Why Spirituality Declines: Discord Among the Leaders


Those who complain about the decline of spirituality here in the Land of Israel must know that the reason for this is because we have failed to unite all the great leaders of the generation.  The discord and disunity among them is the reason we have reached this situation.  See what the saintly ministering angel, the Olelot Ephraim, wrote about this:

"The hearts of the great Torah leaders of the generation are separated one from another, they never are of one mind, and they envy one another. this is why they do not unite into one group to repair the breaches of the generation - and truth and faith thus remain alone, with no one to seek and pursue them. The rest of the nation disperses, each one to his own tent, with every man following the path of his arbitrary heart, doing whatever he sees fit, and always able to find 49 reasons why the reptile in his hand is actually pure.  They mix holiness and profanity, rendering the righteous like the evil, the elder like the small.  You can see for yourselves that this situation is not brought about by G-d, but rather by ourselves.  For G-d will not bring bad upon us, 93 and evil does not descend from above; rather, we are running towards the cursed waters, just like the Egyptians who ran towards the waters of the Red Sea closing in on them. 94 Hashem distanced Himself from man because they were distanced one from another. This is why we dwell in darkness, with our stone walls destroyed, because the foundations are destroyed and not built. Instead of being the Guardians of the City, it is the city of destruction; in the greatness of their majesty, the solidity of their leaders was broken, 95 while the remainder, the simpler levels, dispersed to their own tents, to rebel in his own home according to various instructions, taking upon themselves evil statutes that G-d did not make known in Israel, 96 and no one says, 'Restore' 97… and truth is thrown to the ground." (See there at length.)


  1. 92.Shmot 23,30

  2. 93.Eichah 3,38

  3. 94.see Shmot 14,27

  4. 95.see Shmot 15,7

  5. 96.see Psalms 147,19-20

  6. 97.Isaiah 42,22


FOOTNOTES

Previous   |  Table of Contents  |   Next

Site created by Kayla Krauss | Kayla Krauss Graphics Studio