תהלים, פרק ע״ז, פסוק ה׳

Deep emotional distress often manifests as a physical and emotional paralysis, trapping a person in a state where they can neither find rest nor express their pain. The primary approach among commentators [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ והמאירי] suggests that God holds the sufferer's eyelids open, completely preventing them from closing. The person is left entirely awake, unable to find the escape of sleep because of overwhelming sorrow, trouble, and confusion. In contrast, others understand this divine hold as forcing the eyes shut [מלבי״ם]. In this view, the person has reached such a profound level of weakness that they resemble someone on the verge of death, their eyes closing as their vision fades.

Taking a different path, some connect this experience to the watches of the night [רש״י, רד״ק והמאירי]. Normally, the night is a time when a person wakes with a calm and settled mind. Instead, the sufferer is either kept awake all night consumed by thoughts of their troubles, or trapped in a state of sensory numbness and emotional blockage brought on by the pains of exile. A unique perspective [אלשיך] focuses on the pupil of the eye itself. According to this view, God forces the person's gaze to focus exclusively on the sorrow of the Divine Presence in exile, leaving them entirely stunned.

This intense focus and lack of rest lead to a profound internal reaction. The experience is compared to being physically broken, struck, or crushed, much like a bell being repeatedly struck [מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא והמאירי]. Alternatively, it is understood as a state of complete emotional turmoil, shock, and panic [שטיינזלץ והמלבי״ם]. Out of this total internal shattering or absolute shock, the person is stripped of the ability to speak. Even though talking might offer some comfort or relief, they are so beaten down that they cannot even cry or pray. They are left entirely broken and mute in the face of their suffering.