Unpacking the Exile
Ideas of galut (exile) have shaped Jewish consciousness for millennia, but what do we actually mean when we talk about exile? Is it purely a historical reality - being expelled from the Land of Israel - or does it carry a deeper spiritual or psychological dimension? Can we find holiness in galut, or does redemption require return? Is diaspora inherently an exilic state, or can it be something else entirely? Through these sources, we’ll explore the many layers of galut and what it means for us today.
Exile, Cambridge Dictionary
The condition of someone being sent or kept away from their own country, village, etc., especially for political reasons.
(כה) כִּֽי־תוֹלִ֤יד בָּנִים֙ וּבְנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים וְנוֹשַׁנְתֶּ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְהִשְׁחַתֶּ֗ם וַעֲשִׂ֤יתֶם פֶּ֙סֶל֙ תְּמ֣וּנַת כֹּ֔ל וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֥ם הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהֹוָה־אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ׃ (כו) הַעִידֹ֩תִי֩ בָכֶ֨ם הַיּ֜וֹם אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ כִּֽי־אָבֹ֣ד תֹּאבֵדוּן֮ מַהֵר֒ מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם עֹבְרִ֧ים אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ לֹֽא־תַאֲרִיכֻ֤ן יָמִים֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ כִּ֥י הִשָּׁמֵ֖ד תִּשָּׁמֵדֽוּן׃ (כז) וְהֵפִ֧יץ יהוה אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּעַמִּ֑ים וְנִשְׁאַרְתֶּם֙ מְתֵ֣י מִסְפָּ֔ר בַּגּוֹיִ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְנַהֵ֧ג יהוה אֶתְכֶ֖ם שָֽׁמָּה׃ (כח) וַעֲבַדְתֶּם־שָׁ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֔ים מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֣י אָדָ֑ם עֵ֣ץ וָאֶ֔בֶן אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִרְאוּן֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּן וְלֹ֥א יֹֽאכְל֖וּן וְלֹ֥א יְרִיחֻֽן׃ (כט) וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּ֥ם מִשָּׁ֛ם אֶת־יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּמָצָ֑אתָ כִּ֣י תִדְרְשֶׁ֔נּוּ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃
(25) When you have begotten children and children’s children and are long established in the land, should you act wickedly and make for yourselves a sculptured image in any likeness, causing your God יהוה displeasure and vexation, (26) I call heaven and earth this day to witness against you that you shall soon perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess; you shall not long endure in it, but shall be utterly wiped out. (27) יהוה will scatter you among the peoples, and only a scant few of you shall be left among the nations to which יהוה will drive you. (28) There you will serve gods of wood and stone, made by human hands, that cannot see or hear or eat or smell. (29) But if you search there, you will find your God יהוה, if only you seek with all your heart and soul—
(ט) גָּלוּת בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְעַל גִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וְעַל שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וְעַל הַשְׁמָטַת הָאָרֶץ...
(9) ...Exile comes to the world for idolatry, for sexual sins and for bloodshed, and for [transgressing the commandment of] the [year of the] release of the land...
וַיֵּשְׁתְּ מִן הַיַּיִן (בראשית ט, כא), וַיֵּשְׁתְּ, שָׁתָה שֶׁלֹא בַמִּדָּה וְנִתְבַּזָּה. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר אַבָּא בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם נָטַע, בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם שָׁתָה, בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם נִתְבַּזָּה. וַיִּתְגַּל בְּתוֹךְ אָהֳלֹה, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַבִּי חָנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַבִּי יִצְחָק וַיִּגַּל אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא וַיִּתְגַּל, גָּרַם גָּלוּת לוֹ וְלַדּוֹרוֹת. עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים לֹא גָּלוּ אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל יַיִן...
