Deep despair and severe distress can plunge a person into a state of absolute hopelessness, where the very concepts of peace and goodness are entirely forgotten or pushed out of consciousness [ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה]. When suffering becomes overwhelming, it creates a profound sense of distance and rejection [אבן עזרא, אלשיך]. A person can become so consumed by their troubles that they forget goodness is even possible [ביאור שטיינזלץ], and their physical body loses any capacity to feel happiness [צאינה וראינה]. This heavy sadness causes people to abandon the basic, everyday comforts that normally bring peace of mind, such as a warm bath, a comfortable bed, or a pleasant family life [תורה תמימה]. The loss of peace also represents a literal lack of light and calm. For instance, without the warm glow of Sabbath candles, people stumble in the dark, leading to friction and a breakdown of peace within the home [תורה תמימה].
On a spiritual level, this profound absence of peace and goodness is a direct result of sin. The soul finds itself isolated from peace because the nation abandoned the Torah, which is itself synonymous with peace [פלגי מים]. This condition also stems from interpersonal failures, particularly baseless hatred. A person loses their inner peace when they harbor resentment for no reason, and they forget goodness when they fail to remember the kindness others have shown them, choosing instead to repay good with evil [אלון בכות].
A deeper philosophical perspective views this crisis as a tragic tear between the body and the soul. Originally, a state of perfect harmony and peace was meant to exist between the pure soul and the physical body. However, sin corrupted the physical form and shattered this delicate balance. Enduring the intense pain of exile, the soul loses all hope of ever restoring that harmony with the body. As a result, the physical body also falls into absolute despair, feeling completely cut off from any goodness in this world or the next. The sheer intensity of present suffering entirely wipes away the memory of any goodness that existed in the past [אלשיך].