תהלים, פרק י״ג, פסוק ג׳

The experience of intense suffering often creates a relentless cycle of external threats, internal pain, and a desperate search for a way out. When a person feels abandoned, they are plunged into a deep mental struggle, left alone to face a harsh and unforgiving reality. This leads to a constant need to devise plans and find ways to escape the present danger [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Commentators explore the relationship between this frantic search for solutions and the heavy grief that accompanies it. Some suggest that the constant planning is a direct attempt to find relief from the sadness filling the heart [מצודת דוד]. Others view the relationship in reverse, noting that the overwhelming sorrow itself is what forces the mind to think and scheme without rest [אבן עזרא, מאירי].

From a spiritual perspective, this mental burden arises when a person feels left to chance and cut off from God's protective care. Without a sense of divine guidance, the soul is forced to rely on its own anxious planning out of a deep feeling of distance and worry [מלבי״ם]. On a historical level, this agonizing internal debate takes on extreme weight during periods of severe religious persecution. In such dark times, the inner struggle represents a torturous choice: whether to surrender the physical body to death, or to give in, lose one's soul, and abandon one's faith [אלשיך].

The internal pain is not a passing feeling, but a daily reality that strips away any possibility of joy [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מאירי]. The primary approach among commentators highlights a striking psychological contrast regarding this unceasing sadness. Typically, the busy activities of the day distract people from their troubles. However, the distress here is so overwhelming that the sadness refuses to let go, dominating the mind even during the active daylight hours [רד״ק, מאירי]. Another perspective suggests that even if a person achieves natural, worldly success, their heart remains heavy with grief because they deeply feel that God is hiding His face from them [מלבי״ם]. During eras of persecution, this daily sorrow is felt through the exhausting effort of resisting constant temptations, or through the grief over the destruction brought upon the Temple [אלשיך].

Ultimately, the root of this entire struggle lies in the absolute dominance of the enemy [רד״ק, מאירי]. It is the oppressor's rise to power that fuels the sadness and forces the desperate search for an escape [אבן עזרא]. From a spiritual standpoint, the enemy's control is understood as a direct consequence of God hiding His face [מלבי״ם]. Historically, this captures the deep anxiety of exile, where the oppressed watch their enemies grow continuously stronger, seemingly never losing their power or facing a downfall [אלשיך].