איכה, פרק ג׳, פסוק ב׳

The experience of exile and destruction brings a profound sense of despair, a feeling of being uprooted and plunged into an inescapable abyss. God Himself guides the nation into this total darkness [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This journey into the shadows involves distinct phases of Divine interaction. At times, God leads the people directly, as if holding them by the hand, while at other moments, He allows them to walk ahead on their own without His guiding grasp [פלגי מים].

The fact that God is the one directly guiding the Israelites actually explains the sheer devastation of their fall. Other nations are governed by the natural cycles of stars and constellations. For them, a steep decline is just part of a larger cycle; eventually, nature and time will lift them back up. The Israelites, however, are guided exclusively by God. When sin causes God to hide His face and remove His protection, the nation has no natural system left to illuminate their path. They are left entirely in the dark, unable to rise until He chooses to show mercy once again [אלון בכות].

The experience of this exile is defined by an absolute darkness, a complete absence of light that carries deep meaning. On one level, darkness serves as a metaphor for the struggles of this world. Normally, even during difficult periods, people find a false light through temporary, fleeting successes. Yet, in this specific exile, God placed the nation in a void so complete that even the illusion of short-lived success is entirely stripped away [תורה תמימה]. Another perspective suggests that this total absence of light reveals the underlying nature of their suffering. If these hardships were meant purely for healing and spiritual correction, God would have provided at least a small glimmer of hope. The reality of walking in absolute, unrelieved darkness demonstrates that these are severe afflictions born directly out of Divine anger [פלגי מים].