Exile, by definition, is a phenomenon constantly fed by emotions, the unpredictable, radical change.
It makes sense that exile should reflect absurdity and paradox.
Furthermore, the Alter Rebbe defines exile as absurd.
Exile is a whole series of paradoxes.
In the final analysis, what accounts for the Alter Rebbe’s optimism is the permanent dialectical reversal of exile and its fundamentally rich and constructive nature.
Exile is always linked to its complement, redemption.
–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz