Judaism
Parashah of the week: Vayelech
“And the Lord will go before you. God will be with you and will not fail you or forsake you. Fear not and do not be dismayed!” Deuteronomy 31:8
September 30, 2022 11:41
“And the Lord will go before you. God will be with you and will not fail you or forsake you. Fear not and do not be dismayed!” Deuteronomy 31:8
September 30, 2022 11:41Faced with a move, a leadership transition and a major lifestyle change, it stands to reason that the people were frightened. In the verse above, Moses uses two different words for fear, which reminds us of all the different nuances that this emotion can include, from the terror and awe implied by the word yirah to the feeling of dismay or brokenness implied by techat, and all of the gradations in between.
Left unsaid is what is so bad about feeling fear. Why shouldn’t they feel afraid? Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook wrote an essay on pachad, another term for fear, and he explains the problem this way:
“All material, ethical, and intellectual weakness is the result of unbounded fear. It creates the threat that a person will do nothing to transform themselves… lest they be harmed.”
Rabbi Kook explains that fear can bring about paralysis. At precisely the moments when our action is most needed, when change is on the horizon and there’s an opportunity to try something new, fear of the unknown can cause us to freeze and render us complicit in our own downfall.
And yet, fear plays a major role in the High Holiday liturgy. The Amidah includes these words: “And so, grant that Your awe, Lord, our God, be upon all Your works, and Your awe upon all You have created.”
In the context of this season of repentance, we pray for the proper amount of fear and awe: just enough to inspire us to recognise and obey God’s rule.
As Moses might have known, it’s no use to say “Don’t be afraid”. You can’t stop feeling an emotion just because someone says so.
What Moses is actually saying is to move forward, despite their feelings. Fear can be a healthy emotion; it can stop us from taking unnecessary risks, it can remind us that there are weighty decisions to be made, and, as in the High Holy Day liturgy, it can remind us that the One True Judge sees all the choices that we make.
The fear in which we immerse ourselves during the Ten Days of Repentance must be a fear that is coupled with curiosity. How might I do this differently, or better? Like the People of Israel on the cusp of major changes, we are beginning a new year, full of possibilities. We can harness a healthy dose of fear and use it to catalyse change and transformation in our lives and our communities.