Tehilim, Chanukah & The Black Abyss

Tehilim: Chanukah Special, Chanukah and the Black Abyss. The Torah begins with: בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃ When God began to create heaven and earth—the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the abyss and a wind from God sweeping over the water… Chazal explain that the words וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹThe earth was unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the tahom- abyss are reference to the four exiles that will take place throughout the course of world history. The last of the expressions is the word tahom, black abyss. Tahom means a never ending pit, something that is so long, so dark, that you can never reach the bottom of it. Chazal continue to explain that tahom corresponds to the last galus, Edom, the exile in which we’re currently living. This galus has been longer and darker than all of the previous ones. It seems as if it has no end. We’ve been over 2,000 years without a Beis Hamikdash. No altar, no Kohanim, no menorah. The amount of suffering on both national and individual levels has been immeasurable. Today it’s less about the physical persecution, but more about our mental, emotional, and spiritual suffering. Many people are riddled with anxiety, depression, marital issues, and just holding themselves together with a modicum of