“He drank of the wine and became drunk, and he was exposed inside his tent” (Genesis 9:21). “He drank of the wine.” “He drank” – he drank immoderately and became disgraced. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: On that same day he planted [the vineyard], on that same day he drank, on that same day he was disgraced. “He was exposed [vayitgal] inside his tent” – vayigal is not written, but rather, vayitgal – he brought about exile [galut] for himself and for subsequent generations. The ten tribes were exiled only due to wine...
() וּמִפְּנֵי חֲטָאֵינוּ גָּלִינוּ מֵאַרְצֵנוּ. וְנִתְרַחַקְנוּ מֵעַל אַדְמָתֵנוּ.
But because of our sins, we have been exiled from our land and sent far from our soil....
כאשר הדבר הטוב נודע מהפכו ידיעה אמיתית, וכן כל הדברים נקנה הידיעה בהם מן ההפך, כי מן מראה השחור יכול לדעת מראה הלבן שהוא הפכו, וכן כל ההפכים, מן האחד נקנה הידיעה בהפך שלו. ומוסכם הוא כי 'ידיעת ההפכים הוא אחד'. ובשביל זה אמרו בערבי פסחים (פסחים קטז.) בהגדה 'מתחיל בגנות ומסיים בשבח'. ולמה מתחיל בגנות, רק שמפני שאין לשבח הכרה אמיתית רק מן ההפך. ולכן אין לפרש ענין הגאולה האחרונה, אם לא שנבאר ענין הגלות והחורבן, שבזה יוודע הטוב והתשועה שאנו מקוין. וכאשר אנו באים לבאר ענין הגלות ידיעה אמיתית, צריך לבאר קודם הסבה לגלות, והדברים השייכים אל הגלות:
When a good thing is known from its opposite, that is true knowledge. The knowledge of all things is acquired from their opposite. It is from the appearance of black that one can gain knowledge of the appearance of white. And smilarly with all opposites. From one is acquired the knowledge of its opposite. It is widely accepted that "the knowledge of opposites is all one thing". Because of this, the [Sages] say in Arvei Pesachim (The final chapter of Babylonian Talmud Tractate Pesachim 116a) that in the Haggadah "one begins with disgrace and concludes with praise". Why do they begin with disgrace? Only because true praise can only be recognised from its opposite. Therefore, we cannot explain the the concept of the final redemption [geulah], without explaining the concept of exile [galut] and churban [destruction of the temple in Jerusalem]. It is by this means that we can come to know the goodness and salvation which we hope for. When we come to explain the concept of exile with true knowledge, we will need to start with the cause of the exile, and matters connected to the exile.
ענין גלות מצרים, צריכים אנו לבארו במקום הזה, ובו יתבארו פסוקים רבים מפוזרים מזה ומזה. כבר נתבאר בפרשת ראה, במצות זכירת יציאת מצרים, סיבת הגלות שגלו ישראל בין האומות מה עניינם. ואמרנו, כי אדה"ר היה כולל כל הנשמות, והיה כולל כל העולמות. וכשחטא, נפלו ממנו כל הנשמות ההם לתוך הקליפות, הנחלקות לשבעים אומות, וצריכים ישראל לגלות שם בכל אומה ואומה, ללקט שושני הנשמות הקדושות, שנתפזרו תוך הקוצים ההם. וכמ"ש חז"ל במ"ר, למה גלו ישראל בין האומות, כדי שיתוספו עליהם גרים וכו', והבן זה היטב:
We must explain the idea of the exile in Egypt here; and through it, many verses scattered here and there will be understood. What the idea is of the cause for the exile of the Jewish people being exiled among the nations has already been explained in Parashat Re'eh, concerning the rememberace of the exile from Egypt. And we said that Adam the first man included all of the souls. But when he sinned, all of those souls fell from him into the husks distributed among the seventy nations. So the Jewish people has to be exiled there, to each and every nation, to collect the holy flowers of souls that were scattered among those thorns. And it is like the sages, may their memory be blessed, said (Pesachim 87b), "Why are the Jewish people exiled among the peoples? In order that converts will add themselves to them, etc." And understand this well.
