The Hidden Spiritual Meaning Behind Struggle, Exile, and Falling Far From Holiness

At the end of this week’s Torah portion appears a fascinating expression: “And they emptied Egypt.” (Exodus 12:36)

This phrase demands deeper understanding. How can the terrible slavery and suffering the Jewish people endured in Egypt be described as “emptying” or “extracting” something valuable?

The Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter explains that the entire purpose of exile is to gather and elevate hidden sparks of holiness.

According to Jewish mystical thought, after the sin of Adam, good and evil became spiritually mixed together. Since then, humanity has been tasked with separating and elevating those hidden sparks of holiness trapped within darkness.

During the exile in Egypt, the Jewish people endured immense spiritual and emotional tests. Through those struggles, they extracted the sparks of holiness hidden there until Egypt was spiritually emptied, “like a sea without grain,” having already released all its sparks.

This is one explanation for why Jewish tradition later discouraged returning permanently to live in Egypt.

The writings of Rabbi Isaac Luria explain that this concept is actually the secret behind all exiles.

Even the prayer “Gather us from the four corners of the earth” does not refer only to Jews physically returning to the Land of Israel. On a deeper level, it also refers to gathering the lost spiritual sparks scattered throughout the world and within our own souls.

The Hidden Meaning Behind Personal Falls

The author of Likutei Halachot takes this idea even further.

He explains that this same spiritual process exists within the personal struggles, failures, and emotional descents experienced by individuals.

Sometimes a person falls into extremely dark places spiritually or emotionally, to the point where it seems there is no hope left.

Why?

Because there are sparks of holiness buried even in the deepest places. And since no ordinary soul would willingly descend into those depths, there are certain souls whose spiritual journey somehow brings them there.

The text describes how, specifically near the end of exile and in the generation preceding redemption, some people experience powerful falls and spiritual confusion. Yet hidden within those descents may be the very sparks they were destined to uncover and elevate.

And therefore: “There is no despair in the world at all.”

An Important Clarification

This is absolutely not permission or encouragement to seek out destructive places, sins, or dangerous experiences intentionally.

Quite the opposite. Ideally, a person should constantly pray: “Do not bring me to a test.”

A healthy spiritual life means distancing oneself from harmful environments and destructive behaviors.

But at the same time, there are souls whose life journey becomes entangled in places far from holiness, and their path back cannot be approached through rejection, shame, or despair.

How to Help Struggling Souls

This perspective creates an enormous obligation to judge struggling people compassionately.

We must not give up on wounded souls and we must not reject them.

Instead, through love, patience, warmth, dignity, friendship, and acceptance, we create the emotional bridge that allows a struggling person to reconnect to life, faith, and holiness.

A Different Approach for Souls in Crisis

Normally, education involves a balance between boundaries and closeness, between firmness and guidance.

But some souls are in places of deep emotional or spiritual danger. And for them, rejection can become catastrophic.

If such individuals are pushed away harshly, they may become permanently lost.

Therefore, helping them often requires tremendous patience, emotional acceptance, gentle guidance, respect, friendship, encouragement, and tools drawn from the world of kiruv and emotional connection.

Not through pressure and shame, but through warmth and relationship.

The Long Road Back

This path is not easy or quick. It demands enormous patience and emotional strength.

But despite its difficulty, it is far safer and healthier than the alternatives of rejection, criticism, and emotional abandonment.

Eventually, after those hidden sparks are gathered from the depths, those very sparks may become the source of strength that allows these souls to return, heal, and reconnect to holiness with the help of God.