We continue in the Bet HaLevi where he discusses the concept that fear itself can bring on problems. He says that's the reason why, in Jewish War, we tell the people, “If you're afraid, don't go to war.” Because if you're afraid, has v’shalom, you're going to fall. In his words,
מלחמתם של ישראל לא היתה בגבורתם
Jewish wars are not won with their strength,
רק בבטחונם
but rather, with their bitachon.
Rav Moshe Feinstein makes an interesting point. He asks, how is it permitted for Jewish soldiers to risk their lives and go out to battle?
You aren’t allowed to put yourself in danger for a Mitzvat Aseh. He answers that since Jewish battles are led by Hashem, they did not need to take into account the dangers involved. That's how real the Bitachon concept is; that it's not considered a place of danger when you go out to Jewish war.
Of course, we wish our soldiers in the current situation the same.
We mentioned a pasuk,
פחד פחדתי ויתיני
I feared a fear and it brought upon me a danger.
But there's actually a slightly different twist to this. Rav Sadok HaKohen says,
פחד פחדתי ויתיני
I feared a fear and God gave me a gift
-not gave me a problem, but gave me a gift.
What does that mean? He says that sometimes a person is really supposed to get a big gift. However, in order to get it, he needs to have to bitachon and tefila, so Hashem puts him into that situation.
This is a new way to look at a situation of fear and anxiety. The fear and anxiety is given to us by Hashem, in order for us to overcome it, and in that's zechut, to be protected.
I’d like to use this concept to explain an interesting story that Chacham Yehuda Ades tells over, with a slightly different twist. It was war time in Israel and a missile hit a gas line, which caused a fire to break out in a neighborhood with many wooden houses, which was quite dangerous. A moment later, another missile hit a waterline, and the waterline exploded and put out the fire. They asked Rabbi Ades the following question: Obviously Hashem didn't want to destroy the city, because if He did, then the second missile wouldn't have hit. So, if He didn't want to the destroy the city, why'd the first missile hit, followed by the second missile? Why not let neither missile hit and save some money? Rav Ades answered that Hashem wanted to show that He’s watching us. How does He show us? By revealing that miracle. When we just walk around and we don't see what almost happened, we don't see Hashem's love and involvement in our lives. Therefore, Hashem made the two missiles hit.
But I'd like to suggest another possible reason for why things sometimes go wrong and then get fixed. It could be that the town really was supposed to be destroyed, but after missile number one hit, everyone got scared and started to pray and rely on Hashem. In that merit, missile number two came and put out the fire.
So, we have to appreciate those pachad pachadeti/ I feared a fear situations. The more the fear, the more you need to pray, and the more you need to rely, and the greater the gift that's coming afterwards.
Like it says in the Gemara in Megila, when Achashverosh took off his ring and gave it to Haman,
“Greater is the removal of the ring, more than the 48 prophets that came upon the Jewish people,”
because the prophets didn't make them do Teshuva, and Haman did.
The fear, the real sensual fear brings about Teshuva.
We have to appreciate that this is actually what's going on today.
So B’Ezrat Hashem, we will be zoche to
פחד פחדתי ויתיני
I feared a fear and came upon us a beautiful gift that came about through the fear of the situation. Have a wonderful day.