What are you Afraid of????
She screams she cries. She’s the strong one. What is she doing in bed? It’s she who takes care of the world, what’s going on? How can she be so weak and helpless?
There are some who push themselves physically beyond all limits. They think that they are invincible or maybe they are just insecure or maybe this is what they were taught and what they know. And without a doubt there are those with more physical strength and stamina than others, but everyone, everyone has their limits, their breaking point. A person who pushes himself off a cliff will fall of it.
There are others who push themselves emotionally. They go and they go. Never taking the time to stop and to think or to reflect or to deal with…with the issue. So, they eventually explode in anger because it kept building up. Or they crash with depression or disappointment. Or maybe the emotions never surface, but they are there and they do show up in the form of a migraine or a stomach ache or some other physical ailment. In the end they too are humbled as they are forced to stop.
I will make the Land desolate, so that it will become desolate [also] of your enemies who live in it…Then, the land will be appeased regarding its sabbaticals. During all the days that it remains desolate while you are in the land of your enemies, the Land will rest and thus appease its sabbaticals. It will rest during all the days that it remains desolate, whatever it had not rested on your sabbaticals, when you lived upon it (Vayikra 26:32-36).
Don’t read the land. Read you! Read your body, your emotions, your soul. You see a person pushes and pushes and pushes and they don’t realize that if you push too much they’ll fall. If you push someone else too much, then you will be the catalyst to make them fall. What a tragedy! To be lying in bed physically or emotionally ill. To be forced to pay attention instead of choosing to. To be forced to be quiet. To be forced to think and reflect and meditate instead of giving the space and the time to choose to do so. Instead of an opportunity for growth and renewal, it feels like a punishment. What a tragedy! To be humbled by force, instead of bravely taking a modest step back.
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My son wakes up in the middle of the night and comes into our room frightened. He tells my husband that there is a tiger in his room.
They are afraid of the dark. Of something that isn’t there but, in their minds, could be there.
As a parent you are annoyed by the loss of sleep. You shrug it off. How silly! “Have faith you tell your child. Don’t worry, I’m here!” You give the child a kiss and a hug and tell them that there’s no tiger and to go back to sleep. The fear, a product of his imagination. You assure him it’s only in his head.
Now let’s say the tables are turned and you’re afraid. What are you afraid of? You’re afraid of not having money to pay the bills? Are you afraid of losing your job? You’re afraid that this one will be sick or this one will never succeed? Are you afraid of a terrorist? Of a thief? Are you afraid of never meeting your spouse or of having children? Maybe you’re actually afraid of the very thing you long for to happen?
Let’s say there is Someone above us and He looks down on us and our fears. How silly! “Have faith,” He tells us. “I’m here!”
…the sound of a rustling leaf will pursue them; they will flee as one flees the sword, and they will fall, but there will be no pursuer. Each man will stumble over his brother, [fleeing] as if from the sword, but without a pursuer (ibid 26:37).
You see the child’s fears are as real as our fears and our fears are as imaginary as theirs. What is fear? It’s a consequence that results from lack of faith. The more faith, the less fear. The less faith, the more fear and the more there is to fear.
If only we would have faith instead of fear and not torment ourselves with imaginary pursuers.
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Baruch Hashem Mazel Tov! We started writing these dvrei Torah on the weekly Parsha a year ago and בסיעתא דשמיא with the help of Heaven we completed the entire Torah. G-d willing we should be able to continue. Please pass them along to anyone who will benefit from them or give me their e-mail address and I will be happy to add them to the list.
May we take the time to stop, to rest, to rejuvenate ourselves and to reflect, think and change (instead of being forced to do so!). May we have faith instead of fear.