Likkutei Sichos, Vol. III, p. 1016
The main function of the exile is not to serve as a punishment for the Jewish people’s misdeeds, but to make possible the divine service of sifting and refining the physicality of this world, and elevating the divine sparks concealed within it. Therefore, when even a single Jew finds himself in a particular country, and G‑d prospers his efforts at elevating all of its divine sparks, he is fulfilling the function of the exile: he is preparing that land for the coming of Mashiach.
Being Jewish in Exile (or Diaspora)
David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) Addressing A Youth Movement Meeting of Mapai
Exile is one with utter dependence - in material things, in politics and culture, in ethics and intellect, and they must be dependent who are an alien minority, who have no Homeland and are separated from their origins, from the soil and labor, from economic creativity. So we must become the captains of our fortunes, we must become independent - not only in politics and economy but in spirit, feeling and will.
Ahad Ha'am
More than the Jewish People have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jewish People
Exile as a Spiritual Condition
וְאַף שֶׁמַּהוּתָהּ וְעַצְמוּתָהּ שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית שֶׁבְּלִבּוֹ, שֶׁהֵן מִדּוֹתֶיהָ הָרָעוֹת, עֲדַיִין לֹא נִכְלְלוּ בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם, מֵאַחַר דְּאִתְכַּפְיָן לִקְדוּשָּׁה, וּבְעַל כָּרְחָן עוֹנִין אָמֵן, וּמַסְכִּימִין וּמִתְרַצִּין לַעֲשִׂיַּית הַמִּצְוָה, עַל יְדֵי הִתְגַּבְּרוּת נַפְשׁוֹ הָאֱלֹהִית שֶׁבַּמּוֹחַ שֶׁשַּׁלִּיט עַל הַלֵּב, וְהֵן בְּשָׁעָה זוֹ בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת וְשֵׁינָה, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, וּלְכָךְ אֵין זוֹ מְנִיעָה מֵהַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה עַל גּוּף הָאָדָם בְּשָׁעָה זוֹ.
And although the essence and substance of the animal soul in his heart, namely its evil dispositions, have not yet been absorbed into holiness, nevertheless since they have submitted to holiness and, albeit unwillingly, respond “Amen” and agree and are reconciled to perform the commandment under the preponderance of the divine soul in his brain which rules the heart, and, in the meantime, these [evil dispositions] are in a state of exile or slumber, as it were, as discussed above—therefore, this is no obstacle to the suffusion of the Shechinah over the human body at such time.
Torah Or, Vayeishev, p. 28c
The time of exile has been likened to a dream. For so it is written,22 בשוב יהוה את שיבת ציון היינו כחולמים — “When G‑d will return the exiles of Zion, we will have been like dreamers.”
A dream can fuse two opposites. In the present time of exile likewise, a man can be a paradox. While he is at prayer he is aroused to a love of G‑d; when his prayers are over this love has vanished: he is preoccupied all day with his business affairs, and gives priority to his bodily needs.
אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה, אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַמִּצְווֹת, וְלִבִּי עֵר לִגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַצְּדָקוֹת, וְלִבִּי עֵר לַעֲשׂוֹתָן. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וְלִבִּי עֵר לִקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּתְפִלָּה. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְלִבִּי עֵר לְבָתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַקֵּץ, וְלִבִּי עֵר לַגְאֻלָּה. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַגְּאֻלָּה, וְלִבּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֵר לְגָאֳלֵנִי. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר אַבָּא אֵיכָן מָצִינוּ שֶׁנִּקְרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִבָּן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִן הָדֵין קְרָא, דִּכְתִיב (תהלים עג, כו): צוּר לְבָבִי וְחֶלְקִי אֱלֹהִים לְעוֹלָם.
