“God Who Brought us Close and Then Repented”: <i>Hester Panim</i> and Revelation in Avraham Ben-Yitzhak’s Writings

Abstract In the following article, I propose a comprehensive exploration of Abraham Ben-Yitzhak’s poetry, centering on the dialectics of revelation and concealment, often referred to as “ hester panim ” in Hebrew. This concept, deeply rooted in traditional Jewish theology, signifies God’s concealment and exile from the human realm, where He hides His face and turns His back on His people. By examining Ben-Yitzhak’s poetry through the lens of “ hester panim ” we gain valuable insights into his work. This concept is not a mere theoretical framework; it is intricately woven into his early Hebrew poems and undergoes a significant evolution in his post-World War One German writings, dated around 1925.