Throughout Jewish History, as the Jewish People experience difficult times, we describe this as a time of hester panim. We loosely translate or think of this as a time where Hashem is hidden from us, perhaps we feel that He has left us alone and is not looking out for us in the same way He does when his presence is revealed in the open. But is that really the proper outlook? Is it true?
In Parashat Ha’azinu, the pasuk says, וירא ה’ וינאץ מכעס בניו ובנותיו ויאמר אסתירה פני מהם אראה מה אחריתם - Hashem will see and be provoked by the anger of His sons and daughters, and He will say, “I shall hide My face from them and see what their end will be.”
Rav Herchel Schachter suggests that this pasuk teaches us what hester panim really means. It does NOT mean that Hashem is not looking at us or that He will stand by passively and not protect us. Rather, look at it with the prism of the pasuk in Shir Hashirim (2:9) “Behold, He is standing behind our wall, observing through the windows, peering through the lattices.” In other words, even when there is hester panim, Hashem is observing us through “a crack in the wall.” With this perspective, someone who sees his child through a crack in the wall sees him as clearly as he would through a huge window or doorway. The difference is to the one who is being seen. When being observed through a big open window, it is clear to the child that he is being watched, however, when being observed through a crack, the parent who is viewing him can go unnoticed.
This changes everything! Even when Hashem is hiding behind “behind the wall” and we don’t see Him, we should not misunderstand that to mean He is no longer watching or caring for us. His divine providence is as strong as ever! As Rav Schachter puts it, “The eye does see, even in hester panim; it is only the face which is hidden.”
Perhaps our parasha can also teach us the connection between the hidden and the revealed which follows. Towards the end of the parasha the pasuk says, וכפר אדמתו עמו, “and He will appease His land and His people.” This is a fabulous prophecy of what will unfold in Jewish history. After the Holocaust, one of the darkest periods of hester panim, Hashem says He will appease His land and his People. That is exactly what happened with the formation of the State of Israel, being established on the heels of the Holocaust.
Let us learn this lesson and always firmly believe that Hashem is actively watching and caring for us. There may be times when we don’t sense his presence as directly, but he is always there and is always working to take care of His children.
In Parashat Ha’azinu, the pasuk says, וירא ה’ וינאץ מכעס בניו ובנותיו ויאמר אסתירה פני מהם אראה מה אחריתם - Hashem will see and be provoked by the anger of His sons and daughters, and He will say, “I shall hide My face from them and see what their end will be.”
Rav Herchel Schachter suggests that this pasuk teaches us what hester panim really means. It does NOT mean that Hashem is not looking at us or that He will stand by passively and not protect us. Rather, look at it with the prism of the pasuk in Shir Hashirim (2:9) “Behold, He is standing behind our wall, observing through the windows, peering through the lattices.” In other words, even when there is hester panim, Hashem is observing us through “a crack in the wall.” With this perspective, someone who sees his child through a crack in the wall sees him as clearly as he would through a huge window or doorway. The difference is to the one who is being seen. When being observed through a big open window, it is clear to the child that he is being watched, however, when being observed through a crack, the parent who is viewing him can go unnoticed.
This changes everything! Even when Hashem is hiding behind “behind the wall” and we don’t see Him, we should not misunderstand that to mean He is no longer watching or caring for us. His divine providence is as strong as ever! As Rav Schachter puts it, “The eye does see, even in hester panim; it is only the face which is hidden.”
Perhaps our parasha can also teach us the connection between the hidden and the revealed which follows. Towards the end of the parasha the pasuk says, וכפר אדמתו עמו, “and He will appease His land and His people.” This is a fabulous prophecy of what will unfold in Jewish history. After the Holocaust, one of the darkest periods of hester panim, Hashem says He will appease His land and his People. That is exactly what happened with the formation of the State of Israel, being established on the heels of the Holocaust.
Let us learn this lesson and always firmly believe that Hashem is actively watching and caring for us. There may be times when we don’t sense his presence as directly, but he is always there and is always working to take care of His children.
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