{"id":56432,"date":"2019-05-30T09:52:53","date_gmt":"2019-05-30T06:52:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=56432"},"modified":"2022-07-17T10:19:29","modified_gmt":"2022-07-17T07:19:29","slug":"behukotai-the-curse-of-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/behukotai-the-curse-of-fear\/","title":{"rendered":"Bechukotai: The Curse Of Fear"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[502,368,409],"acf":{"old_id":"56432","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":36663,"related_cahpter":"1046","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Peace itself seems the opposite of fear","content":"

This portion contains one of the most vivid imprecations upon the Israelites if they do not behave as God expects, with\u00a0a powerful\u00a0description of fear: \u201cas for those of you who survive, I will bring a softness to their hearts in the land of their enemies and the voice of a leaf blown away shall pursue them and they shall flee as one flees a sword, they shall fall though there is no pursuer\u201d (26:36).\u00a0<\/p>\n

This verse is describing sheer terror, that can\u2019t be escaped because it is everywhere, particularly in the mind.\u00a0The imaginary noise, something faint, as small as a leaf blowing can create as much of a panic as a larger and more threatening enemy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though the causes of the fear described in this verse are illusory the fear itself is genuine and describes a terrible living situation of constant worry that one is in mortal danger.\u00a0 Is there a way to counter it?<\/p>\n

We can find a parallel verse. Ibn Ezra points out in his commentary to Lev 26:36\u00a0 that there is a verse which parallels it in Deuteronomy; the root of the word \u201cmorech\u201d in this verse he believes is \u201crach\u201d or “soft” and is used in a similar way.\u00a0 Deuteronomy 20:8 is in a section of the text discussing reasons why individuals should not go to war.\u00a0 The officers are instructed to ask the group, \u201cis there anyone who is afraid and soft of heart?\u00a0 Let him return to his home so the hearts of his brethren do not flee <\/em>as his heart does\u201d (Deut 20:8). \u00a0Not only is the term soft of heart used in both places, the term \u00a0\u201cyemas,\u201d the melting or fleeing which describes the heart in Deuteronomy but the fleeing from the sword in Leviticus showcases another similarity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The concern in Deuteronomy seems to be that if a group includes some members who are fearful, their fright will infect the whole assembly.\u00a0Better to separate them so those who remain can stay brave and ready to fight.\u00a0However,\u00a0besides winnowing out those too fearful to be able to fight, this section contains another injunction: the necessity of calling out in peace to a city before proclaiming war on it (Deut 20:10).\u00a0Calling out in peace can only be done when there are none in the group who are fearful; peace itself seems the opposite of fear.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The beginning of the portion Behukotai describes the situation of what will be if the Israelites observe God\u2019s laws, \u201cI will grant peace in the land and you shall lie down and no one shall trouble you and I will cause respite from evil beasts in the land and the sword shall not pass over your land\u201d (Lev 26:6).\u00a0<\/p>\n

In essence, observing the laws is a way of calling out in peace, of creating peace, of evading fear.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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