Yakov was afraid¹.

On a surface level, this is simple to understand.  In this week’s Torah portion (Vayishalach), Yakov hears that his vengeful brother Eisav is approaching him with 400 armed men.  Yakov’s camp of women and children should be doomed.

Yet, Yakov has faced physical danger before without fear.  When he travelled alone in the wilderness, in an area with wild lions and the like, he didn’t express any fear.  He set up a few stones around his head as his only defence².  A few rocks are unlikely to stop a wild lion, yet Yakov goes to sleep peacefully.  So why should he be afraid of human soldiers?

The Ibn Ezra (Biblical commentator who lived in the 1100s in Spain) says that the fear Yakov had was actually a fear that he might have sinned.  

Still, why would Yakov suddenly start worrying about sin when he hears that an army is coming?

The Ibn Ezra is not denying that the army is the new thing that is now endangering Yakov and his family.  What he’s saying is that Yakov only has to be worried about an army if G-d isn’t protecting him.  When G-d is on his side, nothing can hurt Yakov.  G-d is stronger than wild animals, an army, any danger in this world.  

When Yakov slept in the wilderness, it was just after studying Torah in the Academy of Shem and Eiver for 14 years.  He could feel assured that everything he was involved in was good and done properly.  But things are less straightforward when you are out in the world with a job and a family.  You are more likely to be thrown curve balls when you have less control over every detail of your life.  Perhaps Yakov was concerned that at some point in the 26 years living with his conniving uncle Lavan, he slipped up somewhere.  

Yakov does take some practical steps to protect his family.  He sends gifts to appease Eisav.  He prepares militarily.  But the thing he is worried about is if he has gotten on G-d’s bad side.  After all, G-d can make even the smallest practical steps successful by arranging the circumstances of the world.

When dangerous times come our way, we should also take practical steps, but we should remember not to fear the dangerous things or people themselves.  They have no power to hurt us unless G-d moves out of the way first.

If you have G-d in your corner, you need not fear anything.  The only thing to fear is IF G-d is still in your corner.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Altonaga and the JET Team

¹Breishis 32:8

²Breishis 28:11