יחזקאל, פרק ז׳, פסוק כ״ו

A relentless wave of tragedy brings about the complete collapse of both spiritual and practical leadership. In hours of extreme crisis, the channels through which God delivers His wisdom and guidance are entirely blocked, leaving the nation terrified and without answers. While some interpret the unfolding reality simply as a rapid succession of events [רש״י], the primary approach among commentators is that it represents sudden, catastrophic disasters [רש י בשם מנחם, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. Calamity chases calamity, with troubles striking in immediate succession [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ], or new tragedies compounding upon sudden ruin [מלבי״ם]. This creates a crushing environment where terrible news, such as reports of an advancing enemy, constantly piles upon previous bad news [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, רד״ק].

Driven by these compounding disasters, the people turn to their leaders for rescue. They desperately seek a prophetic vision, but they find nothing. The very fact that they must search so frantically only proves that divine communication has already vanished [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. At the same time, the priests, whose traditional role is to serve as the nation's teachers and guides, lose their ability to instruct [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The desperate public may beg the priests for direction, but the knowledge is simply lost to them [מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, the elders of the community are entirely stripped of their ability to offer practical counsel [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This sudden disappearance of prophecy, instruction, and counsel is not a coincidence. The sheer volume and intensity of the suffering literally clog the wellsprings of wisdom [מצודת דוד]. Fear and panic take complete control over human hearts. Because the resting of the Divine Presence and the flow of true wisdom require a calm and settled mind, they completely withdraw during times of deep anxiety [רד״ק].