Do We Need to Fear that Hashem will Forsake Us?

Parashat Vayelech 

Why Give Up in the Face of Fear?
I’m a warrior and a survivor! That’s the title Facebook Nametests

gave me. Seems pretty suitable. I’ve survived a lot of battles and come out the stronger. One battle, I still haven’t won, is the battle against my inner fears and worries. In this pandemic period, where we are all stressed out, exhausted, and overwhelmed, worrying about anything beyond the basics of life is enough to tip anyone over the edge. Fear is an emotion that is triggered by a perceived threat. It is essential for keeping us safe and signals our bodies to respond to danger with a fight or flight response. However, often our fears go overboard. There is no point in fearing something that we have no power to change. Yet, fear is not a rational emotion. Fear is the main emotional block that prevents us from allowing Hashem’s light to dwell within us. Too much fear indicates that something is unbalanced in our lives. When we are out of balance, everything comes with fear and tension. We all have thousands of fears, especially at this time, when the covid virus has claimed thousands of lives in Israel alone. Rabbi Frand explains that there is a vast difference between healthy fear and hopelessness. One empowers and safeguards, while the other paralyzes. We must never give up in the face of fear. This is the essence of who we are as a people. We are named Jews after Yehuda, who stood up to the viceroy of Egypt in defense of his brother. He didn’t give up because he trusted that Hashem would never abandon him (Izhbitzer Rebbe). In Parashat Vayelech, Moshe encourages the Israelites, convincing them not to be afraid. Even after the 98 curses in Parashat Ki Tavo, “You are all still standing here today!” (Devarim 29:9) – i.e., you were able to withstand them. Despite all the warnings and the years of wandering in the desert, the holocaust, and all we have been through, we are still “here,” steadfastly “standing.” We are strong. We have what it takes to keep going without giving up. We have been through scores of challenges, which only made us stronger. The name Israel means “you have struggled with people and with G-d and you have prevailed” (Bereishit 32:29).
 
Negative Impact of Fear on Human Health
Fear can be a seriously unhealthy emotion. One of my emunahealing clients was obsessive in her fear about her daughter’s mental health, worrying about how her adult daughter wasn’t taking care of herself. Although it is natural for parents (especially mothers) to worry about their children, I explained to my client, that by being overly worried, she, too, was not taking care of herself. The problem with excessive fear is that it causes the release of hormones that slow or shut down functions not needed for survival (such as our digestive system). Fear increases the flow of hormones to the amygdala, which triggers the brain to perceive neutral events as negative and stores these perceptions in our memory. This causes the brain to short-circuit more rational processing paths. When people live in constant fear, they experience negative impacts in all areas of their lives and even become incapacitated. Fear weakens our immune system and can cause cardiovascular damage, gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, and decreased fertility. It can lead to accelerated aging and even premature death. Fear can impair the formation of long-term memories and cause damage to certain parts of the brain, such as the hippocampus. This can make it even more difficult to regulate fear and can leave a person anxious most of the time. To someone in chronic fear, the world looks scary, and their memories confirm that. Fear elicits intense emotions and impulsive reactions, which may leave us unable to act appropriately. Other consequences of long-term fear include fatigue and clinical depression. I have personally experienced how fear, worry and anxiety disturb peaceful sleep.
 
Elevating the Fallen Fears (יַרְאֶה נְפוּלָה/Yirah Nefulah)
Fear is a fallen יִרְאַת ה'/yirat Hashem – ‘awe of Hashem.’ When our fear of G-d is not perfect, it allows us to have all these other fears and worries. The Hebrew word for fear היִרְאַ/yirah is related to the word רְאִיָה/reiyah – ‘seeing.’ Fear derives from not seeing Hashem in all our realities. The highest kind of היִרְאַ/yirah is to clearly, perpetually visualize the King before us. Making Hashem the King over every part of ourselves will melt away our fears. Sometimes, when we are not on the high spiritual level that Hashem wants us to be, Hashem makes us fall to an even lower place, in order to help us become aware, that we need to raise ourselves up. From this lowest point – from the ground – we are compelled to get up completely – to reach a higher place than we were before the fall. When we are low, there may be a lot of denial. We must learn to face our fears., Then take the fear and return it to its root. When our fear of G-d becomes mixed with darkness, it becomes פַּחַד/pachad – a lower kind of fear. We need to elevate the fear from the darkness, and then it will become transformed back into light – into יִרְאַת ה'/yirat Hashem. We do this by turning to Hashem and strengthening our emunah. With true fear of G-d, a person would be more afraid of wrongdoing, which could cause a black spot on our eternity than of finding a black spot on the X-ray of the body, G-d forbid. We can use the lower kind of fear as a springboard towards the three stages of true fear of G-d, 1. fear of punishment, 2. fear of wrongdoing, 3. awe of Hashem’s greatness.

