language of the Zohar, v. 2, 17a.

[6] Some of the details of this matter are disputed according to the approaches of Rabbi Yochanan and Resh Lakish as they were explained above in Chapter 6; I see no need to elaborate on all the intricacies. The wise one will understand on his own.

[7] The thousand years that Yaakov bought from Esau signify a millennium of knowing Hashem without contestation from Esau, meaning whether Yaakov is worthy of this attainment or not. During this epoch, the Shechinah dwelled among Israel, until the termination of this period, despite grave transgressions involving idol worship, sexual misconduct and bloodshed. Prophecy lasted a thousand years, as expected, but even upon concluding this era, there remained a potential for the Shechinah to continue its presence beyond these thousand years (if all the Children of Israel had returned, as per Resh Lakish's opinion), but only if the Children of Israel would compete with Esau and prove they were worthy of Hashem's blessing. Beyond the first thousand years, the Children of Israel are required to "judge the mountain of Esau" [Obadiah 1:21], meaning to prevail over them, whereas for the first thousand years, the years of the blossoming of the Children of Israel, it is written: "My lord knows that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me, and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die" [Genesis 33:13]. The sheep symbolize the number of the Children of Israel (see Genesis Rabbah 73:11 on the number of sheep matching the number of the Children of Israel); the one day represents the thousand years Yaakov "bought" from Esau; if the Children of Israel were forced to compete with Esau during their years of blossoming, they would not have survived, Heaven forbid.