This chapter, along with the one that follows, contains a challenging prayer from the prophet. It begins with a declaration: "Let me speak the Lord’s acts of kindnesses" (63:7), going over God’s mercies—how He saved Israel, redeemed them, and showed them compassion.

However, the tone of the prayer shifts dramatically as the prophet pleads with God to look down from heaven upon their current state, asking: "Where, now, is all Your passion and might? All your great fervor and care are held back from me" (63:15).

As we have noted before, the situation in Jerusalem following the return from Babylonian exile was dire. Only a small, idealistic remnant heeded the prophet’s call to return to the land, facing a difficult welcome. After a challenging journey through the wilderness—contrary to what they’ve been promised—they arrived in an economically devastated and insecure land, filled with adversaries. This struggling community contended with hunger, external threats, and the challenge of building the redemptive society they had been promised.

In this context, the prophet cries out: "Why, Lord, have you led us stray from Your path and hardened our hearts from fearing You?" (63:17). The prophet pleads: we long to serve You—why do You make it so difficult? When there is ‘hester panim’ (the hiding of God’s face), especially in a time that is thought to be one of redemption, it can be utterly devastating. The people living in Zion were disheartened, feeling abandoned by God, and this despair often led them to sin. The prophet begs God to reveal His power, to give Israel the reassurance that He is with them, listening, and responding to their prayers.

I heard from Rav Medan that this prophecy resonates deeply with aspects of our modern reality: After the horrors of the Holocaust—a time of ‘hester panim’ and unparalleled suffering—and the subsequent struggle to maintain faith that God is still with us, God revealed Himself once more by establishing the State of Israel, with all the blessings it has brought. May it be God’s will that there be no more ‘hester panim’, and that He will sanctify His Name and redeem us swiftly with a complete redemption.