“Even places of impurity, and even houses of idolatry, also receive their vitality from the Creator, blessed be His Name.” (Likutey Halakhot, Rabbi Nathan of Breslov)
There are places, states, and thoughts where one can feel utterly distant from Hashem — so far that it seems the bond is broken, the return impossible. Yet Rabbi Nathan teaches a profound and hopeful truth: even places of impurity, even temples of idolatry, receive their vitality from the Creator.
This means there is no place — neither external nor internal — where Hashem is absent. Even that which appears to oppose holiness is only alive because He grants it life. Even in our lowest moments, a hidden light remains.
And that is why we must never despair. Even someone who has fallen very far can find their way back — because Hashem is there too, waiting to be called. Perhaps this is the deepest root of teshuvah: knowing that no exile is ever total, and that hope — true hope — never dies.