 
Unity is the Spiritual Remedy that Engenders Hashem’s Protection
When Moshe is on the verge of passing away, he strengthens the emunah of both his nearly orphaned people and their new leader Yeshoshua, so that they would be able to elevate fallen fears:

 

ספר דברים פרק לא פסוק ו

:חִזְקוּ וְאִמְצוּ אַל תִּירְאוּ וְאַל תַּעַרְצוּ מִפְּנֵיהֶם כִּי הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּךְ לֹא יַרְפְּךָ וְלֹא יַעַזְבֶךָּ

“Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or dread them, for Hashem, your G-d, He is the One Who walks with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you” (Devarim 31:6).

 
We don’t say, “do not fear” except when fear exists. Even if we may have reason to be afraid, we can dissolve our fears by leaning on G-d. Moshe assures the Israelites that, no matter what, “G-d will always walk with you.” The notion that Hashem will neither be above or ahead, but besides His people, is very comforting. There is no greater closeness than to experience your beloved at your side – walking together, as one. This oneness is the result of our achdut (unity) with all of Israel. Our verse alludes to the importance of unity by beginning in the plural and ending in the singular. This teaches us that when we are united and considered as one person, the Shechina dwells upon us. Then, Hashem walks with us. Therefore, “Be not in fear or in dread of” anything, because unity is the spiritual remedy that engenders Hashem’s protection. It is also possible to explain the switch from plural to singular as indicating that in the merit of our communal prayer, on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Hashem will heed our individual prayers as well. For in addition to communal prayer, it is important to turn to Hashem as individuals at any given moment. Through the power of communal prayer, which includes a prayer that Hashem will also listen to our individual prayers, Hashem “will neither fail you nor forsake you” when you pray as an individual! (Chomat Anech, Devarim 31:6).

Everything Depends Only on Hashem’s Power Alone!
I was wondering why Moshe changed from “Hashem walks with you” to “Hashem walks before you” when addressing Yehoshua:
 

:ספר דברים פרק לא פסוק ח והָשֵׁם הוּא הַהֹלֵךְ לְפָנֶיךָ הוּא יִהְיֶה עִמָּךְ לֹא יַרְפְּךָ וְלֹא יַעַזְבֶךָּ לֹא תִירָא וְלֹא תֵחָת

“Hashem is the One Who walks before you; He will be with you; He will not let go of you, nor will 

G-d forsake you. Fear nothing, and do not be frightened” (Devarim 31:8).

 
Perhaps it is because Yehoshua had reached a level of strength and emunah whereby he was able to walk on his own, without having to lean on G-d out of fear. Therefore, Moshe reminded Yehoshua, that although he is becoming the leader of Israel, he must follow Hashem, Who walks before him. Ohr Hachayim notes, that not only does it state, “Hashem walks before you,” but Scripture adds “Hashem, He walks before you.” This teaches that Yehoshua shouldn’t think that he alone has the power to win wars etc. We need to imprint within every fiber of our being, that nothing depends on our power, but only on Hashem alone! Therefore, it states, “He walks…” He alone – without cooperation from any other power.
 
Believing that Hashem Will Never Forsake Us Leaves no Place for Fear
Rav Yosef Bechor Shor explains how Moshe assures Israel, saying, I [Moshe] will leave you, because I am a human being, and my days are limited, but Hashem will never fail nor forsake you, as long as you serve Him and cleave to Him. The eternal G-d, HE WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU – Even when you leave the mitzvot, and deserve punishment, He will never completely forsake you, G-d forbid! He will only distance Himself a little, to help you repent, before l returning to be close to you again (HaEmek Devar, Devarim 31:6). Therefore, “Fear nothing, and do not be frightened” at all, for Hashem will never forsake us neither in this world nor in the world-to-come!