In the days before Purim, I received an unprecedented amount of e-mails with cries for help, people who had fallen and felt they couldn't get back up, posts on the forum of despair, lack of motivation, etc... It struck me as odd that there should be so many in a row, all at once. But after thinking about it, I may have a theory as to why this is happening precisely now.
The holy Jewish soul is, by nature, in sync with the spiritual channels of the different times of year. According to Kabbala, the spiritual light that comes down on Purim is equal to the light that comes down on Yom-Kippur itself, but even higher, in the sense that on Yom-Kippur the light is without "Chasadim" (the attribute of Kindness) and can't be used, hence the fasting and five afflictions. However, through the Teshuvah that the Yidden did in the time of Purim, the light that comes down on Purim is with "Chasadim" and is similar to the light of the "G'mar Hattikun" (the World-to-Come) when all of Hashem's kindness will be revealed. That is why on Purim, unlike on Yom-Kippur, we are allowed to "use" this great light, and we drink, feast and rejoice with great happiness.
It is known that the greater the spiritual light is, the greater the vessels must be to receive it. A vessel, by its very nature, means a "lack" or a "void". As the Zohar says, there can be no light that doesn't come first through darkness. That is why today, before Purim, we fast the Ta'anis Ester. "Ester" in Hebrew means "Hidden", as the Pasuk says:"Ve'anochi Aser Astir Panai ba'yom ha'hu- and I shall hide my face on that day" (which the Gemara says is hinting to the story of Purim). Today we fast, pray and do Teshuvah. This creates the "vessel" for the great light that will come down tomorrow on Purim.
The depression, lack of motivation and hopelessness that these servants of Hashem were feeling in the past few days more acutely, is - I believe - the "large" vessel that Hashem was preparing for us, that will be able to contain the great light of Purim.
Esther is the attribute of "hester". This means that it is ALL hidden. This is the Megilas Esther, which means to be "Megaleh" the "Hester" - i.e. Reveal the Hidden.
Purim was preceded by the highest level of Hester, and this is what everyone is experiencing. The hester is so great because the Kedusha is so unbelievably awesome. Everyone is experiencing feelings of yiush, feelings that the big Y"H is running the show now, feelings that "what's the use", etc, etc. This is what Hashem does when the kedusha is SO great. He makes it "look" as if the Y"H, the big klipah is running the show. Hashem took Hamen, the klipah of Amalek, and raised him up up up, so high....Why? Because when the kedusha is so great, the absolute and complete fall of the impurity must be just as great, hence the raising up high before the eventual downfall. This is what everyone is experiencing right now.
The kedusha of Purim is so great. Even Yom Kippurim is not as kodesh as Purim. This is why it is only Ki' Purim - "like" Purim (i.e. close to, but not exactly). The kedusha of Purim is so great, that unlike Shabbos and the other Yom Tovim, there is no need to be M'kadesh the day, nor to refrain from Melacha. It does not need any shmirah from melacha in order to maintain its kedusha.
And, the entire yeshuah from the klipah was accomplished by the strongest of all weapons.....Teffilah. So anyone who feels the pain from the hester, it means they are right on target. Go and speak to Hashem - non stop. Use our weapon of mass destruction, the weapon of Mordechi and the Tinukkos Shel Bais Raban, TEFFILAH.