Parashat Shoftim discusses the Jewish people going out to war
The pasuk says, in chapter 20,
כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֨א לַמִּלְחָמָ֜ה עַל־אֹיְבֶ֗יךָ וְֽרָאִ֜יתָ ס֤וּס וָרֶ֙כֶב֙ עַ֚ם רַ֣ב מִמְּךָ֔ לֹ֥א תִירָ֖א
When you go out to war and you see horses and chariots, and more people than you, don’t be afraid of them.
The Rambam counts this on the list of mitzvot, as a negative transgression. A soldier is not allowed to be afraid. If a soldier is afraid, he’d have to return home, as it says,
מִי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַיָּרֵא֙ וְרַ֣ךְ הַלֵּבָ֔ב יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יִמַּ֛ס אֶת־לְבַ֥ב אֶחָ֖יו כִּלְבָבֽוֹ׃
If anyone is afraid, or softhearted, let him go back home”
Why?
The Bet HaLevi explains that since he is afraid, his fear might lead him into trouble. In his words, the wars of the Jewish people are not won with their strength, rather with their bitachon. They fought their wars with bitachon.
Therefore, if a person felt his bitachon was weak, he had to go back home, because the fear could be a reason for him to lose the war.
It’s interesting to note that the haftara, which is from the seven weeks of comfort, says
אָנֹכִ֧י אָנֹכִ֛י ה֖וּא מְנַחֶמתם
I, I am the One that comforts you.
G-d is telling us, “I’m here to comfort you.”
And He says, מִֽי־אַ֤תְּ וַתִּֽירְאִי֙ -Who are you, that you are afraid?
מֵאֱנ֣וֹשׁ יָמ֔וּת וּמִבֶּן־אָדָ֖ם חָצִ֥יר יִנָּתֵֽן׃
Of a human being that is mortal, and from a person that is made of grass?
וַתִּשְׁכַּ֞ח ה׳ עֹשֶׂ֗ךָ
You forgot Hashem your Creator
נוֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַיִם֮ וְיֹסֵ֣ד אָרֶץ֒
Who spread the heavens and set the foundation of the earth.
וַתְּפַחֵ֨ד תָּמִ֜יד כָּל־הַיּ֗וֹם
And you’re constantly terrified,
מִפְּנֵי֙ חֲמַ֣ת הַמֵּצִ֔יק
Because of the rage of the oppressor
וְאַיֵּ֖ה חֲמַ֥ת הַמֵּצִֽיק׃
And where is the rage of the oppressor??
There is no one there. You are afraid of something that doesn’t exist.
The Bet HaLevi brings out a beautiful point here: The pasuk says, “Who are you that’s afraid?”
And then it says “You forgot Hashem your G-d.”
The Bet HaLevi explains that if a person were to realize that everything found in the world is from Hashem, that no creature has the ability to change Hashem’s decree, not to add or diminish even an amount the size of a needle’s point, or to cause anything to happen even a single moment earlier or later than Hashem’s decree, he would never be afraid of a person.
So, if you are afraid of a person, it means you forgot about Hashem.
A mashal can illustrate this point:
Imagine a person driving down a dark alley, very afraid because there are hooligans all over. But then you remind the person that he is driving a tank, and no one can hurt him.
There would be nothing to fear.
So too, if a person realized that Hashem is protecting him all the time, he would not be afraid.
The source of fear, says the pasuk, and the Bet HaLevi, is that Hashem is not on our minds.
This is an important lesson as we prepare for Rosh Hashanah.
Ra Wolbe points out that in the Zichronot section of the Rosh Hashanah Musaf prayers, in the middle of a frightening description of how the fate of all people will be determined, we add the line
אשרי איש שלא ישכחך
Fortunate is the man that does not forget You
ובן אדם יתאמץ בך
And the human being who clings to You.
Rav Wolbe says that although we are being judged, which seems frightening, we need not fear, if we have Hashem on our minds. If we connect to Hashem and always remember that He is caring for us, we have no reason to fear.
That is a big Hiddush. The Torah requires from us not to be afraid.
People may wonder, how can I not be afraid? That is a heavy request.
But in this week’s Parasha, Shoftim, the Steipler explains that a person is not accountable for natural fear and anxiety, which is sometimes uncontrollable. The Torah wasn’t given to angels, and we aren’t expected to be superhuman. But we must control our worrisome thoughts and instill bitachon to combat them. We cannot just let them run away with us.
He says we are held accountable for the additional fear that we bring upon ourselves, because we don’t fight back with Emunah and Bitachon.
That’s our job- to keep on strengthening ourselves.
In these Yamim Noraim, Awesome Days, ultimately, we are not supposed to be afraid. If we have fear of Hashem, then we aren’t afraid of people, because we know that He’s taking care of us. This theme goes through both our parasha and haftara.
To have Hashem on your mind at all times is a job.
BeEzrat Hashem, we will strengthen ourselves in Bitachon and not be afraid. That is the key to success.
We are going to war; Rosh Hashanah is a war zone. But do not be afraid, because Hashem is with us.
Have a wonderful day and a Shabbat Shalom.