“I am asleep, but my heart is awake; it is the sound of my beloved knocking: Open for me, my sister, my love, my faultless dove, for my head is filled with dew, my locks, drops of night” (Song of Songs 5:2).“I am asleep” – the congregation of Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: Master of the universe, “I am asleep” regarding the mitzvot, “but my heart is awake” for acts of kindness. “I am asleep” regarding acts of charity, “but my heart is awake” to perform them. “I am asleep” regarding the offerings, “but my heart is awake” for reciting Shema and Amida. “I am asleep” regarding the Temple, “but my heart is awake,” in synagogues and study halls. “I am asleep” regarding the end [of days], “but my heart is awake” for the redemption. “I am asleep” regarding the redemption, but the heart of the Holy One blessed be He is awake to redeem me. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Where have we found that the Holy One blessed be He is called the heart of Israel? It is from this verse, as it is written: “But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalms 73:26).
Likutei Sichos, Vol. II, p. 360
Picture a teacher transmitting a concept to his disciple. If, in the midst of his exposition, a new thought is born in his mind, he must immediately deflect his attention to this new inspiration, lest it vanish. [Paradoxically,] it is his intense and deep-seated love for his disciple that impels him to focus on the new inspiration and to absorb it, in order to be able to share it eventually with his disciple.
Now, the more exalted this new concept, the more completely will he have to divert his attention to it — even to the point that his waiting disciple will feel that he has been forsaken, and relegated to a state resembling exile or destruction.
In truth, however, only in outward appearance is this a state of exile or destruction; ultimately, this very state is the pinnacle of revelation. Indeed, the very fact that the mentor is willing, for the sake of his disciple, to divert his attention from him in order to absorb the new concept, proves how precious that new idea is — to the point that it is even worth producing a moment of exile or destruction in the mind of the disciple, so long as he will ultimately be able to illuminate his mind with his new perception.
The greater the temporary obscurity, therefore, the more completely does it prove how great is the promised revelation.
Hisvaaduyos, 5742 [1982], Vol. I, p. 454
Even when the darkness of exile grows ever thicker, a Jew has no reason to be overawed by it. Quite the contrary: Since he realizes that the spiritual decline called “exile” is a descent made for the sake of a consequent ascent, he intensifies his divine service, and augments the light of his Torah study and observance of the mitzvos — in order to banish or transform the darkness of the exile. In fact it is this very descent, this very darkness of exile, that spurs him on to scale the most exalted heights.
Moreover, the thicker the darkness of exile, the more does it indicate how intense will be the revelation in future time. When the darkness is redoubled, this shows that the future revelation of light will likewise be redoubled.
אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה, אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַמִּצְווֹת, וְלִבִּי עֵר לִגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַצְּדָקוֹת, וְלִבִּי עֵר לַעֲשׂוֹתָן. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וְלִבִּי עֵר לִקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּתְפִלָּה. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְלִבִּי עֵר לְבָתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַקֵּץ, וְלִבִּי עֵר לַגְאֻלָּה. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַגְּאֻלָּה, וְלִבּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֵר לְגָאֳלֵנִי. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר אַבָּא אֵיכָן מָצִינוּ שֶׁנִּקְרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִבָּן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִן הָדֵין קְרָא, דִּכְתִיב (תהלים עג, כו): צוּר לְבָבִי וְחֶלְקִי אֱלֹהִים לְעוֹלָם.
“I am asleep, but my heart is awake; it is the sound of my beloved knocking: Open for me, my sister, my love, my faultless dove, for my head is filled with dew, my locks, drops of night” (Song of Songs 5:2).“I am asleep” – the congregation of Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: Master of the universe, “I am asleep” regarding the mitzvot, “but my heart is awake” for acts of kindness. “I am asleep” regarding acts of charity, “but my heart is awake” to perform them. “I am asleep” regarding the offerings, “but my heart is awake” for reciting Shema and Amida. “I am asleep” regarding the Temple, “but my heart is awake,” in synagogues and study halls. “I am asleep” regarding the end [of days], “but my heart is awake” for the redemption. “I am asleep” regarding the redemption, but the heart of the Holy One blessed be He is awake to redeem me. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Where have we found that the Holy One blessed be He is called the heart of Israel? It is from this verse, as it is written: “But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalms 73:26).