12 Cheshvan: Scattered Soul
SCATTERED SOUL
“If your exiled will be in the farthest end of the heaven, from there I will gather you.” (Devarim 30:4)
The above verse is written in the singular (“exiled one”), implying that each individual, not only a group of individuals, is somehow dispersed.
In exile, the Jewish people are spread out among the nations, the Diaspora. Spiritually, the Diaspora exists in every individual. This occurs when the G-dly soul is pulled in many directions and is distracted by the needs and wants of the body.
Each of us must affect a personal ingathering of the exiles by collecting the sparks of our souls invested in each of our desires. We need to gather our spiritual strength, disconnect from all distractions, and focus completely on
our divine mission.
Shaarei Teshuvah, vol. 2, pg. 62c