Contagious Fear

It might be helpful to imagine the scene the Torah describes this week:

Moshe had been gone from camp a long time

And the people became afraid--

When would he return?

            Will he return?

            Wasn’t he supposed to be back already?

Fear spread throughout the community,

Until fear became all there was.

So the Israelites took their precious stones,

Their gold and silver,

And they fashioned something they thought

They could hold onto,

Something that would be definite and sure.

They made for themselves a god they could see and touch.

            A god that would lead them

            And would always keep them safe.

It is understandable that the Israelites grew afraid,

It is not surprising that fear spread

And led them astray.

Fear, as we know, is highly contagious.

            Fear can make us forget what is important,

            It can cause us to disregard what we know is true.

Fear can incite and justify behaviors that are damaging and cruel.

So what to do when fear arises?

            Honor its presence and pause.

Breathe deeply and call forth an awareness of the Mystery

That comes through Compassion,

Graciousness, Patience, Love, Truth, Generosity and Forgiveness.

Let these attributes travel through the body,

With each breath, place them upon our hearts and before our eyes.

This might not dispel the fear,

And it won’t chase it away once and for all.

But it will help calm the body

And give the mind, even for a few moments, a different focus.

Repeated enough, these attributes might find a stronghold

And become the foundation from which our thoughts and actions arise.

Let us be patient and kind with ourselves and each other,

As fear continues to rage.

And let us move slowly enough to be discerning

So we make choices that affirm our values

And stay true to all we love.

—Rabbi Yael Levy

16 Adar 5780